The Axelgold occurrence is situated on the northeast facing slopes of the Axelgold Range, approximately 54 kilometres north of Takla Landing.
The range has been divided by a series of faults and thrusts, with foliated rocks assigned to the Carboniferous to Jurassic Cache Creek Complex to the west and sediments of the Middle Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group to the east. The Cache Creek rocks can be differentiated from the younger sediments by their highly tectonized-foliated state and comprise phyllitic schist with minor interbedded metavolcanics. Takla Group rocks are dominated by shale and siltstone, with a coarse conglomerate appearing in a fault wedge to the north. The conglomerate is moderately to strongly foliated, dips moderately to steeply northeast and appears to overlie and envelope intrusive rocks on the property. A number of small ultramafic bodies are also caught up as slivers within the fault zone.
The Axelgold is an alkalic to calc-alkalic syenite-hosted porphyry gold prospect. A syenitic mass, referred to as the Axel intrusion and more recently called the Axelgold Syenite, has been emplaced within the northwest-striking fault zone. It is represented by a pyritic sequence of variably silicified/carbonatized felsic and siliceous rocks related to either the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous Hogem Intrusive Complex or the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic Topley intrusions. In general, the core of the intrusion comprises coarse-grained syenite porphyry flanked by variably altered finer grained syenite porphyry which is, in turn, overlain by a felsic unit which is capped by lapilli tuff. All structural attitudes are northwest striking and dip moderately to steeply northeast.
The similarity between the Axel syenite and the Glover pluton of the Lustdust deposit, and other Eocene Babine Intrusives is stressed in later work (Fieldwork 2002, pages 97-113).
Mineralization, in most cases, was found to be of the quartz vein-type, averaging 2 centimetres thick, having no consistent orientation and occurring in felsitic rocks which themselves were not particularly mineralized. The veins host variable amounts of quartz, carbonate, fluorite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, tetrahedrite, galena and stibnite and most contain anomalous concentrations of gold.
Gold mineralization within the Axelgold Syenite (previously called the Axel Syenite) is of the disseminated to stringer, and rarely vein style. Higher gold values tend to be associated with the potash feldspar-biotite plagioclase monzonite. Mineralization consists of quartz, carbonate, fluorite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, tetrahedrite, galena and stibnite. The alteration is extensive and pervasive (Fieldwork 2002, pages 97-113).
Trench A, located to find the origin of copper-stained float observed in a small debris track, exposed silicified syenite porphyry hosting massive pyrite as well as up to 7 centimetre wide quartz-stibnite and fluorite-calcite veins, the latter carrying local stibnite, chalcocite, galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, malachite and azurite. In addition, several quartz-fluorite veins hosting stibnite and chalcopyrite occur within silicified megacrystic syenite porphyry within 200 metres of this seven metre trench.
The best assay, 12.6 grams per tonne gold, 171.4 grams per tonne silver, 1.33 per cent antimony, 2.33 per cent copper and 0.34 per cent zinc, came from a grab sample from Trench A (Assessment Report 15936).
By 2002 it was recognized that higher gold values tend to be associated with the orthoclase-plagioclase-biotite monzonite porphyry dikes. The best mineralization observed on the property to date occurs in the valley bottom between holes AX87-03 to AX87-06 in a poorly defined quartz-carbonate-flourite stockwork zone approximately 650 metres long. The stockwork zones occur within silicified megacrystic syenite porphyry. The mineralized zones contain up to 3.12 grams per tonne gold over 5.79 metres in drill core and up to 12.6 grams per tonne gold in grab samples from surface trenching (Assessment Report 27011). Gold appears to be related to these stockwork zones and consist of chalcocite, pyrite, galena, sphalerite and stibnite mineralization.
WORK HISTORY
In 1984 Equinox Resources Ltd and Beaty Geological Ltd. prospected and mapped the Axel property. The program included the following: the collection of 73 stream sediment samples; one line of 19 soil samples; and 51 rock samples from alteration zones and quartz veins were collected. All samples gave consistent groupings of high gold values except that no quartz veins sampled contained gold.
Anomalous gold values were found in Axel 3 claim block, Axel 5 claim block which hosts the syenite intrusion, and from the soil and silt samples. Results indicated gold concentrations up to 660 parts per billion in silt, 640 parts per billion in soil and 585 parts per billion in rock (Assessment Report 12784).
In 1985 Imperial Metals Corp and Equinox Recourses Ltd. established six grids (Recce, GAA, GAB, GAC, GAD and GAX) for geochemical surveys (Assessment Report 27011). A total of 298 soil samples were collected. Results of the geochemical survey indicated high values for gold, molybdenum, arsenic, antimony and lead throughout the grid. A reconnaissance geochemical follow-up survey was completed on claim blocks Axel 1-4. A 1 kilometre detailed soil grid on GAX was completed, collecting 52 soil/silt samples and 12 rock samples. Elevated values for copper, molybdenum and gold resulted with no observed trends (Assessment Reports 14018, 14020, 14521).
