The North Creek area is underlain by a sequence of metamorphosed Upper Paleozoic rock of the Stikine Assemblage consisting of sediments and volcanics comprised mainly of argillite, chert, quartzite, slate, shale, schist, minor limestone and tuff. The Paleozoic rocks are unconformably overlain by rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group and the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group. The stratigraphy is intruded by Late Triassic dioritic and quartz monzonitic plutons, Lower Jurasssic monzodioritic to gabbroic plutons and Eocene plutons (undivided).

Locally, the area around North Creek on the east side of the Craig River is underlain by metamorphosed Pennsylvanian to Permian sediments and volcanics. The metasediments are comprised of black shales, quartzite, phyllite, sandstone and siltstone. Quartz veining and some quartz-carbonate veins are abundant.

In 1987 prospecting in the North Creek area by Tanker Oil and Gas indicated values of copper, lead and zinc within the altered sediments. Two grab samples assayed 0.345 per cent copper, 4.50 per cent zinc and 0.140 per cent copper, 3.20 per cent lead with 0.80 per cent zinc, respectively (Assessment Report 16620).

Work History

In 1983, a large area between the Craig and Jekill rivers was covered by Star 1-8 and 10 claims and was explored by Energex Minerals Ltd, who collected 31 rock, 44 silt and 26 heavy mineral concentrate samples. The company identified several significant gold anomalies in heavy sediment samples. Values ranged from 3000 to 72,000 parts per billion Au in several creeks draining into the Craig River from the south (Assessment Report 11342).

In 1987, operator Tanker Oil and Gas Limited conducted a prospecting and geological work program on the Zeehan 8-14 claims that resulted in the collection of 31 heavy mineral concentrate, 90 silt, 169 soil and 160 rock samples. The owner of the property was Skyline Explorations Ltd. The Zeehan claims covered much of the western and northern parts of the ground previously covered by the Star claims in 1983.

In 1989 Skyline Explorations Ltd collected a total of 428 contour soil samples, 3 stream silt samples, 15 rock samples and 16 heavy mineral samples from the Zeehan 10, 12 and 13 claims east of the Craig River. The contour soil lines ran from N6 Creek in the northeast to 72K Creek in southwest (Figure 7a, Assessment Report 19366). The widely spaced contour soil lines covered the drainages where documented MINFILE occurrences exist which include: Pyrite Creek (104B 266), Log Jam Creek (104B 265), N2 (104B 267), Zeehan South (104B 304). Prospecting with geological evaluation occurred on known mineral occurrences on the Zeehan 10, 12 and 13 claims. No work was done on the creek where the mineralized samples were obtained in 1987. It seems that the showing was actually north and off of the Zeehan claim area as indicated by Assessment Report 19366.