The Bandit property encompassed the Ram Reef prospect which is underlain by the Pennsylvanian Stikine Assemblage near a contact with marine sedimentary strata and volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. Rocks in the vicinity of the Ram Reef occurrence consist of phyllite, siliceous siltstones and phyllitic greenstones. Unconformably overlying these rocks is a package of andesitic to basaltic tuffs.
An east-northeast trending fault defines the hangingwall of a 50-metre-wide, 1000-metre-long alteration-vein zone known as the Ram Reef, within the volcanic package. The footwall is loosely defined by decreasing alteration from 1) pervasive silicification with 1 to 3 per cent disseminated and veinlet pyrite to 2) pervasive propylitized volcanics with ubiquitous carbonate and montmorillonite to 3) fresh rock with minor carbonate-quartz filled fractures and minor specularite. Gold is most strongly associated with strong silicification and chalcopyrite blebs that occur in propylitically altered rocks with malachite and azurite staining.
A mineralized siliceous altered zone within the Ram Reef measures about 150 metres in length and up to 50 metres wide. A 2-metre chip sample from the zone assayed 4.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 10755). Resampling of this zone in 1988, indicated that the mineralized rock within the alteration zone contains microscopically visible, fine, angular free gold (George Cross Newsletter, August 31, 1988). A 0.7 metre chip sample from a trench assayed 6.75 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 16360).
The 1994 drill holes, BN004 and BN005, spaced 150 metres apart, tested the Ram Reef structure to the east along strike. A 2 metre drill interval (from 84.24 metres to 86.24 metres) in drill hole BN004 assayed 2.38 grams per tonne gold and a 2.00 metre drill interval (from 110.47 metres to 112.47 metres) in BN005 assayed 2.98 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23597). Both drill holes were collared in Stuhini Group volcaniclastics, which locally contained narrow argillite beds, and passed through the Ram Reef structure into the underlying fine-grained tuffs (possibly Stuhini Group). Alteration is confined to the fine-grained tuffs and consists of broad zones of variable albite and silica alteration with fine-grained disseminated pyrite and occasional specular hematite. Aside from minor brecciation and gouge at the Ram Reef structure little deformation is present.
Another silicified-pyritized zone lies 800 metres to the south. It lies within phyllite and iron-carbonate phyllite. Samples assayed up to 14.8 grams per tonne silver and over 10.0 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11824).
Work History
The BANDIT property was first staked in 1981 by Chevron Minerals Ltd as the Bandit 1 and 2 claims and expanded in 1983 with the location of the Bandit 3 and 4 and Hijack 1 and 2 claims. Chevron completed a program of mapping and rock and sampling on the property in 1982 (Assessment Report 10755) and followed up with a more thorough program of detailed structural mapping, rock and soil sampling and trenching in 1983 (Assessment Report 11824). In 1987, Chevron completed a program of heavy mineral talus fine sampling (Assessment Report 16528) and optioned the property to Dia Met Minerals. Dia Met completed a program of heavy mineral talus fine sampling (Assessment Report 18021) and staked the Ban 1, 2 and 4 claims. In 1989 the Bandit 1 and 2 claims were restaked as the Bandit X and Y claims and the Hijack 1 claim was restaked as Hijack W. The Bandit 3 claim was allowed to lapse in 1989 and was restaked in June of 1990 as the Bandit Z claim. Dia Met and Chevron terminated their option agreement in 1989. North American Metals Corp. entered into an option agreement with Chevron to earn a 50 per cent interest in the property. In 1991, North American Metals Corp completed a program of mapping, rock and soil sampling, grid establishment and limited magnetometer and VLF surveys.
