The stratigraphy of the Gnome area is characterized by tight northwest-trending anticlinal and synclinal folds, west-dipping thrust faults and steep normal faults. A panel of Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group shales are in fault contact with Ordovician to Devonian Road River sediments and carbonates.
Three barite horizons (Dba1, Dba2, and Dba3) and a massive pyrite horizon are hosted within carbonaceous siliceous shales of the Upper Devonian Gunsteel Formation (lower Earn Group).
A hand sample from a trench was collected as part of the 2012 program; upon further microscopic investigation of the mineralization and texture, it is concluded that barite laminations are hosted by a very finely laminated, siliceous black slate. The mineral assemblage includes very fine-grained barite, euhedral pyrite and quartz.
In 1981, rock samples from two (upper and lower) gossanous zones yielded up to 2.00 and 2.24 per cent zinc, respectively (Assessment Report 8369). It is not known if these samples were from outcrop or talus.
In 1985, a rock sample from an outcrop of Silurian siltstone assayed 0.877 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 14610).
In 2019, diamond drilling yielded up to 0.371 per cent zinc over 1.0 metre in hole GN19-01 (Assessment Report 39072).
Work History
The Gnome Property was intermittently explored between 1979 and 2010. Mineral claims on the property were originally staked by Cominco, Ltd. in 1979. Cominco conducted geological mapping and soil, silt and rock geochemical sampling programs. These programs commenced in 1980 with follow-up sampling and mapping in 1981 and 1985. Exploration efforts consisted of preliminary geological mapping and collection of 30 stream sediment, 2900 soil and 28 whole-rock lithogeochemical samples. This work identified associated lead-zinc mineralization but the relatively low grades and depressed metals prices at the time led Cominco to allow the Gnome claims to expire.
Three anomalous areas (Areas 1, 2 and 3) were outlined on the Gnome property as a result of Cominco’s soil programs and correspond to Area A, B and C, respectively. Cominco also conducted minimal prospecting and trenching to expose barite horizons on the property. In Area C, two trenches were excavated to expose a 2 to 9-metre section of blebby to laminated barite and minor pyrite. This barite horizon (Dba3) constitutes the Gnome mineral occurrence. The trenches at Area C were mapped and sampled by Cominco, however, sample results were not reported. Additionally, Cominco mapped the Property at 1:5000 scale and prepared cross-sections for areas A and C. In Area A, there are four extensive trenches that were excavated perpendicular to the structural grain of thinly-bedded siliceous black shale. These trenches test the extent of a thin barite horizon (Dba1) within siliceous shale and siltstone of the lower Earn Group.
In 1995, Inmet Mining Corporation re-staked the property (renaming it the Muskwa property) and conducted a grid-based infill soil sampling program, which defined two extensive multi-element soil geochemical anomalies. Inmet Mining did not follow up with recommended work and allowed the claims to expire. Sample collection was focused at Areas A, B and C (defined by Cominco). A total of 816 samples were collected at 25-metre intervals.
In 2006, C.J. Greig and Associates staked the GNOME and GNOME NW claims, which they optioned to Mantra Mining, Inc. (now AsiaBaseMetals Inc.) The remaining claims that compose the Gnome property were staked by C.J. Greig and associates in 2008 and subsequently transferred to TintinaGold Resources, Inc. and then to AsiaBaseMetals Inc. in 2009. The 2008 Mantra exploration program consisted of infill soil geochemical sampling to verify location, existence and accuracy of the previous Cominco and Inmet programs. Additionally, Mantra Mining evaluated the extent of favorable stratigraphy within the Property in order to assess the potential for an economic base metal deposit. A total of 1194 samples were collected on 25-metre sample intervals from 14 lines spaced 200 to 400 metres apart. In addition to grid-sampling, the 2008 field crew completed reconnaissance sampling along a 9-kilometre-long line along the northernmost ridgeline within and proximal to the GNOME NW tenure. Additionally, property-scale geological maps were compiled from Cominco programs. Results from soil sampling in the vicinity of Dba3 (Gnome) showing have outlined a coincident zinc-barium anomaly that is greater than 600 metres in length and encompasses the barite showing as well as an adjacent ferruginous gossan. Zinc values are highly anomalous near the gossan, with seven samples assaying greater than 10 000 parts per million zinc, but lead values are weak, reaching only 38 parts per million (Assessment Report 30485). Barium values define a larger anomaly that spans a distance greater than 1700 metres, and was reported to have not been adequately tested to the northwest and southeast.
In 2010, AsiaBaseMetals, Inc. conducted a Fugro airborne DIGHEM geophysical survey consisting of 233.8 line-kilometers over the entire property to better define the extent of mineralization.
In 2012, follow-up soil geochemical sampling and geological mapping completed on behalf of AsiaBaseMetals Inc supplemented previous soil sampling results. Areas of interest were visited, and infill sampling, mapping and minimal prospecting were conducted. Additionally, the mapped gossans were visited to characterize their source, type, mineralogy and geochemistry. The targeted areas of interest were previously defined by the historical work on the Property as Areas A, B and C. Within these areas, soil sampling, rock sampling and geological mapping were conducted, and structural settings were identified. The Southern area in the vicinity of the Gin and Aki showings were also sampled. Soil samples from the Gnome occurrence area yielded up to 46,900 parts per million zinc (Assessment Report 33505).
In 2018, AsiaBaseMetals Inc. completed a program of soil and rock sampling on the area as the Gnome property. The following year, a program of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a single diamond drill hole, totalling 140 metres, was completed.
