The Croy occurrence is located at the head of Shell Creek on the northeast slope of a ridge separating Croydon and Kliyul creeks, approximately 17 kilometres east-northeast of Dortatelle Peak and about 114 kilometres northwest of Germansen Landing.
Regionally, the area is underlain by a northwest trending assemblage of Upper Triassic Takla Group volcanics and sediments. The Takla Group rocks are intruded by the Early Jurassic Hogem batholith, to the south. To the east, the rocks are intruded by leucocratic granodiorite of the Early Cretaceous Kliyul Creek body. Three northwest trending, elongate, Alaskan-type, Late Triassic ultramafic bodies also occur in the general area.
Locally, the showing area is underlain by gently folded andesitic volcanic flows, breccias and thin bedded tuffs intruded by feldspar porphyry dikes. The major structure in this area is the north trending Dortatelle fault. Smaller faults trend northwest.
Mineralization occurs in north-northwest trending sulphide-rich shear zones and in veins. The zones, cutting the volcanics at angles, appear to be related to the acidic feldspar porphyry dikes (Property File - Pacific Rim Mining Corp., 1988). Six mineralized zones have been identified and are commonly offset by north-northeast cross faults.
The mineralization is massive to disseminated and consists of chalcopyrite, pyrite, magnetite and pyrrhotite with lesser amounts of galena, sphalerite and molybdenite. The shear zones also contain quartz, calcite and chlorite. Within the quartz-carbonate veins, mineralization consists primarily of chalcopyrite with associated pyrite and pyrrhotite.
The best showing of the Croy system, reported by Springer, Sturgeon Gold Mines (circa 1946/1947), is the the No. 1 vein, which was exposed for 75 metres. The average width of 16 sample trenches from the vein was 0.58 metres and the average assay was 23.66 grams per tonne gold and 12.61 per cent copper (as reported in National Mineral Inventory card 094D08 Cu1). A grab sample from Zone 2 assayed 42.068 grams per tonne gold, 78.51 grams per tonne silver and 20.30 per cent copper (Property File - Pacific Rim Mining Corp., 1988). Zone 5 has been traced, at surface, for 165 metres and returned an average assay of 9.24 per cent copper across 1.2 metres (Property File Chevron, 1977). Similar veins and fractures occur approximately 800 metres to the southwest. A grab sample from a pyritic, milky quartz vein assayed 2.0 grams per tonne gold and 5.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 21521). Numerous chalcopyrite showings occur over the 800 metres.
Diamond drilling in 1971-1972 totalling 2123 metres in 12 AQ holes resulted in a drill indicated 72,560 tonnes grading 5.52 grams per tonne gold, 13.71 grams per tonne silver and 3 per cent copper in several zones. (Beaver Resources Inc., Statement of Material Facts, 26/01/84, page 15 (as reported in National Inventory Card 094D Cu1)). The option was abandoned.
WORK HISTORY
In 1946, Springer-Sturgeon Gold Mines staked the Shell prospect to the west of the Croydon mine (094D where numerous gold and base metal showings had been discovered. Springer, Sturgeon staked 9 claim groups totaling 202 claims in the area in 1946. The Shell group of 28 claims was staked. Work on the Shell group during 1946 and 1947 consisted of some 60 open cuts. The orebodies exposed were considered to be too small to be of importance at that time and the company apparently abandoned the property.
In 1988 and 1996, Pacific Rim Resources drilled eight shallow holes totaling 542 metres (Assessment Report 21521). Assay results from the drill holes show that copper averages 1.5 per cent copper while gold is reportedly concentrated near surface (Assessment Report 21521).
In 1964, Southwest Potash Corp. (Amax) conducted mapping and chip sampling of the southern-most Soup skarn horizons (094D 025 and 105). The Soup skarn, is located southwest of the Shell prospect. In 1965, mapping by K.C. McTaggert revealed the skarn horizon varied in width from 3 to 30 metres feet and extended discontinuously for over 2.4 kilometres (Assessment Report 675).
In 1966, Kennco conducted a property examination (as reported in Assessment Report 10743).
The ground was restaked in February 1970 by Peter Tegart, of Vancouver, as the Croy 1-17 claims. El Paso Mining and Milling Company optioned the property in 1970 and conducted geochemical soil surveys in 1970 and 1971 (totaling 1224 samples) indicated a number of anomalies but only those above the known showings appeared significant. Geophysical surveys (mag, EM and IP) indicated minor anomalies deemed related to magnetite, pyrite and pyrrhotite. Trench assays from zone 2 returned 1.43 per cent copper over a width of 3.3 metres and length of 76 metres. Trench assays from zone 5 returned 9.24 per cent copper across a 1.2 metre width width and 3.5 metre length. Diamond drilling in 1971-72 totaled 2123 metres in 12 AQ holes.
