The Tami occurrence is located in the Bronson Corridor, approximately 90 kilometres northwest of Stewart, British Columbia, and approximately 12 kilometres southeast of the past producing Johnny Mountain mine (MINFILE 104B 107). The Tami occurrence is located within an area often referred to as Sericite Ridge, near the headwaters of Snippaker Creek.
The area is underlain by Triassic and younger dioritic rocks of the Coast Plutonic Complex and related later dikes of felsite, granodiorite, orthoclase porphyry and basalt. These intrude an undivided Triassic to Jurassic assemblage of Stuhini Group or Hazelton Group (Unuk River Formation) andesitic tuffs, greywackes and siltstones that are pervasively sericite and pyrite altered. Sericitic shear zones cut all rock units except the basalt dikes and show prominent east and northeast trends.
Sericite Ridge is characterized by a large, bright red colored gossan and iron-oxide cemented soil or ferricrete. The tuffaceous volcanics host minor porphyritic phases and have been altered by the porphyritic diorite intrusive and associated tan-colored felsite dikes. In detail, the volcanics range from fine-grained crystal tuff with finely disseminated magnetite to lapilli tuffs and volcanic breccias. The greywackes and siltstones are pervasively altered, greenish, fine-grained rocks with relict traces of bedding.
The volcanics show weak to moderate propylitic alteration which consists of patchy epidotization and extensive chloritization. Chlorite alteration is less common in the intrusive rocks, but epidote alteration appears to be more widespread and homogeneous. More intensely altered rocks have been completely altered to an assemblage of quartz-sericite-pyrite-kaolin and locally, minor talc. Some of this intense sericite alteration is related to zones of intense shearing or hornfelsing.
The controlling structural feature in the Tami occurrence area is the Sky Fault System, a system of significant normal and reverse structures that extends from Pins Ridge in the southeast, through Sericite Ridge to Khyber Pass to the northwest. Likely forming close to the boundary of a rift-type basin, the Sky Fault System enhanced the circulation of hydrothermal fluids generated during Lehto suite plutonism which resulted in the mineralized deposits of the Bronson Corridor (Fieldwork 2015-1).
Quartz, quartz-magnetite and quartz-carbonate veins are widespread. Oxidation is extensive in areas of heavy pyritization and gossanous hematite staining is well developed. Limonite and jarosite are the main oxide minerals and form thick coatings on most fracture surfaces. Mineralization occurs in quartz veining within areas of intense sericite alteration and within quartz-pyrite-chlorite filled fractures. Hematite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and magnetite occur within the quartz veins.
Copper mineralization occurs within a light green highly sericitized volcanic. A mineralized zone, 0.6 by 1.8 metres, hosts chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite and pyrite. Patchy zones of malachite staining with minor chalcopyrite occur throughout the altered rock.
A barite vein outcrops in the northeastern part of the property. The vein is 0.3-metre-wide and is exposed over 9 metres striking 007 degrees and dipping 56 degrees southeast. The vein carries localized patches of galena with minor epidote and hematite. Also, on the northeast side of the property, is widespread quartz veining, composed of an epidote-rich mass of quartz veins up to 5 metres in width and hosting abundant magnetite. Disseminated magnetite is also common near the intrusive margins. Veins of gypsum-calcite-fluorite plus widespread sericite-pyrite alteration and traces of copper mineralization suggest a porphyry-type system.
In 1983, prospecting outlines a 1000 by 200 metre geochemical anomaly called the Blue Ribbon zone. This anomalous area, which occurs in the central portion of the Snip-2 claim, within the largest alteration zone on Sericite Ridge, corresponds to the 0.6 by 1.8 metre copper mineralized zone. Eight grab samples from this pod of massive chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, chalcocite and pyrite ranged between 6.8 to 10.29 grams per tonne gold. In 1983, a 10-metre chip sample from the Blue Ribbon zone assayed 3.09 grams per tonne gold, and 4.8 grams per tonne silver (George Cross Newsletter, No. 132, July 10, 1984).
