The Eng 2 occurrence, diamond-drill hole E90-4 (Assessment Report 20828), is located about 2 kilometres south of the community of Yahk.
Regionally, the area is underlain by the peri-cratonic Middle Proterozoic Purcell Supergroup, a thick succession of siliciclastic and lesser carbonate rocks. The Purcell Supergroup is well known for hosting a number of significant deposits that include the Sullivan (083FNE052) sedimentary-exhalative lead-zinc deposit and the Troy copper-silver deposit in Montana.
More locally, the area of interest is underlain by the Aldridge Formation. The Aldridge Formation is the lowermost division of the Purcell Supergroup and is composed of turbiditic siliciclastic rocks and numerous gabbro sills. The focus of exploration in the Aldridge Formation is the contact between the Lower Aldridge and the Middle Aldridge which corresponds to the deposition time of the Sullivan deposit. In this particular area of the Purcell basin, the contact between the Lower and Middle Aldridge is somewhat enigmatic in that there is no recognizable facies change.
Structurally, the Eng 2 occurrence lies to the east of the Moyie fault and is encompassed within the broad north trending and plunging Moyie anticline. Numerous northeast and northwest faults cut this area.
Mineralization, intersected in hole drill hole E90-4, consisting of native silver, native copper, and gold, occurs within a 15-centimetre zone of fragmented quartzitic argillite and siliceous mud beds (Assessment Report 20828). The mineralization is described to be contained within bedded seams less than 0.5 millimetre thick within a purple-brown siliceous fragment. The 15-centimetre zone is described as subrounded fragments and mud; the fragments are heavily clouded with fine pyrite and pyrrhotite. A sample of a mineralized fragment yielded 34,183 grams per tonne silver, 10.3 per cent copper and 0.27 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 20828).
WORK HISTORY
In 1980, Cominco Ltd conducted a soil survey over its Hawk grid over a portion of their Hawk 1 claim (20 units) (Assessment Report 9179). The grid was centered approximately 1.5 kilometres south of Yahk, over the Eng 2 showing. A total of 465 soil samples were collected. A lead-zinc anomaly was indicated. In 1981 Cominco reported on an extension of the 1980 soil geochemistry program on its Hawk 1 claim (Assessment Report 10498). A total of 163 soil samples were collected and analyzed. Three trenches totaling 63 metres in length failed to reveal any significant mineralization would explain the soil anomaly previously found.
In 1983, Cominco Ltd conducted a UTEM geophysical survey over a 2500 by 2500 metre area of the Hawk property. A total of 14.5 line-kilometres were surveyed (Assessment Report 12193). The UTEM survey outlined two poorly conductive zones that were not considered significant.
In 1990, Kokanee Explorations Ltd drilled 2 diamond-drill holes on its Eng claims in order to test the south grid's coincident geochem and geophysical anomalies (Assessment Report 20828). The drill hole mineralization was reported as spotty with traces of lead and zinc; however, one small (15 centimetre) zone was intersected in E90-4 that had native silver and copper.
In 2020, a program of rock and soil sampling was conducted by Kootenay Resources Inc on their extensive Moyie Anticline property utilizing both laboratory and portable XRF analytical techniques (Assessment Report 39483). During the 2020 field program more than 1420 XRF readings were taken and compiled. Several areas with anomalous lead, zinc, copper as well as gold were found during the program. The Moyie Anticline property covered parts of the 082GSW and 082FSE map areas. Kootenay collected many rock samples a few kilometres west and southwest of the Eng 2 occurrence.
