The area is located near the headwaters of Winfield Creek which flows into the Telkwa River south of Smithers. The area is underlain by Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group rocks consisting of Telkwa Formation volcanic rocks and Nilkitkwa Formation sedimentary rocks. These have been intruded by stocks of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite.
The occurrence is within a series of volcanic rocks which trend north to northeast and are comprised mainly of lithic and crystal tuff. There is a banded, siliceous volcanic rock that contains weak copper mineralization (mainly malachite) at several locations (refer to Table – 093L 084).
The main showing on the Stock No.1 claim, hosts chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite along fractures and in calcite veinlets related to a fault zone which strikes about 120 degrees and dips 75 degrees south within siliceous lithic tuff. Chip samples of weathered outcrops in the vicinity of the old workings assayed 0.33, 0.45 and 0.31 per cent copper, respectively. A sample taken above the shaft assayed 17.14 grams per tonne silver and 3.40 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1968, page 129).
During the period 1917 to 1919, about 11 tonnes of ore were shipped from this property. From this ore 31 grams of gold, 2830 grams of silver and 2932 kilograms of copper were recovered.
About 800 metres north of the old mine workings regional mappers found specks of chalcopyrite and pyrite in a 0.6 to 1.2 metre chert horizon exposed near a small lake. This area hosts extremely low copper concentrations in fracture controlled mineralization (Kirkham, 1968).
The Stock showing or "old copper queen high grade zone” is a strongly altered group of rocks that are assumed to be Hazelton Group andesite. The zone of high grade altered rock is approximately 10 meters wide and has an east--west strike of over 100 meters. Either side of the altered, gossanous looking rock, the rock is observed to gradually grade into a purple lithic andesite.
WORK HISTORY
The Copper Queen group of 3 claims was owned from prior to 1917 by Ben Peterson and Fred Griffin. A 15 to 23 metre deep shaft was completed and another 30 metre adit was collared about 30 metres below and 70 metres west of the shaft. Eleven tonnes of ore were shipped from small high-grade lenses during the period 1917-1919. From this, 2830 grams silver, 31 grams of gold and 2932 kilograms of copper were recovered.
The Stock group of 15 claims, covering the Copper Queen showings, were acquired by Carl Glover, of Smithers, in about 1960. In the fall of 1960 X-ray drilling in 3 holes was done on newly discovered showings of disseminated chalcocite southeast of the old workings.
Copper Queen Explorations Ltd. in September 1956 optioned the Stock 1-3 claims from Mr. Grover and staked 86 adjacent claims, including the Janet 1, Table 1-12, Lorne 1-10, and other groups.
In 1967, Copper Queen Exploration Ltd conducted a widespread geochemical survey over the Stock and Table property as well as a reconnaissance rock sampling program over Leach Mountain and the Stock and Table areas. Work during 1967-1969 included geochemical and induced potential surveys, and bulldozer trenching. In 1969, Copper Queen Explorations Limited conducted a series of induced polarization, magnetic, electromagnetic and geochemical surveys on the property.
In 1970 about 2 acres was stripped on Table 3 and 4 claims, trenching was done on the Janet claim and on Table 3, 4, and 6 claims, and 290 metres of diamond drilling in 5 holes was done on the Janet and Table 3 and 4 claims.
In 1971, Copper Queen Exploration Ltd conducted another geochemical soil survey over the Table and Ken claims.
Texas Gulf, Inc held an option on the property in 1972 and carried out geological mapping and a geochemical survey.
In 1972, Copper Queen Exploration Ltd conducted geological mapping and a geochemical soil survey over the Stock and Table showings.
No further work is recorded until 2012.
In 2012, UTM Exploration Services Ltd, on behalf of Richard Billingsley conducted a detailed geochemical soil survey as well as a rock sampling program across the Stock and Table showing areas. Soil samples were taken at 100 metre sample spacing and 100 metres line spacing in order to adequately cover the two showings. A total of 162 soil samples were taken. Analyses of the soil samples were reported to have shown very strong copper, gold, silver, zinc anomalies with localized molybdenum and lead anomalies. Reported analyses of the rock samples showed very strong copper percentages over a vast area. Geological mapping at a scale of 400 feet to the inch was confined to the Table showing area and parts of the stock showing.
In 2014, a Structural Analysis was completed on Tenure 903729 of the seven claim Stock Claim Group, on behalf of Richard Billingsley (Assessment Report 34841). The purpose of the program was to delineate cross-structures which may be integral in geological controls to potentially economic mineral zones that may occur on Tenure 903729.