In 1981, Chevron Canada Limited conducted a reconnaissance exploration program consisting of 386 soil and 105 rock samples. The area was also geologically mapped. The soil samples were collected within a square grid of lines and samples 100 metres apart while the rock samples were prospected throughout the property and chipped in intervals in the central west portion of the Property. Soil from the B-horizon was generally collected. They found a large, centrally located, zone consisting of anomalous gold and silver (greater than 100 parts per billion gold and greater than 1.0 parts per million silver) in soil (Assessment Report 10755). This area may be related to narrow quartz and silicified zones mapped in the host rocks that strike across the hill. Extensive quartz-iron-carbonate alteration was found in the central and northern areas. The rock results showed that gold occurred in association with quartz veins and silicified zones of phyllite and tuff. Gold in rock returned a maximum of 4250 parts per billion over 2 metres (Assessment Report 10755).
In 1983, Chevron Canada Limited collected a total of 93 rock samples were from 17 blasted trenches to expose silicified phyllite and quartz veins as a follow-up to the previous year’s program. The geology and structure of the area was also mapped. They found that silicified phyllite zones containing chalcedonic and fine-grained pyrite phases, as veins or pervasively, were more likely to have gold (i.e., greater than 1000 parts per billion) (Assessment Report 11824). A phase II antiform was mapped striking approximately northeast-southwest and dipping 60 degrees northwest. An accompanying alteration halo was also documented.
In 1987, Chevron Canada Resources Ltd blasted two trenches across the Ram Reef Zone, a silicified, mineralized area in the centre of the claims. One trench reached bedrock and was mapped, and channel sampled. Bulk talus fine and standard talus fine samples were collected about 100 metres downslope of the Ram Reef at 50 metres spacings. A total of 40 samples were collected. They found weakly anomalous zones of gold (up to 6750 parts per billion gold) within the talus fine samples on strike with a similarly anomalous zone within the trench (Assessment Report 16726, Figure 3).
In 1988, Dia Met Minerals Ltd conducted a heavy mineral concentrate sampling program downslope from a 1-kilometre section of the 2.5 kilometres Ram Reef structural “break”. A total of 33 samples were collected. The results yielded 38,000 parts per billion to greater than 1,500,000 parts per billion gold in the 150-mesh concentrate fraction (Assessment Report 17745, 18021). They also noted that 3 excessively altered zones (West, Central and East Zones) within the break are characterized by large silica and/or carbonate alteration and appear to hold larger gold contents. The presence of angular gold, with the lack of sulphides, may indicate a lode deposit rich in native gold and poor in sulphides. The largest arsenic and antimony values tended to occur closer to the largest gold-silver values. Notable levels of sodium-tungsten and rare earth metals appeared associated with the anomalous gold area of the central zone suggesting the gold mineralization may be related to felsic or a syenitic intrusion at depth.
In the fall of 1988, a diamond drill program by Dia Met consisting of two HQ holes was conducted. A total of 233 metres was drilled. The best gold intersections include 1.33 grams per tonne gold over 4.3 metres at 71.9 metres depth and 2.39 grams per tonne gold over 2.5 metres at 57.6 metres deep (Assessment Report 20669).
In 1991, a program of 1:10,000 scale mapping, rock and soil sampling, grid establishment and limited magnetometer and VLF surveys were completed on the property by Homestake Canada Ltd. personnel on behalf of North American Metals Corp. In 1991, work by North American Metals Corp. included a 24 line-kilometres grid; collecting 274 soil/talus fine samples and 15.1 line-kilometres were geophysically surveyed (magnetometer and VLF). The north-south grid lines were 100 metres apart and sampled at 100 metres intervals. Two large zones of anomalous gold (greater than 150 parts per billion gold) were revealed. The first zone corresponds with the 1982-1983 gold anomaly and has a large strike extent over 2.5 kilometres downslope from and parallel to the Ram Reef Zone. The second anomaly within the northwest consists primarily in an area of intensely iron-carbonate altered mafic pyroclastic rocks that yielded less than 100 parts per billion gold. A narrow felsic unit returned 6813 parts per billion gold, in this area, along with a 1118 parts per billion gold quartz pod (1 by 5 metres) hosted within the felsic unit (Assessment Report 21990). The geophysical surveys revealed the presence of a VLF-EM anomaly on strike with the Ram Reef Zone, a very weak magnetic anomaly coincident with the Ram Reef Zone and a failed EMR-Genie/Resistivity survey (the highly brecciated and iron-carbonate fracture filled nature of the mineralized unit likely caused a decrease in resistivity).
