Regional mapping indicates the Gregor area is underlain by Mesozoic and older sediments and volcanics which have been intruded by granitic rocks of the Coast Plutonic Complex.
The oldest rocks consist of a thick sequence of weakly metamorphosed siltstones and argillites which, in this area, are mapped as Devonian to Permian Stikine Assemblage. Overlying this sequence are black shales, siltstone, greywacke and conglomerates. Corals from limestone within these beds have been dated as Upper Triassic and are thought to be correlative with the Stuhini Group.
On the property the Upper Triassic sedimentary rocks are dominated by black to grey, foliated and well-bedded argillaceous siltstone. The siltstone grades into well-indurated, poorly foliated and well-bedded chert with some limestone. The volcanics consist mainly of mafic flows which include feldspar porphyry volcanic flows.
The Gregor showing was located in 1988 over coincident gold-in-soil anomalies, electromagnetic (VLF) and magnetic anomalies in the northwest corner of the property on the ISK-1 claim. The showing is comprised of massive to semi-massive magnetite mineralization in sheared mafic volcanics. A continuous chip sample from a trench which partially exposed the zone on surface assayed 4.94 grams per tonne gold over 2.7 metres, including a 0.76 metre interval grading 11.49 grams per tonne gold (Press Release: American Ore Ltd., November 10, 1988).
In 1991 it was reported that property-wide mineralization (over several square kilometers) commonly consists of pyrite and lesser pyrrhotite but locally as at the Gregor showing, trace to moderate amounts of base metals are present including chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and arsenopyrite. The arsenopyrite in the Gregor zones is found, primarily, as disseminations in sheared, biotite-altered greywackes and is typically associated with quartz veinlets and fracture fillings.
Drilling encountered no significant mineralization in holes 4 and 5. In drill hole I88-1, a 1.5 metre intersection assayed 1.7 grams per tonne gold and 45.6 grams per tonne silver (American Ore Ltd., Annual Report, 1987).
History
The following is a largely general work history for a property-wide area which included several prospects including: Gregor (104B 357), Gorge (104B 356), Gorge South, Ray (104B 076), Ray No.2 (104B 088), Iskut 1 (104B 089), Iskut 2 (104B 312), Aurum (104B 249), Ver 1 (104B 317), Hemlo West 15 (104B 248) and PbS (Assessment Report 22089).
In 1964, the project area was first staked by Iskut Silver Mining Ltd during their search for porphyry copper deposits. This company undertook prospecting, trenching, geochemical surveys and drilling (4 holes, 69 m) during 1965 and 1966. In 1970, the property was optioned to the Cerro Mining Company Ltd. who did prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical sampling. The option was then dropped and picked up by Amax Potash Limited the following year. Amax Exploration Inc carried out geological mapping, and geochemical soil, silt, and water surveys in 1971. Commonwealth Minerals Limited held the property in 1978.
[The project area of Iskut Silver appears to have been situated to the immediate south of the later Hemlo West property occurrences, Gregor and Ver 1 (104B 317), but did cover Gorge (104B 356), Aurum (104B 249) and the Meridor (Snip North) property occurrences (104B 089, 312).]
In 1982, the Iskut Joint Venture property was staked by the Alpha Syndicate. The Syndicate optioned the property to the Apex Energy Corp. who did 21.2 km of linecutting, geological mapping (1:10,000) and collected 475 soil, 36 rock and 44 silt samples for multi-element analysis. The option was subsequently dropped. In 1986, the property was acquired by the Delaware Resources Corp. who did topographical mapping and collected 287 soil, 51 silt and 12 rock samples for gold and silver analysis. The following year, Prime Resources Corporation (formerly Delaware Resources Corp.) optioned the property to American Ore Ltd. and Golden Band Resources Inc.
During 1987, Taiga Consultants Ltd. performed geochemical surveys on four grids and reconnaissance-style contour soil sampling in selected areas of the property. Geological mapping and prospecting was carried out in conjunction with these surveys. A total of 3250 soils, 153 silts and 804 rock samples were collected and analyzed for gold and silver. In addition, 78 heavy mineral samples were collected and analyzed for gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. The soil survey outlined a number of areas which were anomalous in gold and silver, especially on the Southwest grid, the West grid and north of the East grid. Five trenches and eight drill holes (956 metres of BQ core) tested the gold-in-soil anomalies on the southern part of the West ("Hemlo West") grid. A total of 945 core samples were collected and analyzed for gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. All of the drill holes yielded elevated gold values with the best intercept being 3960 ppb Au and 21.40 ppm Ag over a 2.0 m core length in DDH JV87-05.
During 1988, Prime engaged Keewatin Engineering Inc. to perform geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys, concentrating on the Gorge and Gregor areas. A 325 line-km airborne Aerodat VLF-EM and Mag survey was flown over the property during the spring. A total of 1809 soil samples and numerous rock samples were collected and analyzed for gold, silver and copper. Geological mapping and prospecting were carried out during the course of the geochemical survey. The discovery of the auriferous Gorge and Gregor showings led to more detailed geochemical sampling and mapping. An eight line-km VLF-EM and Mag survey was completed over an east-west grid in the Gregor area and a trench was excavated on the Gregor showing. Hydraulic sluicing was performed at the Gorge showing. Drilling, totalling 1,759.5 metres in ten holes, was done in both showings' areas. The entire core was split and analyzed for gold and silver and copper). During the fall of 1988 a legal survey of Meridor Resources' west boundary was completed and the common legal corner post of their Iskut 1 and 2 claims was located with respect to various benchmarks on the Snip property.
