The Max occurrences consists of four main showings within 1 kilometre of each other in the Cripple Lake area, east of the Fort St. James-Germansen logging road. The Max property is approximately 14 kilometres east of the Tas property (093K 080) and 22 kilometres south of the Mt. Milligan deposit (093N 194). The Max property was staked in 1986, to cover a series of airborne magnetic anomalies similar to known gold showings in the area.
The region is underlain by sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group within the Quesnel Terrane. The group comprises the informally named Inzana Lake, Rainbow, Witch Lake and Chuchi Lake Formations. These have been intruded by alkaline intrusives believed to be coeval with the volcanics. The Witch Lake Formation is composed predominantly of augite ± plagioclase porphyry flows and agglomerates. It is underlain by the younger Inzana Lake Formation (epiclastic volcanic sediments) and the older Rainbow Formation made up of fine-grained sediments derived (in part) from a continental source. Amygdaloidal maroon and green subaerial flows and lahars of the Chuchi Lake Formation overlie the Witch Lake Formation.
The claims cover an extensive area of propylitic alteration and sporadic mineralization associated with a polyphase intrusive body. The location coordinates are at the highest elevation on the claims, which is the approximate centre of the alteration and the area containing several showings in and around the main intrusive body.
The complex intrusive suite includes texturally variable diorites and monzodiorites containing hornblende, plagioclase, augite and more rarely potassium feldspar. Hornblendite and aplite dikes have also been noted on the property. In one locality, hornblendite apparently grades into amygdaloidal extrusive equivalents. Similar hornblendite dikes have been documented on the Tas property.
The intrusions cut variable heterolithic augite ± plagioclase porphyry flows and agglomerates, black siliceous argillite and volcanic siltstones and sandstones of the Witch Lake Formation.
Propylitic alteration is extensive in the intrusive rocks; epidote and secondary chlorite are abundant. Minor potassic alteration also occurs. The sediments are intensely hornfelsed and display abundant secondary biotite whereas abundant epidote is present in the volcanic rocks.
Significant magnetite, up to 20 per cent pyrite, 3 per cent average sulphide content, chalcopyrite, hematite, and malachite have been noted in the intrusives. Up to 30 per cent pyrite occurs in the Takla Group rocks. Minor disseminated pyrrhotite is found with chlorite in veinlets. The Rainbow Road West showing contained pyrite, chalcopyrite, and fluorite in narrow quartz stringers.
Other copper occurrences are reported on a southeast-trending ridge, extending from approximately 700 to 900 metres northeast to east-northeast of the Max occurrence, on the west side of a south-trending ridge, approximately 1.8 kilometres south of the Max occurrence and on a small hill, located approximately 3.5 kilometres north of the Max occurrence.
A chip sample of diorite containing minor sulphides assayed 0.28 per cent copper and minor gold and arsenic (Property File - United Pacific Gold Limited Prospectus Aug. 1988).
Mapping and sampling in 2007 shows areas with traces of chalcopyrite within about 1 kilometre east of the Max showing and a quartz vein with pyrite and chalcopyrite 2 kilometres due north of the Max showing (Assessment Report 29353, Figure 4).
The Fire anomaly, about 4 kilometres north of the Max showing, and the Lynx anomaly (093K 083), about 8 kilometres south of the Max showing, was drilled in 1992 by Rio Algom as part of its Max claim group exploration program (Assessment Report 22271). Results were poor.
Work History
The property was originally staked in late 1986 by Arthur A. Halleran, Arthur D. Halleran and Uwe Schmidt. They based their staking on the presence of a series of magnetic highs of similar magnitude to the nearby Tas and Mount Milligan properties. They also found placer gold in creeks draining these magnetic anomalies.
United Pacific Gold optioned the claims in 1986 and carried out a preliminary program of geological mapping, prospecting, soil sampling and collection of panned concentrate silt samples. Geological mapping identified widespread propylitic-altered andesitic flow and pyroclastic rocks and several small intrusive breccias, ranging in composition from diorite to syenite. On the Grif claims, grid soil sampling located areas of anomalous copper in soils.
