T he DR (P-10) occurrence is located on a north-northeast–facing slope, south of the informally named 140 Creek, a northwest-flowing tributary of the Driftpile River, and approximately 18 kilometres southwest of the confluence of the Gataga and South Gataga rivers in the Muskwa Ranges of Northern British Columbia. The Ridge zone of the Driftpile Creek (MINFILE 094K 066) occurrence is located immediately to the southwest of the DR occurrence and may include it; refer to the Driftpile Creek occurrence for further drilling and sampling results in the DR occurrence area.
The occurrence is in the Gataga mineral district, in a belt of Proterozoic and Paleozoic basinal-facies sedimentary rocks known as the Kechika Trough, part of Ancestral North America (Exploration and Mining Geology, Volume 1, page 1; Geological Survey of Canada Map 1713A). The DR claim is underlain mainly by the Middle to Upper Devonian Gunsteel Formation (informal name) of the Devono-Mississippian Earn Group, and partially by the upper part of the Ordovician to Lower Devonian Road River Group (Assessment Reports 6663, 7290, 7874; Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 373, Map 1343A). These units alternate on the surface due to several tight, upright to northeast-overturned anticlines and synclines. The strata generally strike approximately 320 degrees and dip moderately southwest.
The Gunsteel Formation consists of blue-grey weathering black shale and siliceous argillite with nodules and thin lenses of massive barite. Disseminated pyrite and blebby barite are also reported. The baritic horizons are potentially important as they host stratiform lead-zinc mineralization in adjacent mineral properties such as at the Driftpile Creek deposit immediately to the northwest (MINFILE 094K 066). However, although several geochemically anomalous soils and limonitic gossans occur on the DR claim, no primary lead-zinc mineralization is documented.
In 1974, three outcrop samples from the P-10 claim yielded from 0.15 to 0.66 per cent zinc with up to 4.25 per cent barium (Assessment Report 5359).
In 1979, samples of gossanous material from trench 1 yielded from 0.56 to 0.91 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 7874).
Work History
During 1973 and 1975, Canex Placer Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, trenching and 15.0 line-kilometres of ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveys on the area as the D, P, G and Goof claims of the Driftpile property. In 1977, Cyprus Anvil Mining Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and soil sampling on the area as the DR claims. Also in 1977, Texasgulf Canada Ltd. completed a program of silt and soil sampling on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the DPP 1-7 claims of the Driftpile Pass property. In 1979, Jubilee Exploration completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, minor trenching and a 28.7 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic (very low frequency) survey on the DR claims.
Also during 1977 through 1979, Welcome North Mines Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, soil and water) sampling, trenching, at least 30 diamond drill holes, totalling 3432.3 metres, and a 3.6 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area immediately west of the occurrence as part of the Goof, Knot, P, Bob, Pig, Saint and Sol claims of the Gataga Joint Venture property.
In 1994 and 1995, Teck Corp. completed minor programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Rift 101-120 claims. In 2014, Teck Resources Ltd. completed a 222.4 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic (VTEM) survey on the Driftpile Creek property. In 2016, Teck completed a minor program of rock sampling and geological mapping on the area.
