The Ax (Les) occurrence is located on a northeast-facing slope, north of the French River and approximately 12 kilometres northeast of Gallic Lake.
Regionally, the area is underlain by limestone, marble and calcareous sedimentary rocks of the Rosella Formation and quartzite and quartz arenite sedimentary rocks of the Boya Formation, both of the Lower Cambrian Atan Group.
Locally, limestone and dolomite host a wide area, referred to as the First (West-Main) zone, of silicification (10 to 15 metres) with narrower mineralized widths (0.30 to 1 metre) containing disseminated to massive galena and crosscutting white quartz stockwork with chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite. The zone has a strike of 335 degrees with a dip of 55 degrees northeast. The mineralized zone has been traced for approximately 300 metres along strike. A second silicified zone, referred to as the East 1 and 2 zones, is located approximately 150 metres northeast of the first (West-Main) zone. The second zone comprises two, 2.5- to 6.7-metre wide, subparallel zones of quartz with minor calcite hosting chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The zones dip subvertically with a strike of approximately 010 degrees. A possible third mineralized zone is indicated by large (0.3 metre wide) mineralized float boulders located approximately 100 metres west and up slope from the first zone.
More recent work, in 2010, identified historical blasted trenches X and Y, which consist of silica replacement with malachite encrustations, chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite with silicified hostrock limestone/dolomite, whereas in trenches A and D a second mineralization type occurs as breccia cemented by limonite, malachite, azurite and a greenish yellow substance.
In 1988, grab samples (C-08) over 1-metre of the northwestern end of the first (West-Main) zone yielded 13.00 per cent lead, 10.80 per cent copper and 37.5 grams per tonne silver, whereas a 10-metre chip sample (C-05) from the second zone assayed 4.38 per cent lead, 1.30 per cent copper and 13.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 17863).
In 1989, a grab sample (53201) of massive galena from the middle of the first (West-Main) zone assayed 0.83 per cent copper, 2.08 per cent lead and 263.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 19403).
In 2010, chip samples from historical trenches X and Y on the first (West-Main) zone assayed 0.55 and 2.30 per cent copper, 0.36 and 26.5 per cent lead and 1.97 and trace per cent zinc with 20.8 and 72.1 grams per tonne silver over 4.5 and 1.7 metres, respectively, whereas a sample from a mineralized boulder, located approximately 170 metres southeast of the trenches assayed 7.35 per cent copper and 1.85 per cent lead (Assessment Report 31869).
In 2012, an 0.8-metre chip sample of semi-massive to massive galena pods from the West zone assayed 0.78 per cent copper, greater than 20 per cent lead and 116.0 grams per tonne silver, whereas a 4.4-metre chip sample from the East 1 zone yielded 0.37 per cent copper, 0.14 per cent lead, 0.85 per cent zinc and 17.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 33524).
Work History
The Ax showing was originally staked in 1968. Several excavated and blasted trenches are the only evidence of the exploration work carried out in 1969. Aside from trenching, the past operators established an extensive, bulldozer-constructed survey grid with grid lines a few kilometres long; these lines are oriented at an azimuth of 060 degrees.
There are no documented records of this work and the mineral showing had apparently laid idle until its rediscovery in 1987. Between June and August 1987, a British Columbia Ministry of Mines geological field crew mapped the regional components of the Blue Dome map area (104P/12). This work discovered numerous mineral showings, including the Ax silver-copper-lead-zinc occurrence. In 1987, C. Baldys and A.E. Poitras staked the Ax showing following up on tips from local hunters. They prospected the area in 1987, collecting 14 rock and 2 heavy mineral concentrate samples. The following year, additional claims were staked to cover the buffer area around the main occurrence. No further work was conducted on the property and the claims were allowed to lapse in 1990 following the turmoil in financial markets.
The Ax mineral showing was restaked in 2009 by P. Lutynski, and the claims were subsequently optioned to Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. in May 2010. During 2010 through 2012, Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. conducted geological mapping, prospecting, rock and soil sampling, and a MaxMin horizontal loop electromagnetic survey on the Ax property.
