The Del Santo prospect is located near the headwaters of Deep Creek.

The host rock is east-dipping chlorite-epidote altered amygdaloidal andesitic basalt of the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group, Telkwa Formation. Sedimentary rocks of the Nilkitkwa Formation (Hazelton Group) are mapped nearby by.

The Del Santo prospect is comprised of a north-trending band of semi-massive to disseminated pyrrhotite and pyrite accompanied by lesser amounts of chalcopyrite and minor amounts of sphalerite that occur within intermediate andesitic to dacitic tuffs and interlayered limy mudstone, limestone and chert. The prospect occupies a fold closure. Mafic tuffs underlie intermediate tuffs about 5 to 15 metres west of the mineralization. The rock units and associated mineralization strike north-northwesterly and dip steeply east. Isoclinal folding was noted in limestone at one location.

A biotite granodiorite stock of the Eocene Nanika Plutonic Suite is exposed to the east of the showing.

The mineralization is 3 to 15 metres wide and has been exposed by trenching for about 100 metres along strike. The best grade/width assay results were received from trenches 98-1 and 98-4 spaced about 10 metres apart and about 30 meters south of the northernmost trench. Results from the two trenches include 120.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.9 per cent copper over 15.2 meters in Trench 98-l and 30.5 grams per tonne silver and 0.5 per cent copper over 14.1 metres in Trench 98-4; the best individual assay returned 454 grams per tonne silver and 3.84 per cent copper over 1 metre (as reported in Assessment Report 26227). Drilling conducted in 1998 indicates that the sulphide mineralization does not extend to depth, at least in the area drilled beneath Trenches 98-1 and 98-4.

Samples taken from the main mineralized zone in 1986, assayed 0.02 gram per tonne gold, 562 grams per tonne silver, 1.16 per cent copper, 0.026 per cent lead, and 0.31 per cent zinc (Fieldwork 1986, page 217).

WORK HISTORY (primarily from Assessment Report 26227)

According to BC Minister of Mines records, claims were staked at Deep Creek in 1915. Later in 1928, it was reported that open cuts were made on pyrite-chalcopyrite occurrences by claim owners Tom Brewer and Tom Brandon (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1928).

In 1967, then claim owner Mel Chapmen cut several bulldozer trenches in the area of the present property. Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. subsequently optioned the claims in 1968 from Chapmen and during that year conducted a ground magnetometer survey and a limited soil geochemical survey. The name “Del Santo” was given to the prospect at Deep Creek.

In 1969, Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. optioned the claims from then owners Mel Chapmen and Francis Madigan. In 1969 and 1970 Falconbridge conducted geological mapping and carried out soil geochemical, magnetometer and electromagnetic surveys in the area. They also drilled three short EX diamond drill holes for a total of 39.5 metres.

Circa 1970, Bovan Mines Ltd. drilled one BX diamond drill hole near the trenched area of the Del Santo prospect (Assessment Report 26227). The hole was drilled to about 42.5 metres. No records have been found for the hole.

In 1976, four bulldozer trenches were cut in the area of the Del Santo prospect by Union Minere Explorations and Mining Corporation under an agreement with Mel Chapman (Exploration in BC 1976, p. El50). The trenches were each about 3 metres wide, 20 metres long and 0.3 metres deep.

In 1978, Petra Gem Explorations of Canada, Ltd. acquired an option from Mel Chapman and Francis Madigan and staked an additional block of claims contiguous with those of the Del Santo group. They conducted geological work over previously cut grid lines, conducted a fluxgate magnetometer and pulse EM survey over the area near the trenches.

In 1979, four diamond drill holes, totaling about 328 metre, were drilled by D.Groot Logging in the area of the previous work. No records have been found for the drilling.

In 1992, Willard D. Tompson and Alan Burrows acquired the prospects by staking. In 1993, they mapped and sampled the old trenches.

An assay from a core containing about 30 per cent massive sulphides graded 2.32 per cent copper and 0.18 per cent zinc over 0.60 metre (Property File Rimfire Tompson, 1993).

In 1997, a program of airborne geophysical surveying was undertaken for Telkwa Gold Corporation by Geotech Ltd. over the Del and Santa Claims (Assessment Report 25206). This helicopter borne survey gathered electromagnetic data at four frequencies, VLF electromagnetic data and total field magnetometer data. The airborne electromagnetics data did not show the presence of strong conductors that may be related to massive sulphides or other strongly conductive material such as graphite. The EM conductors detected in the survey are more subtle trends that will be of assistance in mapping structure.

During 1998, Telkwa Gold Corp. established two grids on the property, Grid One over the known Del Santo copper-silver showing and Grid 2 over a circular airborne magnetic anomaly about 1.2 kilometres east of the Del Santa Prospect. The grid covering the Del Santo prospect consists of about 17.5 kilometres of cut lines. During August of 1998, prospecting and detailed geological mapping was carried out over Grid 1 by J. Cuttle ((as reported in Assessment Report 26227).). Soil sampling was conducted on both grids. The 313 soil samples collected on Grid 1 (covering the Del Santo showing and surrounding area) identified low amplitude and subtle linear to concentric copper, zinc and silver anomalies. Analytical results from the seventy-nine samples collected from the second grid showed a single coincident low amplitude copper-lead-zinc-silver anomaly.

Also during 1998, Telkwa Gold Corp. contracted Frontier Geosciences of North Vancouver, B.C. to carry out magnetic and MaxMin EM surveys over a portion of Grid I to test the Del Santo Prospect and potential northerly extensions of the mineralization. The magnetic survey, which totalled 5.26 kilometres, identified a magnetic low coincident with the Del Santa showings and other strong magnetic highs coincident with granodiorite plugs and dikes. The MaxMin EM survey, which totaled 4 kilometres, identified 21 north-northwesterly to northeasterly striking high frequency anomalies, including three that are coincident with the magnetic low.

Telkwa Gold Corp. also established six trenches during 1998 in the area of previous trenching done in the 1960s and 70s. The six trenches were dug approximately perpendicular to the strike of bedding and mineralization, and tested the mineralization for about 100 metres along the approximate north-northwest strike. The trenches were mapped at 1:100 metre scale and mineralized zones were sampled for analysis.

During 1998, Telkwa Gold Corp. drilled four diamond drill holes for an aggregate length of 374.6 metre to test the depth extension of mineralization exposed by Trenches 9X-1 and 98-4. Massive pyrrhotite and pyrite were intersected by DDH 98-3 over a 4 metre interval. The remaining drill holes did not intersect sulphide mineralization. Three of the drill holes were surveyed using the downhole TEM survey method. A TEM response to the east of DDH 98-3 at about 52 metres is interpreted to be related to massive sulphide mineralization intersected at about that depth in the drill hole.

In 1999, Telkwa Gold conducted 0.6 kilometres of seismic refraction in preparation for trenching. Two trenches were subsequently completed totalling 46 metres in length. One diamond-drill hole was completed totalling 120.4 metres.

In 2000, Telkwa Gold Corporation conducted a continuous walking magnetic survey and a gravity survey over the Del Santa grid. A total of 20 line-kilometers of magnetic survey were run and about 1000 gravity readings were made. Of the many geophysical anomalies which were identified, two were selected for drilling. Four diamond drill holes totalling 307.1 metres were drilled from two sites testing an isolated gravity anomaly and a very strong negative magnetic anomaly. All of the drill holes encountered chloritized and epidotized basalt, but no massive sulphide intersections were found.