The Malachite 7 occurrence is located approximately 1.0 kilometre southeast of Quilchena Creek and 10.5 kilometres west-northwest of the south end of Boot Lake.

The occurrence is hosted in the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which regionally consists of alkalic and calcalkalic volcanics and intrusions of island arc origin, and which is the principal component of the Quesnel Terrane in southern British Columbia (Geological Survey of Canada Maps 41-1989, 1713A). This belt has been of major economic interest because of its potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization.

The occurrence lies in the northern assemblage of the Eastern belt or facies of the Nicola Group (after Preto, Bulletin 69). This assemblage mainly consists of well-bedded submarine volcaniclastic rocks and volcanic flows. The main Aspen Grove copper camp lies several kilometres to the west in the Central belt, separated by the north-striking Kentucky-Alleyne fault system (Bulletin 69).

The area of the occurrence is underlain by dark green, augite porphyritic andesitic to basaltic volcanics and fragmental rocks, with subordinate black argillite with local limy horizons, and feldspar porphyry (Assessment Reports 449, 1586). Some volcanic flow breccia contains pink trachytic fragments (Assessment Report 9590). Stratified rocks strike north-northwest and dip moderately to steeply west (Geological Survey of Canada Map 41-1989). Within 1 or 2 kilometres to the north of these rocks is the east-trending contact of the Lower Jurassic Pennask Batholith, a large intrusion of medium-grained granodiorite to quartz diorite.

Locally, Chalcopyrite occurs in a small zone of skarn alteration in dioritized volcanics of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, near the contact with the Lower Jurassic Pennask Batholith to the northeast.

Work History

In 1961 and 1962, Skeena Silver Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, soil sampling, stripping and/or trenching, 19 diamond drill holes, totalling 1196.7 metres, and ground magnetic and self potential surveys on the area as the Malachite and Chalcocite groups of claims.

During 1966 through 1969, Consolidated Skeena Mines Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, soil sampling, a 71.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey, a 37.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 637 line-kilometre airborne geophysical (magnetic, electromagnetic and radiometric) on the area as the Boot, Malachite, Chalcocite, Echo and Toe claim groups.

In 1980, Abaton Resources Ltd. completed a program of trenching and a 29.6 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Sol claims. The following year, seven diamond drill holes, totalling 616.1 metres, were completed on the claims.

In 2000, Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the area as the Au property.

In 2002, Lateegra Resources Corp. and Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of soil sampling, ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey and six diamond drill holes, totalling 466.6 metres, on the area as the Au/Wen property.

In 2009, Victory Resources Corp. completed a photogeological (lineament) structural analysis on the area as the Toni property.

During 2017 through 2019, Victory Resources Corp. completed minor programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock, soil and till) sampling on the area as the Mal-Wen and Wen-Toe properties.