The Nero 5 occurrence (formerly Axelgold) is located approximately 6 kilometres southeast of Axelgold Peak and about 94 kilometres north-northwest of Germansen Landing (Assessment Report 15514).
The showing is hosted within the Mid-Cretaceous Axelgold Intrusion, which intrudes Pennsylvanian to Jurassic Cache Creek Group metasediments and greenstones. The intrusion is predominantly layered gabbro with minor plugs of gabbro and diabase (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 342). A 101 Ma potassium-argon age date has been determined for this intrusion (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 342) and the age of mineralization is presumably contemporaneous. The intrusion is bounded to the west by the northwest trending Pinchi fault. The Vital and Takla thrust faults occur to the west.
The Axelgold Intrusion consists of gabbros, anorthosite, olivine gabbros, ilmenite-pyroxenite layers, trachytes, and biotite quartz diorites. All the gabbros contain plagioclase, orthopyroxene and ilmenite in various amounts. These gabbros are crudely layered with cumulative textures (Assessment Report 15514). The most common is anorthositic gabbro (and its pegmatitic phase) followed by anorthosite. Sedimentary xenoliths are numerous and consist of graphitic marbles, hornfelsed quartzites, greywackes, argillites and cherts. Numerous fractures are parallel to and found within localized faults. The gabbro is silicified around these fractures.
Ilmenite occurs as disseminations in anorthositic gabbros, in concentrations up to 30 per cent, with minor chalcopyrite and pyrite (Assessment Report 15514). Pods and lenses in ilmenite-pyroxenite layers contain between 3 and 50 per cent ilmenite (Assessment Report 15514). Pyrrhotite and pyrite are associated with the ilmenite-pyroxenite layers. The ilmenite pods and layers are numerous and are scattered roughly 1.5 kilometres north and south of the plotted location. Disseminated ilmenite is common throughout the entire intrusion.
No previous exploration was known to cover the property; however, it is probable that streams were panned during the gold rush to McConnell Creek around 1935. The McConnell map sheet, which includes the Axelgold Intrusion, was mapped by C.S. Lord of the Geological Survey of Canada between 1938 and 1945. The Axelgold Intrusion itself was mapped in a cursory manner by T.N. Irvine of the Geological Survey of Canada during 1973 and satellite bodies were investigated in 1974.
In 1986, A 20-day reconnaissance geological and geochemical survey of their Axelgold property was carried out by Platinum Exploration Canada Inc (Assessment Report 15514). The property consisted of the PGM 1 to PGM5 claims which were staked in December, 1985. The property was mapped using 1:20,000 air photographs and a total of 21 bulk stream sediment, 16 panned concentrate and 126 rock samples were collected. Platinum Exploration reported that the 1986 program adequately tested the exposed portion of the intrusion (on the property) for platinum with negative results. They also reported that any further potential would lie in the lower, unexposed portions.
In 1986, Imperial Metals Corporation conducted a field program on the Nero Property (Nero 1-6 claims), also called the Axelgold project. Work consisted of geological mapping at a scale of 1:10,000, with representative samples of all rock types, and of any sulphide mineralization, being submitted for platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold analysis. In addition, streams draining the property were sampled for heavy minerals and silts, and analysed for the same 4 elements. This program of geological mapping and geochemical sampling on the Nero claims over the Axelgold Intrusion failed to detect significant levels of platinum group elements or gold. The Nero 3, 4 and 5 claims were contiguous on the south of Platinum Exploration's PGM claims, with the Nero 1 and 2 adjoining on the north of the PGM group. The Nero 6 was located more that 1 kilometre to the north-northwest of the Nero 1 claim.
Sixty-one silt samples were collected during the 2007 field season on the Huge East property of Amarc Resources Ltd., along streams flowing west into the Omineca River. The southernmost Huge East claims covered ground just east of the Axelgold showing (094D 035). Two areas of anomalous copper and/or zinc values from silt samples were reported (Assessment Report 29669). In 2008, Amarc Resources Ltd. conducted geochemical work on their Huge East claims (Assessment Report 30669). The southernmost claims of the Huge East property, those east of the Axelgold occurrence, had been dropped sometime after the 2007 field season. A total of 605 soil samples were collected during two phases of the 2008 sampling.
See PGM (094D 110) for related information.
