The Welt occurrence is located approximately 7 kilometres north of the west end of Tutizzi Lake approximately 92 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.

Regionally, the area is underlain by calc-alkaline and fine clastic sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Takla Group that have been intruded by ultramafic and gabbroic to dioritic rocks of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Aiken Lake Intrusive Complex. Quartz monzonitic to monzogranitic intrusive rocks of the Lower Jurassic Hogem Plutonic Suite and monzodioritic to gabbroic intrusive rocks of the Mesilinka pluton are exposed to the southwest and south.

Locally, malachite occurs at the contact between Upper Triassic Plughat Mountain Formation (Takla Group) andesitic volcanic rocks and a monzodioritic phase of a Jurassic or older intrusion that is possibly related to the Lower Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Hogem Plutonic Suite. Flat-lying quartz veins mineralized with chalcopyrite, galena and tetrahedrite are also reported in the area. The quartz veins are hosted in a rock unit consisting of variable amounts of angular pyroxenite xenoliths set in a diorite matrix.

In 1981, a rock sample (R3109) from a 5-centimetre-wide quartz vein with galena, chalcopyrite and pyrite assayed 1.87 per cent copper, 0.63 per cent lead and 135.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10436).

In 1992, a sample of the mineralized material analyzed 2.13 per cent copper, 6 grams per tonne silver, and 0.025 gram per tonne gold (Open File 1993-2). Also at this time, a select rock sample (12360) from flat-lying quartz veins mineralized with chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite yielded 2.7 per cent copper, 4.07 grams per tonne gold and 79 grams per tonne silver, while a panel sample (12203) of pyroxenite with malachite-limonite staining, taken several hundred metres east of the previous sample, assayed 2.4 per cent copper and 0.10 gram per tonne gold over a 2 by 2 metre area (Assessment Report 22860).

In 1998, a rock sample (SR-009) assayed greater than 1.00 per cent lead and 155 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 25856 and 27730).

In 2012, a grab sample (23971), taken approximately 150 metres southeast of the occurrence, assayed 0.58 per cent copper (Assessment Report 34124).

In 2019, a sample (DMI19-24-3b) from the occurrence is reported to have assayed 0.312 per cent copper (Fieldwork 2019, page 44).

Work History

Early work included one short hole diamond drilled on the Abe 4 showing (MINFILE 094C 053) to test a narrow quartz vein mineralized with pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrite. This vein had been first sampled during the 1950s by the Geological Survey of Canada during regional geologic mapping and is located about 1.6 kilometres southeast of the Welt showing (this description).

During the 1970s, the Abe claim area was explored by the UMEX-Wenner Gren Joint Venture. The property was covered by a regional airborne magnetic survey, and soil and stream sampling surveys. Four magnetic anomalies were defined; three on the margin of a diorite stock, and one in Takla Group volcanics near a contact with the Hogem batholith. Soil sampling outlined a 550 by 1550 metre molybdenum anomaly on the Abe 7 and 8 claims. Copper-molybdenum silt anomalies were discovered on three of the streams that drain the property. No samples were analyzed for gold.

In 1981, Mattagami Lake Exploration Limited carried out geochemical sampling and geological mapping on the then Alta-1 and 2, and Brit-1 and 2 claims.

In 1991, Swannell Minerals Corporation carried out a program of prospecting, silt sampling, rock sampling, and reconnaissance geological mapping on the area as the Abe 1-8 claims. Copper mineralization with values up to 1.28 per cent was found in two areas, one of which had anomalous gold values up to 11.3 grams per tonne. Anomalous copper and gold values were identified in silts from two streams.

In 1992, on behalf of Swannell Minerals Corporation, an exploration program was carried out on the Abe property consisting of rock and stream sediment surveys and geological mapping; 35 rock samples were collected and analyzed. In 1993, Swannell Minerals continued exploration with a program consisting of soil sampling (126) and ground magnetic (13.1 kilometres) and induced polarization (22.5 kilometres) surveys on the Abe property.

In 1994, Swannell Minerals Corp. completed 10 diamond drillholes, totalling 897.9 metres, on the Abe 2 and 4 claims.

In 1998, Starfield Resources Inc. completed an extensive program of geological mapping, geochemical (rocks, silt and soil) sampling, a 35.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic and a 27.2 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Abe 1-8 and Norm 1-4 claims.

In 2004 and 2005, Commander Resources Ltd. completed programs of prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Abe property. In 2007, Geoinformatics Exploration Canada Ltd. conducted a program of geological mapping, minor geochemical (rock and silt) sampling and 5 diamond drillholes, totalling 1600.0 metres, on the area as part of the regionally extensive Mesilinka property, which included the Abe property.

In 2012, on behalf of Commander Resources Ltd., a field program comprising reconnaissance prospecting, mapping and geochemical sampling was carried out on the Abe property. A total of 328 soil samples, 22 rock samples and eight silt samples were collected and submitted for analysis.

In 2019, the British Columbia Geological Survey conducted a regional bedrock mapping program in northern Hogem batholith and surrounding areas. A grab sample (DMI19-24-3b) was collected in a 1-metre-wide zone of rusty red weathering and malachite-altered clinopyroxenite near the Welt showing and assayed 3120 parts per million copper (Fieldwork 2019, page 44).

During 2018 through 2021, Commander Resources Ltd. completed further programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Omineca (Abe) property.