The Panorama Ridge prospect (York and Spar showings) showing is located between Cahill and Winters creeks, 2.25 kilometres south of Nickel Plate Lake and approximately 18 kilometres east of Hedley, British Columbia. The York showing is situated on the western slope of Panorama Ridge, approximately 50 metres downslope from its crest, in the Cahill Creek drainage basin. As of the end of October 2001, a new logging road had exposed 500 metres of gossan and sulphide mineralization along with skarn float. The exposure is at approximately the 1820-metre level and trends in a northeast-southwest direction. The zone appears to continue to the southwest, where more logging activity is taking place. The showing is exposed over a vertical distance of 200 metres in a southeast to northwest direction from elevation 1800 to 1880 metres.
The area is underlain by Upper Triassic Nicola Group sedimentary and volcanic rocks and associated Triassic Hedley diorite intrusions, dikes and sills. Nicola Group rocks host stratabound auriferous skarn deposits. Outcrops consist of Upper Triassic Nicola Group, Whistle Formation (Nicola Group) tuffs and Hedley Formation sediments that have been altered and intruded by diorite dykes of the Early Jurassic Hedley intrusions. Limestone fragmental rocks, some altered, are present along with calcareous sediments. Skarn alteration consists of scapolite, garnet, epidote, iron-rich pyroxene and calc-silicate minerals. Massive pyrite-pyrrhotite boulder float is exposed and associated with the skarns. The York showing contains strong gossan development (rusty zone or iron hat) containing pervasive and fracture-related pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite sulphide mineralization. Skarn alteration occurs in outcrop and in float within the showing.
The Hedley area has been heavily prospected and explored since the discovery of the Hedley Mascot mine (MINFILE 092HSE036) in the 1900s. Previous exploration on the Panorama Ridge property consisted of hand pitting in the 1940s and systematic exploration in the 1980s. Trenching in 1985 on the York prospect by Placer Development Ltd. (formerly known as Placer Dome Incorporated) obtained significant gold values in bedrock in four trenches, ranging from 0.27 to 1.5 grams gold per tonne (Press Release, Goldcliff Resource Corporation, January 22, 2001). All the trenches are anomalous in gold and copper, with the exception of Trench 1, which contains anomalous arsenic and silver. Little of significance was done in the area until 1984, when Primont Resources Ltd. staked a large area surrounding Nickel Plate Lake. Placer Development Ltd. conducted exploration on the claims in 1984, as did Lacana Mining Corporation in 1987.
Placer's work in the mid-1980s consisted of trenching, constructing approximately 63 line kilometres of grid and conducting magnetic and electromagnetic surveys over the grid, performing an unknown amount of induced polarization surveying, collecting approximately 1600 soil samples, and geological mapping and prospecting. Placer then excavated four large trenches (York prospect), one of which (Trench 3) yielded 45 metres of 0.81 gram per tonne gold (including 6 metres of 1.34 grams per tonne gold) and drilled two diamond drillholes.
In the fall of 2000, Goldcliff Resource Corporation started exploration in the Hedley Gold Basin and staked the Panorama Ridge property based on newly exposed sulphide-rich gossan outcrop along new logging roads constructed by Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. In the fall of 2000, Weyerhaeuser logged a large clearcut that covers the York, Spar and Slope prospects, a second clearcut that covers the Skar prospect, and has proposed a clearcut to log the area of the Nordic and Winters prospects. The work by Goldcliff confirmed the anomalous gold values at the York prospect (0.18 to 2.44 grams per tonne) and discovered high-grade gold-skarn float (18.04 grams per tonne) at the Spar prospect and a large area of auriferous disseminated sulphide mineralization (0.44 to 0.48 grams per tonne) at the Nordic prospect (MINFILE 082ESW259).
Goldcliff's 2001 work program extended from June through September and 65 silt sediment samples were collected from the active portions of Cahill and Winters creeks; trenches, pits, outcrops and roads were systematically rock sampled (554 samples). Placer Development Ltd. grid lines (5.5 kilometres) were relocated and re-established in the area of the York, Spar and Nordic prospects and soil sampled (284 samples).