Meridor Resources is reported to have completed 17.925 km of linecutting, 33 hand trenches, 14 blasted trenches and 97 drill holes (9565 metres) in 1987 and 1988 on their Iskut 1 and 2 claims (Assessment Reprot 16679). They are reported to have worked on the Gorge showing which, at least part of, was located at the north-westernmost part of the Iskut 2 claim. The Iskut Silver “project area” claims (1964-1970) encompassed the area of the later Meridor (Iskut 1 and 2) claims (currently Snip North claim). From the outer boundaries of the Meridor (Snip North) claim, the Iskut Silver property extended about 1 km west, 2.5 km east and 0.4 km north.
During 1989, Keewatin conducted geological and geochemical surveys on the western side of the property. The Gorge and Gregor Showings' area was designated as the focus of the two phased program. Grid establishment, "in-fill" soil sampling, surveying, prospecting, geological mapping, geophysical surveys and trenching were completed in the target area. Preliminary, follow-up prospecting and geological surveys were carried out in the "Hemlo West" and "Mount Verrett" areas during the latter part of the first phase of exploration. During October and November, drilling of the Gorge/Gorge South area was completed. This program consisted of ten drill holes (1704.7 m) which tested several targets including geophysical and geochemical gold anomalies and possible on strike/down dip extensions of the Gorge mineralization. Field personnel also blasted, mapped and sampled a trench in order to test a re-interpretation of the Gregor area mineralization. The 1989 work included 2.088 km of Max-Min and Mag, 2.423 km of VLF-EM and Mag, 6.27 km line cutting, 13.53 km grid establishment, 2.06 km of surveying and the investigation of more than 53 gold-in-soil anomalies. A total of 673 soil, 397 chip/grab and 1336 core samples were collected. The drilling led to the discovery of gold mineralization, some 300 m west-southwest of the Gorge showing, which was named the RPX zone. Preliminary drilling of the RPX zone indicated that intercepts of up to 0.427 ozlt gold over a core length of 3.25 metres are hosted by apparent east-west trending shear structures in altered metasediments. The trench excavated across the 480 x 10 to 90 m wide, west-southwest, trending gold-in-soil anomaly in the Gregor area revealed an erratically gold-hearing andesitic tuff breccia unit. Chip sample results from this unit averaged 4.56 grams per tonne gold over 7.0 metres, which included 12.89 gold across 1.0 metre. During the fall of 1989, drilling of the Gorge/Gorge South area was completed. This program consisted of ten drill holes (1704.7 m) which tested several targets including geophysical and geochemical gold anomalies and possible on strike/down dip extensions of the Gorge mineralization. The drilling led to the discovery of gold mineralization, some 300 m west-southwest of the Gorge showing, which was named the RPX zone. Drilling of the RPX zone indicated that the intercepts of up to 14.64 grams per tonne gold over a core length of 3.25 metres are hosted by apparent east-west trending shear structures in altered metasediments.
The 1990 field program consisted of two phases of exploration and prior to the field work, a re-interpretation of the 1988 airborne VLF-EM and MAG surveys. Keewatin carried out drilling in the Gorge, RPX and Gregor areas, which consisted of ten diamond drill holes (1676.1 m). One of the holes attempted to test, at depth, drill hole 189-1's auriferous intercepts from the Gorge Showing area. Results confirmed the inconsistency of extent and grade of mineralization related to the Gorge showing. Four holes were drilled to test possible along strike down dip extensions of the RPX mineralization with similar results. Another two holes were drilled between the Gorge and RPX areas in order to probe for possible blind mineralization related to the Gorge Creek structure. The remaining three holes were drilled in the Gregor area to test the gold-bearing tuff encountered in the 1989 trench. Results indicate a thinning of the host tuff horizon to the west of hole 190-10. In October, Keewatin field personnel carried out geochemical, geological and prospecting surveys on the western portion of the southwest grid. A new baseline was cut and seven cross-lines and a tie-line were established for control. In the fall, a second phase of diamond drilling was carried out in the Gregor area consisting of four holes (289.25m) testing the gold-bearing tuff breccia encountered in hole 190-10, both along strike and down dip.
In 1991, International Corona Corporation, on behalf of Prime Resources and the Iskut Joint Venture examined several target areas and collected 124 rock, 86 soil, 24 moss mat, 10 silt, and 6 whole rock samples. Target areas included the Southwest Grid, West Grid (Gregor), West Grid (Gorge), West Grid (RPX), West Grid (Hemlo West), East Grid, Area East of East Grid, Mount Verrett, and the Area North of Meridor ground.
During 2009 through 2012, Skyline Gold Corp. completed program of prospecting, soil and rock sampling, geological mapping and airborne geophysical surveys on the area.
