The HO copper occurrence is located on the HO 19 and 21 claims, approximately 1 kilometre west of Churchill Creek and 8 kilometres north-northeast of Tehran Peak in the mountainous Muskwa Ranges of the Northern Rocky Mountains approximately 153 kilometres west-southwest of Fort Nelson (Geology, Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 1970; Mineral claim map, December 1970).
The occurrence is in a region known as the Muskwa Anticlinorium, a major north-northwest–trending structure characterized by moderate folding and thrust faulting. The structure consists of Middle Proterozoic (Helikian) rocks of the Muskwa Assemblage, as well as Paleozoic rocks (Geological Survey of Canada Map 1343A; Geological Society of America, Geology of North America, Volume G-2, pages 111, 639). All belong to Ancestral North America (Geological Survey of Canada Map 1713A).
According to its location, the area around the claims is underlain mainly by the Tuchodi Formation, consisting of sandstone, dolostone, dolomitic siltstone, and shale (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 373). Towards the west are similar rocks of the overlying Aida Formation, also of the Muskwa Assemblage.
The rocks are cut by quartz-carbonate veins which contain disseminations, stringers and massive pods of chalcopyrite (Geology, Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 1970). No other details of the mineralization are available. A road to the site was constructed, possibly in 1970, which is shown on the federal topographic map (Normandy Mountain, 94K/6).
Work History
In 1971, Copperline Mines Ltd. mapped the topography and surface workings, trenched 2103 metres on the John 21, 22, 28, and 55 claims and the HO 19 and 21 claims (MINFILE 094K 029), and completed road construction 11 kilometres south on Churchill Creek from the Magnum (Churchill Copper mine) (MINFILE 094K 003) concentrator.
In 1979 and 1980, Halferdahl & Associates Ltd. completed a regional program of soil sampling on the area as the Tuchodi property.
In 2005, Twenty-Seven Capital Corp. completed a regionally extensive program of geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and a 9002.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the area as the Muskwa property.
In 2006, Aries Resource Corp. completed a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Toro-Churchill property. A rock sample (335802) from a 12-centimetre-wide quartz-carbonate vein with minor pyrite, chalcopyrite and malachite, located in the Ho occurrence area, assayed 0.40 per cent copper (Assessment Report 28736).
In 2012, a remote sensing and geophysical data interpretation program was completed on the area as part of the regionally extensive Northern IOCG property.
In 2014, a remote sensing study was undertaken for Aida Minerals Corp. to assess the mineral exploration potential of the Toro-Churchill property, which covers the John (MINFILE 094K 076), Toro (MINFILE 094K 050), Churchill (MINFILE 094K 009) and HO (MINFILE 094K 029, this description) occurrences. The claims are held by Aida under an option to purchase agreement with the owner, Mr. A.R. Raven. The study utilized digital elevation models (DEMs) and RapidEye satellite imagery and was, in part, follow-up work to satellite imagery analysis performed in 2012. The objectives of the study were to prepare image maps suitable for future field work and, if possible, provide information on the occurrence of areas enriched in iron oxides.
In 2016, geological remote sensing and structural study was undertaken on behalf of A.R. Raven, who is currently assessing the mineral exploration potential of mineral tenures making up the Toro property. The study utilized digital elevation models (DEMs), Landsat 7 ETM, ASTER1, WorldView2 and PALSAR2 satellite imagery and was, in part, follow-up work to satellite imagery analysis performed in 2012. The following year, a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling was completed on the property.
In 2018, Fabled Copper Corp. completed a minor program of geological mapping, rock sampling and petrographic analysis on the Toro property. Rock samples from the occurrence area yielded up to 0.97 per cent copper (Sample 204303; Assessment Report 38031).
In 2020, a further program of prospecting, rock sampling and image analysis was completed on the property. Rock samples of malachite-stained quartz-iron carbonate veining from the occurrence area yielded up to 2.64 per cent copper (Sample Y64604; Assessment Report 38880).
In 2021, Fabled Copper Corp., on the behalf of High Range Exploration Ltd., completed a minor program of prospecting, rock sampling and ASTER image analysis on the Toro property. Float samples (D723517 to D723521) of weathered wacke with quartz, chalcopyrite and trace azurite and bornite and siltstone with minor chalcopyrite and trace bornite from the Target II anomalous zone, located approximately 1.00 to 1.35 kilometres north of the Ho vein occurrence, yielded from 0.299 to 0.97 per cent copper (Assessment Report 39850).
