The Timber showing is situated in the Duckling Creek area of the Swannell Ranges (Omineca Mountains), approximately 11 kilometres northeast of Old Hogem and 39 kilometres west of Germansen Landing.
The area is underlain by Middle Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group volcanics, which have been intruded to the north and west by mesozonal plutonic rocks assigned to the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous Hogem Intrusive Complex. The plutonic rocks form an elongate batholith, extending from Chuchi Lake north to the Mesilinka River. The structural setting of the batholith and the intruded Takla Group is one of vertical tectonics associated with graben development (Bulletin 70).
Takla Group rocks in the area of the occurrence are predominantly basaltic in composition and host abundant, though erratically distributed, epidote (with or without pyrite) as veinlets, stringers, pods and patchy replacements. These rocks are cut by numerous pre-Hogem pyroxene porphyry ‘feeder’ dikes. Hogem Complex intrusions range in composition from monzonite through syenite and are potassic altered, locally hosting up to 50 per cent pink feldspar as veins and envelopes several centimetres wide around fractures. Dikes of fine- to medium-grained syenite porphyry cut the volcanic rocks in the area. Near the contact, a dark hybrid rock of uncertain composition has been mapped. It is, however, almost certainly related to the emplacement of the intrusions.
The Timber showing is exposed in a series of connected trenches on a west-facing slope above Duckling Creek. In the third trench from the east, a 3-metre wide zone of semi-massive sulphides comprising up to 50 per cent (average 20 per cent) pyrite and chalcopyrite is hosted by basalt. The basalt also hosts calcite, epidote and some ‘argillic material’. Malachite occurs locally as fracture coatings near the massive mineralization. Two metres to the east, a 2-metre wide zone containing 10 per cent pyrite with minor chalcopyrite is exposed. Like the Discovery showing (093N 089) to the east, the mineralization appears to be structurally controlled along an east-striking shear zone, but is discontinuous along strike and at depth.
Work History
In 1981, a program of rock and soil sampling was completed by Donna Mines on the Discovery and Timber showings on the Duckling property. Sample 71864 B assayed greater than 1 per cent copper and 25.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10241).
In 1987, 326 soil samples and 55 rock samples were collected and assayed by Cathedral Gold Corp. on the Ling property. Rock sample LNG-87-78R returned 64.5 grams per tonne silver, 2.385 grams per tonne gold, and 0.11 per cent copper (Assessment Report 16831).
In 1989, 163 soil samples and 73 rock samples were collected as a follow up to 1987 rock sampling by Cathedral Gold Corp. on the Ling property. One soil sample (LG 150W 825) assayed 0.86 grams per tonne gold, and one rock sample (LD-89-16) assayed 4.16 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 19448).
In 1999, Lysander Gold Corporation conducted a geochemical rock sampling program on the Jajay property including the nearby Mackenzie (093N 223) showing.
In 1991, Manson Creek Resources conducted an exploration program consisting of 84 soil samples east of Duckling Creek.
In 2000, a reconnaissance drill program was carried out by Eastfield Resources Ltd. to test the copper and gold mineralization discovered in 1999 within the Mackenzie zone, located in the southeastern corner of the Lorraine property. Drilling, totalling 352 metres, was completed over five holes perpendicular to Duckling Creek. The most significant drilling intercepts occurred within drillhole MAC 2000-1, approximately 600 metres east of the Timber occurrence, with 0.4 per cent copper over 1.8 metres at 36.6 metres down hole and 0.1118 grams per tonne gold over 1.2 metres at 57.6 metres down hole (Assessment Report 26508). Soil samples (91) were taken for assay and located a coherent, narrow, 200-metre long copper gold anomaly.
In 2005, Teck Cominco drilled five diamond drill holes, conducted an induced polarization and magnetic geophysical survey and collected 588 soil samples within the MacKenzie target area.