The Cannonball showing is located on upper ridges on the east side of Verrett River, approximately 5.5 kilometres north of the Iskut River.
The oldest rocks in the Cannonball area are complexly folded and metamorphosed schists and gneisses, and mafic volcanics (basalt) all Devonian age and belonging to the Stikine Assemblage. These are overlain by Devonian to Permian, white to grey, crystalline limestone and other sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Stikine Assemblage. Regionally, these rocks are overlain by a volcanic and sedimentary sequence of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. Late Devonian and Eocene intrusions are mapped in the area.
Major fault structures with attendant joint and fracture patterns crosscut the property. Attitudes vary between north to northwest and east-west.
The showing consists of a series of quartz veins hosted in an area of intermediate to mafic volcanics. Polymetallic mineralization of pyrite, malachite, azurite and lesser chalcopyrite is associated with interstitial patches or vugs within the veins and breccias. Sulphide content rarely exceeds 5 per cent.
In 1988, the Cannonball showing was in the southwest corner of the Ret 7 claim. Seven grab samples have assayed in the range of 0.89 to 2.1 grams per tonne gold (George Cross Newsletter #162, August 23, 1988, page 2). A selective grab sample from a quartz vein at the Cannonball showing assayed 156 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18546).
In 2016, Goldrea sampled the Cannonball showing and reported that of the 26 samples collected assayed over 1 gram per tonne gold and included one sample that assayed 71 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 36459). Anomalous samples up to 0.22 gram per tone gold and 0.35 gram per tonne gold were collected 250 metres north and 500 metres north-northwest of the Cannonball showing respectively (Assessment Report 36459). Goldrea conducted geological mapping in the area especially in areas recently freed from ice. This resulted in the identification of a larger system that is composed of veins and stockwork zones that extend into covered areas. The company further reports that the exposed veins and stockwork zones make up a series of narrow, discontinuous mineralized zones trending north to northeast, within a broader northwest-trending zone (approximately 500 metres in width) that has now been traced along strike for more than 1.5 kilometres.
Work History
In November of 1987 a set of orthophotographic maps were prepared to cover the Ret 2 7 claims and a structural interpretation was completed by Pamicon Development on behalf of Northwest Gold Syndicate. An airborne geophysical survey was conducted the same year consisting of 40 kilometers of Airborne magnetics and EM
In 1988, OreQuest Consultants Ltd conducted an exploration program on the Joy 3, Ret 2-7 and Ver 1-2 claims on behalf of Pezgold Resources Corporation. A total of 474 rock, 1482 soil and 29 silt samples were collected. Work was mainly divided between two grids, one on the Cannonball (104B 346) occurrence and one on the Argent (104B 348) showing. The larger grid (PJ Grid) located on the eastern margin of the Joy 3 claim, covered 58 hectares around the Argent showing. Grid lines totalled 10,600 metres. The sampling produced 912 soil samples. A VLF-EM (electromagnetic) totalling 10.6 kilometres was conducted over the entire grid. Two BQ diamond drill holes totalling 273 metres depth were completed on the Argent. A much smaller grid (PR Grid) covers 6 hectares around the Cannonball showing, located near the eastern margin of the Ret 6 claim. 295 of the rock samples were collected here.
In 2013 Rominos Gold Resources Inc. collected fourteen rock grab samples for geochemical assay from quartz diorite porphyries, muscovite lamprophyres, sulphide coated fractures, and veins. All samples returned low gold and copper values, and predominantly low silver values, with the exception of a float sample of quartz and tetrahedrite/tennantite that returned 1.05 grams per tonne Ag and a porphyritic quartz diorite that returned 2.31grams per tonne Ag.
In 2016, Goldrea Resources conducted a small exploration program on its Cannonball Project. A total of 26 rock samples were collected from previously identified veins and from several newly discovered veins and stockwork zones that have been exposed by receding glaciers.
