The John copper occurrence is centred on the John 22 claim, approximately 4.5 kilometres west of Churchill Creek, 2.5 kilometres north-northeast of Falaise Mountain in the mountainous Muskwa Ranges of the Northern Rocky Mountains and approximately 154 kilometres west-southwest of Fort Nelson (National Mineral Inventory; 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 John and Pine claims is underlain to the east by the Aida Formation of the Muskwa Assemblage, mainly comprising dolomitic mudstone, siltstone and thick-bedded dolostone, and to the west by the unconformably overlying Cambrian Atan Group, consisting of siliciclastics and minor limestone (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 373). Regionally, the type of copper mineralization represented by this occurrence is restricted to Proterozoic rocks.
The Aida Formation rocks are gently folded about axes trending 015 degrees. Around the mineralization, bedding dips 30 degrees west. The rocks are cut by an irregular system of quartz-carbonate veins, which are exposed intermittently for a length of approximately 45 metres. The system is made up of two parallel veins striking 315 degrees and dipping vertically. The veins are approximately 3 metres apart, separated by dolostone at the southeast end and by argillites at the northwest end. The more important vein, to the southwest, averages between 1 and 3.5 metres in width and is visually estimated to grade from 1 to 2 per cent copper in the form of disseminations, stringers and massive pods of chalcopyrite (National Mineral Inventory; Geology, Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 1970). The northeastern vein averages 1 to 1.5 metres in width and is estimated to grade from 0.5 to 1 per cent copper (National Mineral Inventory).
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 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 1983, Halferdahl and Associated Ltd. carried out a regional reconnaissance exploration program consisting of 150 soil samples taken along 10 traverses totalling 5 line-kilometres, and regional geological mapping at a scale of 1:250,000.
In 2005, Twenty-Seven Capital Corp. staked 400 claims and optioned two properties that are surrounded by its claims. The combined land package encompasses approximately 475 square kilometres and cover a number of mineral showings including two prospects that have received advanced exploration. The recently staked claims (Muskwa property) are wholly owned by Twenty-Seven Capital, without underlying interests. The agreement for the optioned Bronson (MINFILE 094K 027) and Toro (MINFILE 094K 050, this description) properties was signed with an arm's-length individual. Also in 2005, a four-person crew from Archer Cathro & Associates Ltd. conducted work over the Toro property and a total of 57 rock samples, 233 soil samples, 5 silt samples and 5 pan samples were collected. Chip samples (B374321) from the John area yielded values up to 12.75 per cent copper and 50.8 grams per tonne silver over 1.15 metres (Harrington, E. (2015-10-23): Technical Report on the Toro Property).
In 2006, Aries Resource Corp. completed a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Toro-Churchill property.
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, this description), Toro (MINFILE 094K 050), Churchill (MINFILE 094K 009) and Ho (MINFILE 094K 029) 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. In 2020, a further program of prospecting, rock sampling and image analysis was completed on the property. A rock sample (Y646006) of silicified dolostone with malachite staining from the occurrence area assayed 0.194 per cent copper (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.
