The Red occurrence is located in the bed of Hepworth Creek, which drains the north side of French Peak mountain range, 50 kilometres east of the community of Hazelton.
The area is underlain by argillites and quartzites of the Lower Cretaceous Kitsuns Creek Formation (Skeena Group). These are intruded by feldspar porphyry dikes and a plug of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite. Bedding attitudes are variable, however, in the area of the main showing strikes are northwest with dips approximately 55 degrees southwest.
A semi-concordant vein, up to 1 metre in width, mineralized with pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, stibnite, and arsenopyrite outcrops in the bed of Hepworth Creek. Gangue minerals include quartz, siderite, and tourmaline. Some disseminated mineralization is also evident. A channel sample across 0.6 centimetre of the vein assayed 0.13 per cent copper, 0.32 per cent lead, 0.88 per cent zinc, 282.5 grams per tonne silver and 4.9 grams per tonne gold (Property File - Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd., 1980).
Mineralization was found in each of Golden Gate Explorations Ltd. drillholes drilled in 1996; a total of 66 samples were submitted for analysis. The mineralization is present as mixed sulphides which, in order of abundance, include pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite. Tourmaline was commonly associated with zones of mineralization. Some of the mineralization is vein-hosted with accessory minerals being quartz, carbonate, and minor chlorite while other accumulations occur as massive sulphide replacement in fault zones. Though mineralization occurs in each hole drilled, little continuity of mineralization is exhibited between holes as a result of disruption by strong faulting prevalent in the area. One hole yielded 3.7 grams per tonne gold, 494.4 grams per tonne silver and 1.87 per cent copper over a drill intercept of 0.18 metre; a second hole yielded 6.93 grams per tonne gold, 34.62 grams per tonne silver and 7 per cent arsenic over an intercept of 0.53 metre (Assessment 11700).
In 1990, Goldpac Investments Ltd. discovered an extensive zone of galena-sphalerite stockwork mineralization north of the original showing in Hepworth Creek. This stockwork system adds an additional 1 kilometre of strike length to the known mineralization.
In July 1964, mineralization on the Zak claims was first discovered by Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. and staked as the Red claims. Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. restaked the area and conducted a geochemical survey collecting 423 soils and 1 rock sample. The select grab sample assayed 442 grams per tonne silver, 0.17 gram per tonne gold, 0.33 per cent copper, and 0.11 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 5188).
The claims were subsequently forfeited and restaked in 1976 by Golden Gate Explorations Ltd. Golden Gate conducted a 595 metre drill program (eight AQ holes) on the existing mineralized area in Hepworth Creek. Drill results were inconsistent, and the claims were allowed to lapse in 1985. Goldpac Investments Ltd. restaked the claim group in January 1989 and followed with mapping and prospecting later in the year. During Goldpac’s 1990 field season, 42 man-days were spent prospecting and geologically mapping the entire Zak claim group. At this time 11 rock and 12 silt samples were also collected. The 1992 soil sampling (111 samples) program of Goldpac was unsuccessful in outlining additional silver-lead-zinc enriched areas though it covered only a very small portion of the property. Besides the new strike extending stockwork zone, prospecting also uncovered three well-mineralized float boulders for which no source has yet been identified.
