The Matetlo occurrence is exposed on a ridge crest at the headwaters of Matetlo Creek, about 9 kilometres northwest of Tenakihi Lakes and approximately 74 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.
The showing consists of a series of quartz veins in a fracture zone across 40 metres of Early Jurassic Hogem Plutonic Suite granodiorite, granite, and syenite. The fracture zone, striking 310 degrees and dipping 85 degrees north, hosts at least five quartz veins, each up to 25 centimetres wide and containing massive coarse-grained pyrite with chalcopyrite. Epidote, malachite, azurite and chrysocolla occur as vein selvages and are disseminated in granodiorite between fractures. In 1971, a chip sample across a one-metre-wide vein analyzed 2.18 per cent copper (Assessment Report 3342).
Work History
During the 1970s, the headwaters of this Matetlo Creek tributary was explored by the UMEX-Wenner Gren Joint Venture (from report by Adamson as reported in Assessment Report 28233). The property was covered by a regional aeromagnetic survey and was silt sampled. The aeromagnetic survey outlined three anomalies along the northeast flank of the Hogem batholith. The silt sampling revealed anomalous copper values in the headwaters of Matetlo Creek. Further work found low-grade copper mineralization in fractures and disseminated in both the volcanic and intrusive rocks. In 1970, a soil sample grid was established over what is now the western half of the Mate 2 claim. An open ended, east trending copper anomaly (greater than 100 parts per million) measuring 1500 by 750 metres was outlined. Anomalous copper values were found in silts in the headwaters of the south fork of Matetlo Creek. The Kam 1-36 claims were staked on the showings in October 1970 by P. Dunsford. There was evidence of previous staking and limited packsack diamond drilling. Fortune Island Mines Ltd. acquired the property in 1971 from principals of the company. During the year, six additional claims (Kam 37-42) were staked and 6 silt samples collected. Work by Fortune Island is reported to have located several copper occurrences in the vicinity of the UMEX-Wenner Gren showings.
Major General Resources (later renamed Commander Resources Ltd.) staked the Mate claims over the area in the early 1990s. In 1991, claims operator Swannell Minerals Corp. conducted a program of reconnaissance mapping and rock and silt sampling. Four rock samples from a zone on the Mate 1 claims assayed greater than 0.2 per cent copper, including a high result of 3.08 per cent copper and 1.34 grams per tonne gold (near Bill, 094C 116; Assessment Report 22859). Swannell’s 1991 work encompassed MINFILE showings 094C 018, 113, 114, 115, 116 and 118. In 1992, follow-up work by Swannell included geological mapping, and soil and rock sampling. Soil sampling was performed over the previously identified copper anomaly.
Mapping in 1991 by British Columbia Geological Survey crews (Fieldwork 1991, Table 1-11-1) resulted in the defining of several new occurrences on the Mate property (see previous paragraph) that which resulted in their addition to the Provincial mineral occurrence database (MINFILE). These include 094C 113 (Yak), 114 (Koala), 115 (Intrepid), 116 (Bill), 117 (Yeti) and 118 (Dragon).
In January 2005, the area was restaked by Commander Resources Ltd. Only 31 soil and 2 rock samples were collected for analysis. This area covers all the MINFILE occurrences indicated above except for the Yeti.
In 2012, Commander Resources Ltd. completed in-fill sampling of previous geochemistry work on their Mate property which covers the Matetlo showing. A total of 10 soil samples, 5 rock samples and 3 stream silt samples were taken and analyzed.
In 2020, Interra Copper Corp. completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, soil and stream sediment) sampling and a 14.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Thane property.
