The Reko 3 occurrence is located east of the northern head waters of Renfrew Creek, approximately 2.5 kilometres west of Hemmingsen Creek.
The area mapped by Muller (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 821) as primarily diorite of the Mesozoic and/or Paleozoic Westcoast Complex. An east trending band of limestone is also mapped. Volcanic rock of the Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group lies to the north.
The north part of the Reko property is underlain by grey to white crystalline limestone, and the central and south part is underlain mainly by intrusive breccia. Several bodies of limestone also occur in the central and south part. The primary fragments of the breccia are fine grained and dark grayish green in colour, resembling andesite, and some contain amygdules. This andesitic rock was successively intruded by mafic-rich and mafic-poor diorite. The breccia grades to massive, mesocratic diorite to the south, and to massive andesite at about the 600 metre level on the west side of the east ridge. A set of long, narrow, fine-grained grey dykes strike 020 degrees and transects all other rocks. Most limestone bodies have been successively intruded by dykes of andesite and leuco- diorite. It is thought likely that, prior to diorite intrusion andesite underlay the limestone and also intruded it.
Three zones make up the Reko 3 occurrence:
1.) Zone 7 (Popes Nose) consists of massive magnetite bounded by garnet-pyroxene skarn and diorite.
The magnetite contains significant pyrite and pyrrhotite with chalcopyrite. The zone is exposed for over 17.5 metres. In 2004, four diamond drill holes, totalling 118.1 metres, were completed on the zone. In 2008, a sample of dark, dense rocks with copper sulphides, taken 30 metres east of the zone, assayed 5.32 grams per tonne gold, 28 grams per tonne silver, 9.41 per cent copper (Assessment Report 30394).
2.) Zone 8 (North Pit zone, Road Zone) is located within a few hundred metres of Zone 8 and consists of numerous small exposures of magnetite and skarn on two knolls and in a small quarry. In one hole massive to near massive magnetite with minor pyrite from 2.7 metres to 9.7 metres occurs. It is estimated that Zone 8 contains about 33,000 tonnes of magnetite (Geology and Exploration in British Columbia 1974, page 170). In 2005, a lone drill hole (DDH 3) was completed on the zone.
3.) The Pirate Showings are a group of several magnetite and garnetite skarn occurrences located approximately 120 metres west- north west of the Road Pit Showing. They exceed 1 metre in thickness and are up to about 6 metres long as exposed on surface. The magnetite and skarn are in part developed parallel and sub-parallel to steeply-dipping banding and contacts within a sequence of mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, which typically strike from west-northwest to east-west in the area of the mineralized showings.
In 1975, Reako Explorations Ltd. reported an ore reserve estimate on the Reko property (see Reko 10 -- 092C 091, Reko 38 -- 092C 110 and Reko North -- 092C 146) of 4,500,000 tonnes grading 22 per cent iron (George Cross News Letter No.207, 1975).
Work History
In 1970, bulldozing and blasting by B.C. Forest Products road-building crews uncovered showings of magnetite and sulphides near the upper reaches of Renfrew Creek. The Reko 1-6 claims were staked on these showings in July 1970 by Mr. M. Levasseur. Sampling of the exposed mineralization was subsequently carried out. Levasseur and associates incorporated Reako Explorations Ltd. in July 1971 and completed a magnetometer survey and six short drill holes, totalling 37 metres. In 1972 and 1973, programs of geological mapping, 120 line-kilometres of ground magnetometer surveys, 19 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveys, trenching and 100 diamond drill holes, totalling 5300 metres, were completed on the Reko 3, 4, 9, 10 and 42 claims. In 1974, a further six diamond drill holes, totalling 89 metres, were completed on the Reko 37 claim.
In 2003 through 2010, Emerald Fields Resource and Pacific Iron Ore Corporation completed various exploration projects in the area as apart of the Pearson Project. These included prospecting, diamond drilling, ground and airborne geophysical surveys, geological mapping and geochemical sampling.