The DM occurrence is located about 5 kilometres northwest of Tenakihi Lakes and approximately 70 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.
At the showing, fractured crystal lapilli tuffs of the Upper Triassic Plughat Mountain Formation (Takla Group), near the contact with monzonite of the Early Jurassic Hogem Plutonic Suite, are cut by epidote veins. Malachite stains and chalcopyrite occur in the veins, along fractures and wallrocks. In 1991, a grab rock sample assayed 0.12 per cent copper (Open File 1992-11, Map Number 33, Sheet 2). Samples in 1992 yielded results from 0.17 to 3.2 per cent copper (Assessment Report 22861). Twenty-six soil samples in the area were anomalous in copper.
Work History
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Union Miniere Exploration and Mining Corp. Ltd. (UMEX) of Montreal conducted extensive regional exploration in north-central British Columbia. Work was carried out by Dolmage Campbell & Associates Ltd. and in the vicinity of the current Aten property included aeromagnetic surveying and silt sampling. This work delineated a small monzonitic stock surrounded by four magnetic anomalies. Anomalous copper was found in the silts from creeks draining the area. Two copper occurrences associated with quartz-carbonate veins in or proximal to the stock were reported to have been found.
The DM showing was first documented in 1991 by a mapping crew of the British Columbia Geological Survey (Fieldwork 1991).
Commander Resources (formerly Major General Resources Ltd.) acquired the extensive UMEX database when UMEX closed its Canadian operations. In 1991, Commander utilized this data to select specific porphyry targets within the Hogem batholith, staking a number of properties including the original Aten claims. During the 1991 and 1992 field seasons, the property was explored under an option agreement with Swannell Minerals Corporation. Reliance Geological Services Inc. was contracted to complete geological mapping and prospecting followed by limited soil gridding over the property. This work located structurally controlled copper mineralization as malachite, azurite, chalcopyrite and native copper primarily as fracture fillings and in quartz-carbonate veining. The 1991 work yielded five anomalous silt samples with values greater than 20 parts per billion (ppb) gold, with the highest value of 70 ppb gold accompanied by 204 parts per million (ppm) copper. One other site had 463 ppm copper with 15 ppb gold. Lithogeochemical highs in 1991 include 2.82 per cent copper with 33.5 ppm silver and 2.83 per cent copper, and one sample of 2030 ppm zinc with 797 ppm copper. Lithogeochemistry from the 1992 work includes nine samples of greater than 1000 ppm copper; maximum 3.2 per cent copper. Gold response was lower and erratic with four samples greater than 100 ppb; maximum 205 ppb gold with 3599 ppm copper. Gold response from the 88 soil samples collected was generally below 5 ppb and only two high values of 28 and 32 ppb gold.
In 2005, Commander Resources Ltd. conducted a very short prospecting program, collecting a total of 11 soil and 9 rock samples. The program was successful in discovering a new high grade copper prospect, the CJL (094C 176), located 2.5 kilometres south of the DM showing.
In 2012, Commander Resources Ltd. conducted prospecting, rock sampling (4), soil grid sampling (82) and stream sediment sampling (1) on its Aten property which covers the DM showing.
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.