Goldcliff’s 2002 work program extended from the beginning of May through the end of October and 14 silt sediment samples were collected from the eastern fork of Winters Creek. Placer Development Ltd. grid lines (24.4 kilometres) were relocated and re-established at 100-metre line spacing in the area of the Epic, Spar, York, Saxony, Skar, Pillar, Nordic, Thor, Winters, Viking and Tower prospects. Infill grid lines at 50-metre line spacing were established over the Nordic, York, Spar and Epic prospects. All grid lines were soil sampled (1209 samples) at a 20-metre sample interval. A road measuring 490 metres was constructed to allow access to the York prospect, and excavator trenching (15 trenches) was carried out at the York, Spar and Epic prospects. A total of 622 rock samples were systematically collected from the trenches and outcrops at the York, Spar, Epic, Nordic, Viking and Tower prospects.
Goldcliff's 2003 work program consisted of establishing grid lines (38.1 kilometres) at 25- and 50-metre spacing, collecting soil samples (522 samples) over the 50-metre spacing lines, conducting a magnetic and electromagnetic survey (56.3 kilometres) over the entire grid, trenching (nine trenches) and rock sampling (239 samples). Early in October 2003, a 17-hole core drilling program (1920 metres, NQTK) was carried out over the York (four holes), Viking (two holes), Thor (three holes), Tower (two holes) and Nordic (five holes) prospects. A total of 1550 core samples were collected from the drilling and sent for analysis. Anomalous and, in many instances, significant gold values were intersected at all five prospects.
Goldcliff's 2004 work program extended from the beginning of June through the end of November, and exploration early in the year was conducted to further define drill targets over the eight prospect areas. This work consisted of establishing grid lines (5.2 kilometres) at 5 to 25-metre line separation, collecting soil samples (545 samples) at 5 to 20-metre sample spacing, trenching (26 trenches) and rock sampling (1179 samples). A number of right-of-ways were logged and roads constructed to the various prospects. In the middle of September, a 22-hole core drilling program (2278 metres, NQTK) started at the York (10 holes), Viking (two holes), Nordic (six holes) and Epic (four holes) prospects. A total of 1843 core samples were collected from the drilling and sent for analysis. Anomalous and, in many instances, significant gold values were intersected at the York and Viking prospects, whereas the Nordic prospect gave weakly anomalous gold values. The Epic prospect did not give any anomalous gold values.
Goldcliff's 2005 work program extended from the beginning of June through the middle of October, and exploration early in the year was conducted to further define drill targets over the Winters, Tower, York, Viking, Thor and Nordic prospects. This work consisted of soil sampling (15 samples), trenching (45 trenches) and rock sampling (1042 samples). A number of right-of-ways were logged and roads constructed to the various prospects. In the middle of September, a 13-hole core drilling program (1211.48 metres, NQTK) started at the York (nine holes), Viking (two holes) and Nordic (two holes) prospects. A total of 1064 core samples and 45 sludge samples were collected from the drilling and sent for analysis.
Goldcliff's work programs have yielded eight prospects. These eight prospects are:
1. Epic—gold-arsenic soil geochemical anomaly, magnetic high, induced polarization chargeability high;
2. Spar—gold-arsenic-copper soil geochemical anomaly, strongly anomalous gold in rock float (18.05 grams per tonne), flank of induced polarization chargeability high;
3. York—gold-arsenic-copper soil geochemical anomaly, anomalous gold in rock samples from trench YK-03 (46.03 metres of 0.913 gram per tonne), magnetic high, induced polarization chargeability high;
4. Skar—gold soil geochemical anomaly, anomalous gold in a shear zone striking 41 degrees, dipping 70 degrees east (1.5 metres of 9.77 grams per tonne and 0.9 metre of 14.57 grams per tonne);
5. Nordic—gold-arsenic soil geochemical anomaly, magnetic high, induced polarization chargeability high, anomalous gold in rock samples from outcrop ND-02 (5.4 metres of 3.349 grams per tonne);
6. Thor—gold-arsenic soil geochemical anomaly, magnetic high, induced polarization chargeability high, weakly anomalous rock geochemical gold from outcrop TH-01 (1 metre of 0.92 gram per tonne);
7. Viking—gold-arsenic soil geochemical anomaly, magnetic high, induced polarization chargeability high, anomalous rock geochemical gold from outcrop VK-01 (28.6 metres of 0.893 gram per tonne); and
8. Tower—gold-arsenic-copper soil geochemical anomaly, magnetic high, anomalous rock geochemical gold from outcrop TW-01 (7.3 metres of 0.924 gram per tonne).