In 1992, North American Metals Corp conducted a detailed geological mapping and sampling program and an induced polarization survey. Five trenches were also blasted, and thin sections were described. A total of 62 talus fine samples were collected in the Ban Zone, 68 continuous chip samples were collected along with 8 line-kilometres of pole-dipole induced polarization in the Bandit Main Zone. Thirty-two rock samples with 1 thin section and 1 line-kilometre of pole-dipole induced polarization occurred in the Post Zone. The result of the program revealed a shear-hosted target grading up to 15.3 grams per tonne gold over 300 metres of talus in the Post Zone. The IP survey assisted in the mapping of the Cliff, Ram Reef and Post Zones. It was found that gold was associated with structurally controlled alteration and sulphide mineralization. The sulphide mineralization characteristics included trace disseminations to massive pods and were limited to albitic and silicified, folded mafic volcanics of the Stikine Assemblage. Gold was found to not appear to be associated with zinc, lead, silver, arsenic or antimony.
In 1994, work by North American Metals Corp included: an open control traverse constructed from the Golden Bear Mine to the Bandit Property; 20.4 kilometres of grid lines; detailed geological mapping on the Post, Cliff and East Zone; 361 soil/talus samples from the Post and Ram Reef zones; 189 rock samples from the Post, Cliff and East zones; 6.2 line kilometres of VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys on the Post Zone; and 626.34 metres diamond drilled in 3 holes at the Post Zone; as well as, 304.8 metres in 2 holes at the Ram Reef Zone (Assessment Report 23597). A total of 933.1 metres in 5 drill holes.
The Post Zone returned anomalous soil and rock results coincident with VLF-EM conductors and diamond drill targets. Strongly anomalous to low-grade gold were sampled within the Stikine/Stuhini contact and in interbedded Stikine volcanic tuff and argillite in the footwall. The Ram Reef Zone yielded anomalous to low-grade gold values associated with albite-silica alteration zones in footwall rocks. The Cliff Zone detailed chip sampling program did not replicate 1992 high-grade results. The East Zone detailed chip sampling program outlined an area of consistently anomalous to low-grade mineralization.
In 2016, A one day reconnaissance exploration program was conducted by J2 Syndicate on September 19th prior to staking the Bullion claim. A total of 11 rock grab samples were collected on their claims. J2's 2016 mineralized zone (Goldspree) may be roughly coincident with the historic Ram Reef Alteration Lineament (Figure 3, Assessment Report 23597). J2's Goldbug zone encompasses the Cliff and probably the East zone (Figure 3, Assessment Report 23597). Rock results returned 1.81 grams per tonne gold and 1.33 grams per tonne gold over 1.6 metres (Assessment Report 37138, Appendix C).
In 2017 J2 Syndicate Holdings carried out an exploration program on the Bullion Property over 4 days. The program consisted of reconnaissance and follow-up prospecting, mapping, and rock sampling. Seventy-four (74) samples were collected: 19 chip, 42 rock grab, 4 float, 2 talus fine, and 7 silt samples. Two geologists and one prospector traversed the property taking samples and making geological observations. Chip, rock grab, talus fine and silt sampling in 2017 revealed a number of areas prospective for gold, with minor amounts of silver, copper and zinc. These elements of interest were found predominately within the centre of the property, and very close to the Ram Reef trend (Figure 7, Assessment Report 37138).
In 2018, an extensive review of 2016 and 2017 fieldwork data by J2 revealed a mineralized gold-bearing limestone unit. The structurally altered limestone horizon has been recognized for 3.5 kilometres along strike and the gold mineralized zone remains open. See the new (December 2020) MINFILE prospect Legal Tender located at the southeast trace of the limestone unit. Legal Tender is located 3 kilometres to the south-southwest of the Ram Reef prospect (104K 086).