During the 1983 field season, the Blue Ribbon showing was poorly exposed near the icecap. During the 1997 field examination, the zone was exposed for approximately 50 metres before the western end of the zone becomes obscured below the ice. Remnant snowfields and glacial debris obscure the eastern extent of the mineralized zone. The full width of the Blue Ribbon zone remains indeterminate due to abundant glacial rock debris in the immediate area of the showing. However, from available outcrop exposure, the main zone of mineralization with prevalent ribbon quartz veining and associated magnetite, pyrite, chalcopyrite appears to trend in a sinuous band, along an east-northeast to northeast trend. The zone appears to be at least 5 to 10 metres in width with possible widening to 20 metres at its western extent where it becomes obscured by ice.
The Blue Ribbon (BR) showing consists of veining and silicification in chloritized tuffs. The main area of mineralization appears to be flanked along its northern and southern boundaries by conspicuous buff weathering bands of sericite-pyrite alteration. Within the Blue Ribbon zone introduced quartz comprises 20 to 50 per cent of the rock volume. Fine grained pyrite and chalcopyrite comprises trace to about 7 per cent concentrations.
In 2017, a total of 11 drill holes were collared by Colorado Resources, with one drill hole abandoned, in the Tami area. By the end of 2017 work, Colorado summarized the Tami as follows. Gold-copper mineralization is associated with one or more, often magnetite bearing intrusions, which cut intensely quartz-sericite-chlorite and pyrite altered, fine grained volcanoclastic and sedimentary rocks. Tami has a strong east-west structural grain which is reflected in the east-west orientation of soil geochemical, magnetitic anomalies and deformation zones. The data suggest that a thick, well mineralized, east-west striking volume of rock with a strike length exceeding 350 metres is open to the east, where it encounters an internal property boundary approximately 400m to the east of the collar of TMDDH17-121. The strong gold-copper intersections obtained from the westernmost drill holes TMDDH17–114 and TMDDH17-115 also suggest the system is open to the west.
Work History
A reconnaissance geochemical survey was carried out over the Snippaker Creek area in 1965 by the Scud Syndicate, which was comprised of Silver Standard Mines Limited, American Smelting and Refining Company, and Scurry-Rainbow Oil Limited. This property was in part staked as the Betty 157-264 group of claims. Further geochemical sampling and prospecting was carried out in 1966.
The claims were subsequently allowed to lapse. The Tami 1-36 claims were held by Great Plains Development Company of Canada, Ltd. Work during 1972-1974, inclusive, included reconnaissance geochemical soil and silt surveys, geological mapping, a time-domain induced potential survey over 13.7 line-kilometres, and a magnetometer survey over 13.7 line-kilometres covering Tami 1-24 and 33-36.
Teck restaked part of the property in 1980 as the Snip 2 claim and carried out a soil geochemical survey (101 samples) with work done on a 50 by 150 metre grid. A gold anomaly was located in the north-central part of the claim.
The property was optioned to Lonestar Resources Ltd. in 1983. Lonestar carried out property-wide mapping and soil geochemical sampling. The Blue Ribbon mineral zone was also discovered during this period. The Lonestar agreement lapsed and the property was returned to Teck.
In 1987, Teck established a 9-kilometre grid and a magnetometer survey was carried out around the Blue Ribbon zone. Surface sampling consisting of 119 rock and 142 soil samples were collected and analyzed. Geological mapping was carried out around the Blue Ribbon zone and also in the northeast quadrant of the claim. A total of 1015 metres of diamond drilling were completed in 8 NQ drill holes from 3 drill sites on and southeast of the Blue Ribbon zone.
Extensive snow cover was present during the 1987 drill program, with drilling directed towards an assumed location for the Blue Ribbon mineral zone. The results of the drill program were not promising, and it was speculated that the best area of mineralization had been missed under the snow cover.
The Blue Ribbon zone was examined and sampled by P. Folk in 1993. His observations confirmed that the strongest area of mineralization had indeed been missed during the 1987-drill program. Folk’s recommendations included more extensive follow-up work and sampling on the Blue Ribbon zone prior to any future drilling.
