The Catspaw South occurrence area is underlain by rocks of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation, Hazelton Group, consisting mainly of siltstone and ash tuffs with lesser dust and lapilli tuffs and interbedded augite porphyry. Feldspar porphyry flows also occur (Open File 1987-22).

Mineralization is associated with zones of alteration consisting of quartz-sericite-schist which cut across the strata. A brecciated quartz stockwork averaging 1.22 metres in width over an indicated length of 150 metres was discovered in 1987. The structure has a trend of 120 degrees with an apparent vertical dip. Mineralization consists of galena, pyrite, arsenopyrite and galena. Several chip samples contained significant gold and silver with the best assaying 2.55 grams per tonne gold, 328.3 grams per tonne silver and 2.4 per cent arsenic over 1.68 metres (Sample C16, Assessment Report 17027). The host rock is a black, metamorphosed, schistose argillite. The zone was also described as a brecciated limonitic quartz vein.

Two diamond-drill hole were drilled in 1991 by Big I Developments near the location of the trenching done in 1987 by Wedgewood Resources that gave rise to Sample C16 (above). This hole yielded a 0.96 metre intersection (from 15.24 to 16.28 meters) that assayed 1.78 grams per tonne gold and 123.42 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 22124).

Refer to 4-J (104B 128) and Portland (104B 082) for further details of the combined 4-J Catspaw and Portland Haida areas that had some common work history. Also see Catspaw (104B 211) and Catspaw 146 (104B 343) for details of other Catspaw showings.

Work History

From 1980 to 1982, the Catspaw claim (southeast of 4J's) was staked by Elan Exploration Ltd arround the Haida Claim and optioned to E & B Exploration. E & B undertook minor prospecting, sampling and geological mapping before returning the property to Elan. Several of the streams draining the Catspaw and Jim claims were noted to carry gold colours when panned by prospectors.

In 1983, the Catspaw claim was optioned to Teuton Resources Corp. Thee property was enlarged by staking the Four-J's claims and the Gamma claim. A stratiform lead-zinc-antimony (gold-silver) occurrence and a boulder train of argentiferous quartz sulfide mineralization was discovered on the John claim. This latter work was undertaken by Billikin Resources under option (the option was relinquished the following year).

In 1987, the property was optioned by Teuton to Wedgewood Resources. Field program concentrated on prospecting, trenching, sampling and geochemical surveys on the Four-J's and surrounding claims.

In 1988, Wedgewood carried out further rock sampling and mapping on the Four J's, Catspaw and Gamma claims before discontinuing the option.

In 1990 Big I Developments Ltd. coptioned both the Haida #1 and Catspaw mineral claims and performed some geological mapping, limited VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys, rock trenching and a drilled a short diamond drill hole. The exploration program confirmed that number of occurrences of structurally controlled quartz fissure (breccia) zones containing significant gold and silver values. All of the known precious metal-bearing showings, examined appear to be related to east-west faults and/or contacts. Gold values were as high as 39.77 grams per tonne and silver ran as high as 4526 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 21212).

A diamond drill and rock trenching program was undtertaken by Big I Developments in 1991 on the Haida/Catspaw claims. Of the two zones drilled only one (Site 1 - DDH 91-2) encountered anomalous gold silver. While the values encountered were low; 0.38 gram per tonne gold and 27.09 gram per tonne silver over an 11 metre section, the zone may have east-west and down-dip potential (Assessment Report 22124). Drillhole 91-3 was put down on the Haida claim.

In 2006, a 427 line kilometre airborne electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical survey was successful in outlining a number of target areas worthy of further exploration. Principal among these was 4J, a complex EM anomaly situated under thin ice cover approximately 100-200m west of the eastern edge of the Smalles icefield. Other significant geophysical anomalies indicated were the EM conductors detected southeast of the 4J anomaly on the Catspaw claim and the discrete, oval-shaped Mag-EM anomaly detected near the southeast corner of the gossan covered by the Tennyson 1-4 claims. The showing covered by the survey include the 4-J (104B 128), 4-J Gold (104B 126), Portland (104B 082), Catspaw (104B 211), Catspaw South (104B 288) and Catspaw 146 (104B 343).

In 2011, the property was optioned to Rotation Minerals which can earn a 50% interest in the property by incurring specific exploration expenditures over 4 years.