The Pitman occurrence is located on a small creek between Sand and Carpenter creeks, approximately 1.1 kilometres northwest of its mouth on the Skeena River, about 29 kilometres north-northeast of Terrace. Access to the property from Highway 16 was by the Skeena River logging bridge near Cedarvale and thence by following the Skeena and Fiddler Creek "mainline" forestry roads and unmaintained logging roads.

Andesitic fragmental volcanics and flows of the Jurassic Hazelton Group are intruded by quartz diorite and quartz monzonite of the Cretaceous to Tertiary Coast Plutonic Complex. All rocks are cut by granite porphyry and andesite dikes. The volcanic rocks are silicified, hornfelsed, and locally altered to K-feldspar and chlorite.

Locally, two mineralized zones, Upper and Lower, are associated mainly with quartz monzonite and aplite intrusive rocks. Pyrite occurs as disseminations in all units and as blebs and grains in quartz veins. Molybdenite occurs predominantly as fracture fillings with minor amounts related to quartz veins, which also contain minor chalcopyrite, magnetite, and specularite.

In 1958, drilling on the Upper zone yielded up to 0.47 per cent molybdenite over 16.46 metres, while drilling on the Lower zone was entirely in an aplite formation and averaged 0.10 per cent molybdenite over an unknown width (Ostensoe, E.A., Payie, G. (2011-05-04): Technical Report – Pitman Property).

In 1965, drilling is reported to have yielded intercepts of up to 0.12 per cent molybdenite over 54.0 metres, including 0.196 per cent molybdenite over 18.0 metres in hole No. 6 (Ostensoe, E.A., Payie, G. (2011-05-04): Technical Report – Pitman Property).

In 1979, chip samples assayed 0.47 per cent molybdenite over 16.5 metres from the Upper showing. The Lower showing averaged 0.10 per cent molybdenite. A drillhole, 500 metres to the southwest of the Upper showing, intersected 0.12 per cent molybdenite over 55 metres, which contained 0.196 per cent molybdenite over 18.3 metres (Assessment Report 7993).

In 1994, six grab samples (JAP051 through JAP058) assayed up to 0.07 gram per tonne gold, 3.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.147 per cent copper (Assessment Report 23766).

Unclassified reserves are 3.4 million tonnes grading 0.08 per cent molybdenum (CIM Special Volume 15 (1976), Table 1, No.105).

Work History

The Pitman molybdenite occurrence was first identified in 1957 by Joe Bell, a Terrace area trapper and prospector, who staked the O'Molly 1 - 6 inclusive claims and attracted the interest of Heustis Molybdenum Corporation. In 1958, Heustis Molybdenum completed a program of geological mapping, trenching and a minor amount of diamond drilling.

In 1964, Canex Arial Exploration conducted a program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and six drill holes, totalling 494 metres. The following year, a further program of soil sampling and four drill holes, totalling 591 metres, were completed.

In 1979, E & B Explorations completed a program of geological mapping, sampling and diamond drilling, totalling 615.1 metres, on the area as the Pit 1-4 claims. In 1994, the area was prospected as the Silver Spoon claim. In 2007, El Toro Mining completed a program of photo-geological interpretations on the area.

During 2008 through 2013, Casa Minerals Inc. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and ground magnetometer surveys on the area as the Pitman property. In 2014, Abcana Capital Inc. entered into an agreement with Casa Minerals to acquire the Pitman property. During 2015 through 2017, Abcana and Casa Minerals completed programs of prospecting, reconnaissance geological mapping, and soil and rock sampling on the Pitman property.

The 2015 soil sampling program showed an area of moderately elevated molybdenum values (maximum 221 ppm Mo) located on the easterly slope of the ridge that separates Sand Creek on the west from Joe Bell Creek, and similar values east of Joe Bell Creek (maximum value 133 ppm Mo), the site of an undetermined amount of historic drilling and ‘dozer trenching (Assessment Report 35919).

In 2018 a 223 line kilometre airborne combined versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEMTM) and aeromagnetic survey was conducted over the Pitman property for Casa Minerals Inc. (Assessment Report 37955). In addition, a structural analysis was conducted on the property as well as prospecting, mapping and sampling of the Pitman molybdenum area (Assessment Report 37735).