In 1971, the Soup 1-10 claims were held in 1971 by Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited who conducted a diamond drilling progrom consisting of 10 x-ray holes totaling 30 metres. The claims apparently cover showings that were included in the former Shell property.
In 1975, A.J. Sinclair conducted a mineralographic investigation of surface and core specimens (Assessment Report 5562). In 1976, Sinclair completed a 1.1 kilometre orientation magnetometer survey and modeling (Assessment Report 5985).
In 1977, BP Minerals Ltd. collected 201 chip samples from 11 lines across mineralization (Assessment Report 6410).
In 1978, BP Minerals Ltd. completed a statistical ana!ysis of 1977 samples (Assessment Report 5562).
In 1980, Vital Resources Ltd. optioned the property and collected 113 chip samples and completed a limited soil survey across the skarn horizon stratigraphy, collecting 82 soil samples (Assessment Report 9485).
In 1982, Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. optioned the claims from Vital and conducted soil and rock chip sampling as well as a 5 magnetometer survey, collecting 61 rock and 440 soil samples (Assessment Report 10743).
During the same time, the Croy 1-12 claims were acquired by International Trojan Explorations Inc. from Peter Tegart, of North Vancouver and Emil Bronlund, of Fort St. James by an agreement dated March 1982. In December of that year International amalgamated with Centurion Exp1oration Inc. und the latter name. In June 1983, Centurion amalgamated with Beaver Resources Inc. under the latter name. Pacific Rim Mining Corp. optioned the Croy 1-12 claims from Tegart and Bronlund in March 1988. Drilling in 1971 resulted in a drill indicated 72,560 tonnes grading 5.52 grams per tonne gold, 13.71 grams per tonne silver and 3 per cent copper in several zones on the Croy (Beaver Resources Inc., Statement of Material Facts, 26/01/84, page 15 (as reported in National Inventory Card 094D8 Cu1)). The option was abandoned.
In 1984, BP Resources Canada ltd. conducted detailed mapping as well as talus-fine and rock chip sampling. The geochem survey revealed anomalous gold zones exist stratigraphically above the skarn horizons (Assessment Report 13315).
In 1986 and 1987, Lemming Resources Ltd. completed a detailed magnetometer survey and systematic rock-chip sampling program. One new skarn zone was discovered as mineralized talus (Assessment Report 15201 and 16655).
In 1989, Athlone Resource (operator) drilled 7 short holes totaling 339 metres. A 3.2 metre intersection from an oxidized quartz-magnetite shear crosscutting the skarn of 3.2 metres at 49.0 grams per tonne gold and 0.17 per cent copper n (Assessment Report 21521, 25185).
In 1993, 1994 and 1995, Hemlo Gold Mines Ltd. (for Noranda) conducted a 288-test pit and 6-hole reverse circulation drilling program on the Kliyul property as well as cursory mapping and sampling of the Joh, Croydon, Darb and Soup properties (1990 Exploration Report). Mapping of the Soup property was conducted at 1:5,000 scale and a 12-line magnetic survey totaling 6.45-line kilometers was completed and 55 rock and 63 soil samples were collected. A 4-hole diamond-drill program totaling 317.6 metres was also completed in 1995 on the Soup. See Assessment Reports 23367, 23545, 23586, 23683.
From 1996 to 1997, Vital Pacific Resources Ltd. and Athlone Resources Ltd. drilled an additional 12 holes targeting a northwest trending magnetite-rich auriferous zone with at least three stratiform lenses. A total of 707 meters were
completed in four holes in 1997. All holes were collared NQ in size; three reduced to BTW at depth. Some highlighted interceptions included 1) DDH 96-DS-2: 12.34 grams per tonne gold over 5.1 metres, 2) DDH 96-DS-1: 7.86 grams per tonne gold over 20.5 metres, and DDH 97-01: 0.27 per cent copper, 0.61 gram per tonne gold over 47 metres (Assessment Report 25185).
In 2005, Serengeti Resources Inc. reported that it closed on its acquisition of a 100-per-cent interest in the Croy porphyry copper-gold and molybdenum property from Northgate Minerals Corp (Serengeti Resources Inc., Press Release, May 31, 2005). In 2005, Serengeti identified Bloom Cirque (094C 039 and 084) as the best geophysical target to date, which is also coincident with a four-square-kilometre copper-gold-cobalt geochemical anomaly. Assays from 150 mineralized rocks previously collected from this target area ranged from trace to 5.5 per cent copper, 9.4 grams per tonne gold and 0.075 per cent cobalt in grab samples (Serengeti Resources Inc., Press Release, November 15, 2005). The better cobalt values are among the highest known reported from surface samples anywhere in the Quesnel trough.