In 1997, Teck Explorations Ltd carried out a mineral exploration program on the Snip 2 mineral claim. The Snip 2 property has not seen active exploration since the major Teck exploration program of 1987. A total of 143 rock samples were collected throughout the property. Forty-eight of these samples were collected in the general vicinity of the Blue Ribbon mineral zone. The BR zone was sampled intermittently along the known exposure of the mineralized zone (50 metres) in four hand trenches as well as by sporadic outcrop sampling adjacent to the main area of known mineralization.
No further work had been done at Tami until Colorado Resources Ltd acquired the Snip 2 claim from Teck in 2014. Tami, among several other mineral occurrences in the Bronson Corridor are explored as part of the larger KSP property. In 2014, soil sampling 1 kilometre to the west of Tami identified strongly anomalous copper and zinc and moderate to strongly anomalous gold and silver. Rock sampling in the area produced no significant results. A total of 50 rock samples were taken in 2014 at the Tami occurrence, of which 32 averaged 2.26 grams per tonne gold and 0.37 per cent copper. Two channel samples were cut into strongly quartz-sericite-pyrite altered diorite dikes with locally abundant quartz veinlets with chalcopyrite. Channel CH14-006A returned 8 metres grading 1.8 grams per tonne gold and 0.32 per cent copper. Channel CH14-006B returned 16 metres grading 2.81 grams per tonne gold and 0.48 per cent copper (Assessment Report 35184).
In 2015 work at Tami focused on an area where historical sampling had identified an 800 by 250-metre-long, greater than 350 parts per billion gold in soil anomaly. Rock sampling of the area reported up to 6.8 grams per tonne gold and 0.549 per cent copper in sheeted quartz veined monzonite with abundant pyrite, magnetite, and a visually estimated 1 per cent chalcopyrite. Channel CHTami-10 cut 28.8 metres grading 1.17 grams per tonne gold and 0.15 per cent copper. A 12.5 like kilometre ground magnetometer survey at Tami indicates that zones of high magnetic intensity correlate with rock and soil geochemical anomalies (Assessment Report 35943).
In 2016, two drill holes totalling 183 metres were completed at Tami, located 20 metres north of CH14-006B. Both holes failed to intercept the mineralized intrusive rock unit which was noted in the channel sample. Subsequent detailed geophysical and geological structural mapping determined that these holes were drilled underneath a shallow dipping mineralized panel that dips away from the holes (Colorado Resources Press Release September 21, 2016).
In 2017, Colorado diamond drilled a total of 11,824 metres in 24 holes at the KSP property. Drilling tested the Inel-Khyber (104B 138) and Tami (104B 116) zones. In 2017, a total of 11 drill holes were collared, with one drill hole abandoned, in the Tami area. Highlight results for the Tami zone include 13.6 metres of 2.37 grams per tonne gold, 0.16 per cent copper, 58.7 metres of 1.05 grams per tonne gold, 0.19 per cent copper and 40 metres of 1.74 grams per tonne gold, 0.24 per cent copper (Exploration in BC, 2017 pages, 131,132). The Tami drillholes demonstrated the existence of a near surface gold-copper mineralized zone with a known strike length which exceeds 375 metres. Mineralized intervals range to a maximum thickness of 114.6 metres in TMDDH17-118 which cored 0.69 grams per tonne Au and 0.17 per cent Cu (Assessment Report 37604).
In 2018 step-out holes to the east and west were completed, illustrating that mineralization may be continuous, as rocks are QSP-altered in all the holes and locally mineralized. In particular, intersections in holes TMDDH18-135 (21 metres at 0.45 gram per tonne Au and 0.26 per cent Cu), TMDDH18-145 (45 metres at 0.8 gram per tonne Au and 0.22 per cent Cu), and TMDDH18-148 (10 metres at 1.22 grams per tonne Au) suggest that the Tami Corridor mineralization extends an additional 100 metres to the west of previously reported positive results in holes TMDDH17-114 and 115, and is still open (Assessment Report 38707).
Drill core analysis from an additional three holes drilled in 2018 within the main mineralized corridor returned considerably anomalous gold and copper mineralization (Colorado Resources Press Release November 16, 2018). Colorado Resources Ltd. announced its name change to QuestEx Gold & Copper Ltd. on September 16, 2020.
