The Bear Lake occurrence is located approximately 3 kilometres west of Bear Lake near the top of the ridge, about 140 kilometres west-northwest of Germansen Landing (Assessment Report 29980).
Mineralization is hosted in a quartz monzonite stock of the Eocene Kastberg Intrusions. These intrusions have a potassium-argon date of 53 Ma (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 342). The stock intrudes Lower Jurassic Telkwa Formation (Hazelton Group) volcanics and volcaniclastics. Telkwa Formation rocks are metamorphosed to hornfels grade near the contact. The major faults in the area trend northwest, separating rock types of different groups. On a regional scale, the strata strikes northwest and dips moderately to the northeast.
Hand specimen observation shows that chalcopyrite and molybdenite are spatially related, however, petrographic analysis indicates that they are probably not exactly contemporaneous as the molybdenite is introduced in an early mineralizing with biotite (altered to chlorite) event and chalcopyrite and pyrite often occur together in the later stages of quartz veining. Pyrite is observed replacing chalcopyrite and as interlocking crystals, so they are thought to have been introduced together over at least two pulses of quartz-carbonate veining.
Molybdenum and copper mineralization on the property is mainly present as molybdenite and chalcopyrite hosted in sheeted quartz-Kspar-calcite veinlets or less frequently, in the adjacent wall rock. Occasional occurrence of wulfenite is noted, rarely as well-formed crystals but usually as orange resinous streaks in the quartz veinlets. Other rare economic minerals include bornite, chalcocite and possibly tetrahedrite.
The intrusion trends northeast and contains quartz monzonite porphyry and quartz latite porphyry as its main phases. The quartz monzonite porphyry is equigranular containing 50 to 60 per cent plagioclase, 8 to 12 per cent quartz, up to 10 per cent mafics (predominantly hornblende with minor biotite) and up to 20 per cent potassium feldspar. The quartz latite porphyry forms the central portion of the intrusive complex and is characterized by 5 to 10 per cent megacrysts of pink feldspar with a crowded porphyry matrix containing 57 per cent phenocrysts. The phenocrysts are plagioclase (32 per cent), quartz (14 per cent), potassium feldspar (8 per cent), and biotite (6 per cent). The rest of the rock (approximately 40 per cent) is aphanitic matrix. Other phases of the intrusion are granite porphyry, monzonite, pink granite, and quartz feldspar (quartz monzonite porphyry) dikes.
Intense potassic alteration occurs within the monzonite, which contains abundant potassium feldspar and secondary fine-grained biotite associated with quartz veining.
The best mineralization is associated with the alteration in the monzonite and consists of chalcopyrite, molybdenite and pyrite in quartz veinlets. Pyrite is extensive and occurs as pyritic lenses, veinlets and disseminations throughout the volcanic units. Minor pyrrhotite was found within the altered volcanics. Mineralization appears to be related to the porphyry system (Assessment Report 14679). A green framboidal pyrite, found on the property, was found to carry significant gold values.
The veining is mainly associated with the intrusive porphyritic units and in particular, near the margins and contacts with the volcanic rocks. One vein, approximately 3.5 metres wide, cutting volcanic rocks contained barite and carbonate in a quartz matrix. Minor chalcopyrite and galena are disseminated in the barite.
Samples from three drillholes assayed average grades of 0.25 per cent copper and 0.09 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 8335). In 1974, ten diamond-drill holes were completed on the property. The three most southerly yielded intersections of 138 metres grading 0.23 per cent copper and 0.05 per cent molybdenum, 159 metres grading 0.27 per cent copper and 0.061 per cent molybdenum, and 145 metres grading 0.19 per cent copper and 0.035 per cent molybdenum (Property File Rimfire - Ryznar, 1991). In 1995, a geochemical survey of the property identified a 1500 by 600 metre copper, zinc and gold soil anomaly in the overburden covering the valley floor. For more information on the exploration history in the area see Magnum (094D 058), located 16 kilometres north of the Bear Lake occurrence.
In 1948, C.S. Lord completed regional mapping of the area and the work published in Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 251.
In 1972, Canadian Nickel Company Ltd. (Canico becomes Inco Ltd. later) discovered copper-molybdenum mineralization while completing a regional porphyry copper exploration program. The first claims were staked by Canadian Nickel and recorded on September 18 of that year. In 1973, Canico conducted geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys. A magnetometer survey over 13.7 line-kilometres, geochemical surveys comprising 588 rock chip samples were collected. In 1974, follow-up drilling was completed by Canico to test targets established in 1973. A total of 1265 metres were drilled in 10 diamond-drill holes. A minor amount of geological and geochemical work was also done. In 1975, metallurgical (floatation) test work was conducted by Canico on drill core with encouraging results.
In 1980-81, additional rock sampling, mapping, rock geochemistry and geophysical survey work including VLF-EM and induced polarization (IP) was done. In 1983, Lornex optioned the property from Canico, extended the soil grids and built a number of drill pads, but took the work no further.
In 1989, the open ground was staked by Gerald Ryznar. In 1996, International Skyline Gold optioned the property and drilled four diamond-drill holes for a total of 751 metres of BQTK core. Skyline subsequently dropped the property.
In early 2004, Mr. Ryznar optioned the property to Imperial Metals Corporation who staked additional ground and completed five diamond-drill holes for a total of 1704 metres. In April 2006, Imperial Metals staked additional ground to provide a corridor for an access road and in August of the same year completed a helicopter-borne geophysical survey; magnetic and radiometric data were obtained. The survey identified a significantly large magnetic anomaly encompassing the area of known mineralization on the Bear Property. The geophysical survey established a positive correlation between Cu-Mo mineralization and magnetic highs. Similar magnetic anomalies were delineated below the tree line, to the southwest of mineralization that was confirmed by drilling in 2007. In April 2007, J.D. Mollard and Associates produced a report on an access road to the property. In late summer 2007, Imperial Metals Corporation completed two NQ2 diamond-drill holes totalling 946.7 metres and a short program of prospecting during which 11 samples were collected and sent for analysis. The two drillholes were completed to further define the extent of mineralization. Hole BD07-21 intersected 378.6 metres grading 0.054 per cent molybdenum and 0.25 per cent copper which included 178.70 metres grading 0.083 per cent molybdenum and 0.30 per cent copper (Assessment Report 29980). In 2015, Imperial conducted a geochemical sampling program along the route of a proposed access road at the southern end of the property. In 2017, Imperial Metals collected a total of 104 soil samples were collected along three 1 kilometre-long lines that cross-cut three significant magnetic anomalies. Samples were collected every 25 metres along North-South transects. Trace element soil geochemistry was successful at identifying elevated values of copper, molybdenum and gold above two of the three magnetic anomalies (Lines A and B). The results also demonstrate an increase in copper, molybdenum and gold from east to west. Both Lines A and B demonstrated relatively high copper, molybdenum and gold, while soils on Line C demonstrate no significantly elevated values.