On portions of the MAX 16 and 18 claims, further reconnaissance soil sampling was carried out in 1988. In 1989, United Pacific Gold Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling and a 39.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the Max property. In 1990, United Pacific Gold Limited sold its interest in the property to City Resources (Canada) Limited. Rio Algom Exploration lnc. entered into a joint venture agreement with City in 1990 and subsequently Rio Algom conducted an airborne VLF EM and magnetic survey of the entire claim block, an airphoto interpretation of the surficial geology, grid soil sampling and geological mapping of the central grid area.
Rio Algom continued work during 1991. Geological mapping and soil sampling were continued on several small grids (Lynx, NW, Fire) within the claim block. The Fire is about 6 kilometres north of the Max occurrence (093K 020). An induced polarization survey was conducted to evaluate the numerous high-magnetic anomalies for porphyry-type copper-gold mineralization. In addition, a detailed rock sampling and follow-up soil re-sampling program was conducted on the central grid area. A rock sample (11649), located approximately 1.4 kilometres north-northeast of the Max occurrence, yielded 0.162 per cent copper (Assessment Report 21873).
In 1992, Rio Algom completed six diamond drill holes totalling 600 metres testing the anomalous Lynx and Fire zones on the Max claims. Volcanics of the Takla Group and sediments were intersected. Mineralization consisted of pyrite and graphitic argillite. Propylitic alteration was present in the volcanics. With the exception of DDH 92-6, all holes were drilled in fault zones. All gold and copper assays were at or below background levels.
From 1986 to 1992, a total of 10,030 soil samples and 264 rock samples were collected. Also during this period 39.8 kilometres of ground magnetometer and VLF-EM surveying, 1660 kilometres of airborne magnetic and VLF-EM surveying and 87.5 kilometres of induced polarization surveying were done.
In 2007, David Blann restaked the area of the Max and K2 (093K 086) showings and collected a total of 234 soil, 39 silt, and 23 rock samples (Assessment Report 29353). Results of this work include significant gold values of up to 2.7 grams per tonne in a pan concentrate and 0.47 gram per tonne gold with 98.1 parts per million copper in a silt sample. Anomalous values of up to 1.8 grams per tonne silver and 20 parts per billion rhenium were also obtained in silt samples. Soil sampling on a grid in the northwest portion of the Max property returned erratic high gold values of up to 580.3 parts per billion.
In 2010, Standard Metals Exploration Ltd. completed a detailed review and analyses of previously collected airborne geophysical surveys and soil sampling. Later that year, a 10.6 line-kilometre induced polarization survey was completed. In 2011, a further 44.6 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveys were completed.
Also, in 2010 and 2011, Teck Resources Ltd. completed programs of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 47.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area to the west of the occurrence as the Cripple property.
In 2013, Aztec Metals Corp. completed a program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and a 653.0 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the Max-K2 property. A rock sample (59371) of malachite-stained diorite with disseminated chalcopyrite and local magnetite, located approximately 750 metres northeast of the Max occurrence, yielded 0.421 per cent copper and 3.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 35072).
In 2017, Aztec Metals corp. completed a further program of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and geological mapping on the property.
In 2018, Jama Holdings Inc. completed a program of soil sampling and a 10.5 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Max property.
In 2019, Thompson Creek Metals Co. Ltd. completed a program of rock sampling and 40 percussion drillholes, totalling 536.4 metres, on the Max property. Drilling yielded up to 1.16 grams per tonne gold over 3.05 metres of aphanitic felsic volcanic and 0.093 per cent copper and 0.194 gram per tonne gold over 0.53 metre of phyllic-altered tuff in hole MAX19-019 (Assessment Report 38569). Also in 2019, Thompson Creek Metals Company completed a 40.0 line-kilometre induced polarization on the Max-K2 property.
In 2020, Thompson Creek Metals Company completed 11 diamond drillholes, totalling 5441.0 metres, a 21.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 963.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the Max property. Drilling highlights included 0.75 gram per tonne gold and 0.02 per cent copper over 2 metres (533 to 535 metres down-hole) in hole MAX20-029 on the Central Diorite zone and, 2.74 and 0.18 grams per tonne gold with 0.02 and 0.41 per cent copper over 2 and 4 metres (278 to 280 and 464 to 468 metres down-hole) in holes MAX20-031 and -032, respectively, on the Ring Anomaly zone located west-northwest of the Central Diorite zone (Assessment Report 39495).
