The Bio occurrence is located west of Tezzeron Creek and approximately 4.5 kilometres northwest of Otterson Lake.
The area is underlain by a sedimentary package of the Upper Triassic Inzana Lake Formation, Takla Group.
One of two holes drilled (Hole 91-B1) on an IP anomaly in 1991 intersected intensely fractured to brecciated hornfelsed siltstone cut by networks of hairline calcite and chlorite veinlets before entering a hornblende feldspar porphyry dike. All rocks were pyritic and occasional grains of chalcopyrite were observed. Gold values were anomalous but not significant. Results from the second hole (Hole 91-B2), about 300 metres west, were less elevated though pyrite and chalcopyrite were still observed.
Work History
The earliest record of staking in the vicinity of the is the Hat claim group staked by N.B.C Syndicate in 1968. The Hat (093K 004) claims were staked over outcrops of basic intrusive rocks and associated pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization discovered by an N.B.C syndicate crew while prospecting aeromagnetic highs, outlined on government survey maps.
Subsequent to staking, N.B.C carried out a magnetometer and horizontal loop EM survey on the property in 1968. In 1969, two diamond drill holes were drilled on an EM conductor and encountered argillaceous metasedimentary rocks of the Takla Group and hornblende diorite. Drill core and surface exposures of diorite are reported to have been extensively epidote altered.
In 1981 and 1982, Selco Explorations carried out an airborne EM and magnetometer survey over the area of the BIO option. Subsequent ground follow-up highlighted two conductors. One conductor, on what is now the BIO 5, was drilled and encountered alkaline intrusive, volcaniclastic rocks and argillite. The other conductor, situated on what is now the BIO 2 claim, was drilled and the hole intersected shale, basic volcanics, argillite, carbonate, and sulphide-bearing chert.
In 1986, Noranda staked the HA 1 claim (093K 004) over the N.B.C copper discovery. Later in 1986 and in early 1987, Northwest Geological Consulting Ltd, in partnership with A. D. Halleran and A. A. Halleran, staked the BIO 1-6, BOB 1 and TUG 1 claims to the north, east and south of Noranda's HA1 claim.
In 1987, Big Valley Resources Inc optioned the BIO property and carried out grid soil sampling over five separate areas of the claims. This survey defined two copper-gold anomalies in the north-central and northeastern part of the property, but Big Valley dropped their option in 1989.
In 1989, Rio Algom optioned the BIO property and subsequently carried out 633 line-kilometres of helicopter-borne magnetics and VLF-EM surveying and collection of 1700 soil samples over a gridded area. In 1990, grid soil sampling was extended to cover the southern and western claim areas and hand trenching of the two copper-gold anomalies in the north central and northeastern part of the property was carried out. In 1991, Rio Algom’s exploration focused on the unexplained copper and gold-in-soil anomalies on the BIO 2 and BOB 1 claims. Evaluation of the soil anomaly on the BIO 2 consisted of approximately 581 metres of excavator trenching in 3 trenches and test pitting on the Ha occurrence. Positive results of a 10 kilometre induced polarization survey near the BOB 1-BIO 1 boundary (northeast of the Ha-1 prospect) prompted diamond drilling of two holes, totalling 243.8 metres, into a chargeability anomaly.
In 2007, Rimfire Minerals Corporation conducted a reconnaissance airborne magnetic survey over seven groups of claims (including the Mags, Axys and Bark) in the Quesnel Trough region consisting of a total of 1,927 line-kilometres. The geophysical survey targeted magnetic anomalies, identified in regional geophysical surveys, which are hosted in geological units favorable to alkalic porphyry Cu-Au mineralization in the Quesnel Trough. Favorable magnetic anomalies on the Mags, Axis, Eye and Bark claim groups were identified.
In 2011, Xstrata Canada Corp. completed a program of soil sampling and a 75.6 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Bio and Hat Super Block properties. The following year, 10 diamond drill holes, totalling 2326.3 metres, were completed on the Hat, Axis and Mags claims of the Hat Super Block property. No drilling was performed on the Bio occurrence.