In 2008, Newcrest Mining BC Ltd. optioned the claims from Serengeti and completed four diamond-drill holes (2473 metres). The four core holes were chosen to test targets on the Raven, Croy Bloom and Davie Creek prospects. Several broad zones of anomalous copper and gold were intersected from the eastern rim of the Bloom Cirque. Narrow quartz veins at the Raven showing yielded gold intercepts greater than 1 gram per tonne (Assessment Report 32239).
In 2009, Newcrest Mining closed all its North American exploration offices. Shortly thereafter, the option on the property was dropped and the project returned to Serengeti. In 2010, an EM survey was carried out over the largest exposed vein in the Shell area, but the Max-Min test survey failed to identify any significant EM conductors (Assessment Report 32239).
In 2010, the Serengeti Resources Inc Croy-Bloom program consisted of an Electromagnetic Survey perpendicular over the main outcropping vein in order to determine if there was an appreciable depth extent to several northwest trending veins of massive chalcopyrite and pyrite that occur in the northwestern portion of the claim block (Assessment Report 32239). Results were not conclusive. In 2011, Serengeti Resources Inc collected 6 rock samples on the Soup claims, with results ranging between 0.028 per cent and 0.52 per cent copper (Assessment Report 32707).
In 2012, Serengeti completed a prospecting and geological site visit on the Croy-Bloom property taking 19 rock samples; highlight was 1.7 per cent copper and 136.6 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 33994). Serengeti Resources Inc. provided the results of a prospecting and surface rock sampling conducted in September on the Croy Bloom property (Serengeti Resources Inc., Press Release, November 12, 2012). The objectives of the 2012 exploration program were to evaluate an area known as the Karen Cirque and Saddle Gulley zone. Reconnaissance IP surveying by Serengeti in the vicinity of the Croy vein in 2011 identified a strong associated chargeability anomaly about 200 metres in width. Other showings in this area include the Croy copper-gold showing which occurs to the northeast of the Saddle Gulley zone.
In 2013, 2 geologists and a one field assistant from Serengeti Resources Inc flew into the 1997 Vital Pacific drill camp on the Northwestern corner of the Croy-Bloom property in the Kliyul Creek Valley (56°27'37"N, 126° 5'7"W) and completed a 1-day work program that included the collection of a total of 5 rock samples on the property and a brief review of the 1997 drill core. The visit confirmed the presence of mineral occurrences on the Soup Ridge/Saddle Gulley Zone area of the Croy Bloom property (Assessment Report 34646).
In 2018, Serengeti Resources Inc conducted an IP program, the first such survey at Soup Ridge (Assessment Report 38849). This resulted in the discovery of a large chargeability and coincident resistivity anomaly beneath where shallow historical drilling completed by Vital Pacific in 1997 intersected several mineralized intercepts, including 47 metres grading 0.27 gram per tonne gold and 0.61 per cent copper in VP-97-02 (Press Release, Serengeti Resources, September 27, 2018).
In 2019, Serengeti conducted a geophysical program on its Croy-Bloom property (Assessment Report 38029). Ten line-kilometres of IP were completed in 3 lines to expand on IP coverage from the 2018 program. Strong chargeability anomalies were delineated on two of the recent lines, which were surveyed across and on the fringes of a large intrusive body associated with strong coincident copper and gold geochemical anomalies in the areas of Soup Ridge, Davie Creek Moly and Porphyry Creek. When combined with prior IP, three drill targets have now been outlined: a deep chargeability anomaly under Soup Ridge, lying below anomalous copper gold values intersected in prior (Vital Pacific) shallow drilling (0.27 gram per tonne gold, 0.61 per cent copper over 47 metres); a near surface and possibly related deeper feature directly associated with the Croy vein where historical channel sampling outlined a narrow massive sulphide vein assaying 15.7 gram per tonne gold, 10.5 per cent copper along 105 metres of strike length; and a strong chargeability anomaly that extends from surface to depth below historical mineral occurrences such as the Croydon Mine adit (measuring 100 by 0.7 metres grading 3.0 per cent copper and 10.3 gram per tonne gold), rock samples grading up to 3.1 per cent copper and 42.5 gram per tonne gold, and strong copper-in-soil geochemistry (Serengeti Resources Inc, Press Release, October 9, 2019).
On March 5, 2021, NorthWest Copper Corp. (formerly Serengeti Resources Inc.) and Sun Metals Corp. announced that they had completed their previously announced merger.
