The Ant area is underlain by Upper Paleozoic, tuffs, phyllites, siltstones and limestones and undivided volcanic units of the Stikine Assemblage. These rocks are intruded by plutonic rocks associated with three separate igneous events. These consist of foliated diorite of Triassic age, unfoliated diorite of Jurassic age, and quartz monzonite and quartz feldspar porphyry, which are probably genetically related to the Sloko Group of Cretaceous to Tertiary Age. These rocks are intruded by diabase dikes, likely correlative with the Miocene Level Mountain Group, and by rhyolitic dikes, likely correlative with the Tertiary Hearts Peak Formation.
Structural trends include prominent north trending fractures, east to northeast fractures with siliceous zones and widely spaced northwest fractures with 70 degree to near vertical dips.
A 2000 by 800 metre, northwest trending, hydrothermally altered gossanous area, contains disseminated and stockwork copper-molybdenum mineralization. Sulphide minerals include pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite, malachite, azurite, stibnite with minor tetrahedrite and galena. The sulphide mineralization appears to be related to the porphyry intrusions.
Alteration types include sericitic (phyllic), characterized by sericitization of biotite and plagioclase and quartz veining; argillic, showing development of kaolin and silica; and pyritic. The andesites are partially feldspathized and contain epidote, chlorite and actinolite.
An 8.6-kilogram sample from a 7.3 by 4.6 metre area (Trench IV) assayed 0.38 per cent copper, 0.06 per cent molybdenum, 3.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.7 gram per tonne gold. A 20 by 30-centimetre sample from this trench assayed 10.47 per cent copper, 0.03 per cent molybdenum, 17.14 grams per tonne silver and 1.37 grams per tonne gold. (Assessment Report 3475).
A drill hole, 300 metres east of the trench, intersected 0.1 per cent copper, 0.005 per cent molybdenum and 1.1 grams per tonne silver over 30 metres (Assessment Report 6400).
A 15-centimetre chip sample from a quartz vein with galena, chalcopyrite, and stibnite, assayed 205.7 grams per tonne silver, 1.32 per cent copper, 1.76 per cent lead, 0.85 per cent zinc and 1.6 per cent stibnite (Assessment Report 3075). This showing lies 1000 metres southeast of the trench.
Exploration of the Ant Property area has been conducted intermittently since 1964. The eastern portions of the property were contained within a property originally explored by Newmont in 1964. During this period, limited prospecting and sampling was conducted.
During the period of 1970 to 1977, the Ant property area was covered by mineral claims held by three different groups, Skyline Explorations, Brinex, and Rio Tinto. Between these years, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and geophysics were conducted over the property and were successful at outlining a large alteration zone that possessed anomalous values in copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold. During 1977, Rio Tinto completed two diamond drill holes on the property with no significant results being reported.
Tahltan Holdings acquired the property in 1987 and later optioned the property to Waterford Resources. In 1987, geological mapping was carried out over the centre portion of the Ant claims and the centre portion of the Bing claims at a scale of 1: 10,000 and at larger scales where mineralization was discovered. Rock chip sampling of quartz and calcite veins, quartz-carbonate stockwork zones, hydrothermal alteration zones and all pyritic rocks was carried out.
In 1990, Waterford Resources, completed a geological mapping, geophysical and rock sampling program over the property. The geophysics program consisted of 12.5 kilometres of VLF-EM and magnetometer surveying. A total of 315 rock samples were collected on the Ant Property. Gold assays of the samples collected from the Ant Property ranged in value from trace to 5.2 parts per million (Assessment Report 21987). Gold mineralization found at the Ant property was associated with feldspar porphyritic dikes and their encompassing alteration zones and in association with zones of strong fracturing and copper mineralization within the interpreted main porphyritic system. A small ground geophysical program consisting of magnetics and VLF was conducted over the previously reported alteration and mineralization zone.
Mapping, prospecting, and stream sampling was done by Premier Minerals Ltd. across the Bing, Ant and Samo claims which covered the Ant (104K 032) and Bing (104K 035) occurrences. In 1996, Premier collected 100 rock samples, 66 silt samples and 1200 soil samples over the property. The company also conducted 21.2 kilometres of induced polarization and ground magnetometer surveying.
In 2009, Paget Resources collected a total of 83 rock samples on their Icy Lake/Bing property (Assessment Report 29345). Ten rock samples from the Deception Creek area contained locally strong pyrite associated with weakly developed propylitic assemblages (chlorite, epidote). Six rock samples from lower elevations in the Icy Creek area again returned disappointing base and precious metal values, confirming the lack of a well-developed porphyry style alteration system. Paget described the Ant prospect under the name MC porphyry.
The MC porphyry is described by Paget as being impressive in appearance due to pervasive introduction of up to 10 per cent pyrite in diorite. Pyrite occurs as disseminations, veins and along fracture surfaces. The majority of observed alteration and mineralization is found in close spatial relation to feldspar-biotite porphyritic dikes that occur on the main ridge which separates Deception and Icy Creeks. Two modes of alteration and mineralization are present: (1) molybdenite related to quartz veins, usually within the dikes, and (2) strong silicification with copper and molybdenum mineralization in diorite along contacts with plagioclase-biotite phyric dikes.
One 30-centimetre-wide vein discovered during the 2007 work program on the ridge north of Deception Creek contained up to 30 per cent chalcopyrite although it was apparently unrelated to any alteration system or other mineralization on the property.
In 2014, the Ant area was the main target for prospecting and silt and rock sampling by IMGM International Mining Canada Inc. IMGM collected 9 silt samples and 8 rock samples on or near their claims. Seven rock samples and seven silt samples were taken in the area to the northwest of the Ant MINFILE plot. One sample, to the southwest of the MINFILE plot, was taken from weakly propylitic, potassic altered dioritic drill core with pyrite and chalcopyrite strings and disseminations located at Rio Tinto ‘s historical exploration camp area. The sample yielded 0.11 per cent copper with no other significant values (Assessment Report 35004). One more sample was taken near the drill core sample.
In 2019, Brixton Metals Corporation expanded their Thorn property through staking and acquisition of several claims over their East Target area which contained seven mineral showings including Ant (104K 032), Bing (104K 035), East Ant Diorite (104K 152), Skarnface (104K 153), Bing Skarn (104K 166), Motherlode2 (104K 183) and Motherlode 1 (104K 190). The Brixton claims encompassed one small claim (1064718) held by William Kirkland who transferred ownership of the claim to Razzle Resources in 2020. This small claim (1064718) is 365 by 465 metres in area and contains the Ant showing.
In 2020 Brixton completed 3,025 metres of drilling within 16 core holes on the new Central Outlaw and West Outlaw zones on their Thorn property. A total of 1473 rock samples and 5588 soil samples were also collected throughout their expanded Thorn property (Press Release, Brixton Metals Corp., Dec.15, 2020). Some of this work occurred north, south, east and west of claim tenure 1064718 which contains the Ant showing. The Ant showing tenure occurs near the centre of Brixton's East Target soil anomaly that is roughly 3 kilometres by 3 kilometres in area with a minimum of 100 parts per million copper; a central area (roughly 1.75 by 1.75 kilometres in area), within the larger soil anomaly, is greater than or equal to 200 parts per million copper (Figure 7, Press Release, Brixton Metals Corp., Dec.15, 2020). Two rock samples collected by Brixton south of Ant showing tenure assayed 1.8 per cent copper and 3.6 per cent copper.
Refer to Thorn (104K 031), Chivas (104K 180) and East Outlaw (104K 083) for further details of the work history of the Thorn property. See Bing (MINFILE 104K 035) for related information on a partially common work history.