Significant assays from the York showing range from 0.18 to 2.44 grams per tonne gold (Press Release, Goldcliff Resource Corporation, May 23, 2001).
The Spar showing, approximately 400 metres northeast of the York, was discovered in 2000 off a new logging area. The Spar yielded a high gold-skarn value of 18.05 grams per tonne gold along with highly anomalous amounts of arsenic (+ 10 000 parts per million), cobalt (2640 parts per million), nickel (194 parts per million), bismuth (94 parts per million) and antimony (46 parts per million; Press Release, Goldcliff Resource Corporation, May 23, 2001).
The Skar showing is located approximately 1 kilometre southwest of the York. Sampling over 2 metres returned 14.57 grams per tonne gold (Press Release, Goldcliff Resource Corporation, January 23, 2002). See also Nordic (MINFILE 082ESW259).
Results from Goldcliff's exploration program in 2005 are summarized below (Assessment Report 28335):
• York—The highest gold values were obtained from trench YK-60 with 8 metres averaging 5.66 grams per tonne, including 1.4 metres of 18.6 grams per tonne from a fault. Additional sampling across the fault yielded values ranging from 0.07 to 5.63 grams per tonne gold. Trench YK-61 yielded significant gold values with the entire 32.4 metres of the trench averaging 1.11 grams per tonne, including 18 metres averaging 1.61 grams per tonne. Anomalous gold values were obtained from trench YK-97 with the entire 7.2 metres of the trench averaging 1.55 grams per tonne.
• Viking—The highest gold values were obtained from trench VK-58 with the entire 45 metres of the trench averaging 0.85 gram per tonne, including 20 metres averaging 1.27 grams per tonne and 7 metres averaging 1.84 grams per tonne. Trench VK-59 gave anomalous gold values of 9 metres averaging 0.46 gram per tonne and 18 metres averaging 0.6 gram per tonne, including 2 metres of 1.375 grams per tonne. Trench VK-63 also gave anomalous gold values with the entire 31.4 metres of the trench averaging 0.535 gram per tonne, including 3 metres of 1.47 grams per tonne.
• Thor—The highest gold values were obtained from trench TH-79 with 15 metres averaging 0.85 gram per tonne, including 4 metres averaging 2.41 grams per tonne and 1 metre of 7.2 grams per tonne.
Results on the York showing from Goldcliff's 2006 work program included a trench sample returning an average of 1.02 grams per tonne gold over 27.5 metres. A drillhole (26072) on the York showing returned 0.79 gram per tonne gold over 78 metres (Assessment Report 29137).
In 2007, Goldcliff continued exploration with a trenching and drilling program. Significant gold values were returned from trenches at the Spar and York prospects (Assessment Report 30076). Thirty-two NQ-size diamond drillholes totalling 2826.98 metres were completed. Eight holes were drilled at Thor, six at Viking and 18 at York. Significant drill results included 11.86 metres averaging 1.07 grams per tonne gold with 1 metre of 10.6 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 30076). The program continued into 2008 with 53 NQ-size diamond drillholes totalling 4190.47 metres completed at the Thor and Nordic prospects and 28 HQ-size diamond drillholes totalling 1975.44 metres completed at the York prospect. Seventeen of the holes drilled at the York prospect were logged and sampled that same year; the remaining 11 holes were logged and sampled in 2009. Drilling on the York prospect intersected the Bonanza horizon, a 10- to 20-metre-thick zone with gold values ranging from 0.5 to 1 gram per tonne (Assessment Report 31540). Contained within the Bonanza horizon is the Bonanza lens, an approximately 1-metre-wide zone of anomalously high gold values. Significant results from the Bonanza lens include 1 metre of 5.05 grams per tonne gold, 1 metre of 5.65 grams per tonne gold, 0.84 metres of 12.45 grams per tonne gold and 2 metres of 6.83 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 31540).