A trenching and surface bedrock sampling programme was completed in 1996 by Cyprus Canada Inc. A total of 361 metres of trenching and 33 small test pits were dug. The pits failed to intercept bedrock. Soil and float rock samples were collected from most pits. A total of 310 samples were collected which included 280 rock, 14 soil and 16 float samples. Later in 1996 Cyprus assigned its interest in the property to Rubicon Minerals Corp. (Assessment Report 24728).
In 1987 Imperial Metals Corp. extended the Au-grid by combining it with the GAB grid and extending existing line to further. A soil geochemical survey was completed with a total of 1699 soil samples and 121 rock samples collected on claim blocks Axel 5-8 and Goldaxe 1 and 3. Results indicated strong anomalies in gold, antimony, arsenic, copper, lead and zinc. A 7 metre long trench and several small pits were excavated during the program. The claim area was mapped at a scale of 1:12,500 and the Au-GAB grid was mapped at a scale of 1:2,000 (Assessment Report 15936).
Following the mapping and soil survey a 9.75 line kilometres IP and ground VLF surveys were conducted. Eight (8) diamond drill holes totaling 726.9 metres were completed from the geophysical targets. Drill holes AX87-01, -02, -07, and -08 were intended to test IP targets but failed to intersect the intrusive-sediment contact. Drill holes AX87-03 through -06 were drilled in syenite. Significant intersections include AX87-03 3.12 grams per tonne gold over 5.79 metres, AX87-05 0.65 gram per tonne gold over 9.23 metres and AX87-06 8.56 grams per tonne gold over 0.61 metre (Assessment Report 27011).
In 1995 Rubicon Minerals Ltd and Lorne Warren collected 156 core samples from the 1987 core for re-sampling. They also collected 43 rock samples and 1 soil sample. The results confirmed previous gold values with the following significant highlights AX87-03 1.92 grams per tonne gold over 6.09 metres; AX87-05 3.82 grams per tonne gold over 3.05 metres and 0.37 gram per tonne gold over 39.2 metres; and AX87-06 10.84 grams per tonne gold over 0.47 metre. They concluded that the gold appears to be associated with pyretic feldspar porphyry in stockwork veinlets of feldspar porphyry plus/minus quartz plus/minus fluorite plus/minus stibnite plus/minus tetrahedrite, semi-massive fine-grained pyrite stringers and disseminate tetrahedrite-stibnite-pyrite zones (Assessment Report 27011).
A trenching and surface bedrock sampling programme was completed in 1996 by Cyprus Canada Inc. A total of 361 metres of trenching and 33 small test pits were dug. The pits failed to intercept bedrock. Soil and float rock samples were collected from most pits. A total of 310 samples were collected which included 280 rock, 14 soil and 16 float samples. On October 31, 1996 Cyprus assigned its interest in the property to Rubicon Minerals Corp. (Assessment Report 24728).
A detailed mapping and lithogeochemical survey was completed in August of 1997. The mapping was done at a scale of 1:2,000. A broad sampling programme was also completed during this time with the collection of 22 rocks. The detailed mapping delineated the position of the west contact on the Axelgold intrusive complex. Where it is exposed it is a left strike-slip fault. The eastern contact is hidden under extensive overburden (Assessment Report 25487).
Wheaton River Minerals Ltd. conducted a work program in 2002. The program included eight (8) diamond drill holes totaling 1,364 metres. The purpose of the drill program was to target bulk-tonnage gold porphyry mineralization peripheral to the narrow stockwork zones discovered in the previous drilling (1987) and trenching programs. Significant highlights include AX02-09, 0.182 gram per tonne gold over 76.4 metres and 0.827 gram per tonne gold over 0.65 metre; AX02-10, 0.162 gram per tonne gold over 214.88 metres and 0.772 gram per tonne gold over 3.05 metres; AX02-11, 0.217 gram per tonne gold over 9.15 metres and 0.176 gram per tonne gold over 32.22 metres; AX02-13, 0.260 gram per tonne gold over 17.31 metres; AX02-14, 0.150 gram per tonne gold over 35.08 metres; AX02-15, 0.402 gram per tonne gold over 0.15 metre and 0.306 gram per tonne gold over 3.37 metres. Mapping during this program shows that the syenite is much larger than pervious interpreted (Assessment Report 27011).
The 2007 exploration program by NXA INC. on the Axelgold property included line cutting, soil sampling and prospecting (Assessment Report 30158). A summary of the exploration activities included: cursory mapping and prospecting, 8 line kilometres of line cutting and soil sampling along the exploration grid resulting in 287 soils samples. A total of 29 rock samples were also collected. The geochemical soil survey demonstrated the presence of a weak Silver plus/minus gold soil anomaly.
