The Mike Grid occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1280 metres on a north facing slope, approximately 5 kilometres north- north west of Merritt.

The area is underlain by Upper Triassic Nicola Group volcanics, predominantly comprised of andesitic to basaltic, massive to plagioclase porphyritic (locally augite) flows and breccias with fine disseminated and local fracture-controlled (vein) magnetite. The volcanic assemblage includes intercalations of volcaniclastic rock and minor sediments, which range from a few metres to many tens of metres in thickness. A second unit comprising green to grey andesitic tuff and breccia includes fine-bedded (local cherty) to coarse lapilli tuffs and agglomerates. A third unit consists of calc-silicate–altered (hornfels) tuffs and immature sediments. These are predominantly fine-grained, fine-bedded to massive siliceous rocks with variable epidote, carbonate, light-pink to brown garnet, disseminated pyrite and/or pyrrhotite. The main calc-silicate unit is northwest-trending and up to 50 metres wide with associated tuffs (unit 2). Two or more dikes of quartz feldspar porphyry intrude the Nicola sequence.

The Nicola sequence strikes northwest to northeast with steep east to west dips. Bedding attitudes suggest tight folding. A number of northwest-trending fault zones are apparent.

A number of styles of mineralization and associated alteration occur on the Mike grid. Several discontinuous, dislocated copper-iron mineralized skarn zones are exposed in the Mike trenches over 300 metres strike length. Chalcopyrite, malachite and minor azurite are associated with medium- to coarse-grained, magnetite-rich, epidote-calcite skarn with dark chlorite and local actinolite. Pink to light-brown garnet skarn with epidote has little copper. In more fractured and brecciated areas, coarse specular hematite and calcite occurs with epidote, minor amphibole, chlorite and chalcopyrite (coarse blebby). Potassium feldspar veinlets, pods and coarse, semimassive pyrite may be present locally.

Another zone of mineralization is reported to be located approximately 3 kilometres south of the Mike Grid occurrence on the Former Lad, Sam and Sun claims of the Gerrard property and comprises an approximately 0.3-metre wide silicified shear zone, striking north 45 degrees west and dipping 80 degrees northeast, hosting blebs of chalcopyrite. In 1964, chip samples from this zone yielded 0.11 per cent copper over 4.8 metres (Property File - 811076).

Work History

The area has been explored since the early 1900s.

In 1958, the area was prospected and sampled as the Coutlee Queen group of claims. A sample from a 60-metre wide bed of pyritized quartz tuff is reported to have assayed 0.35 per cent copper and 1.0 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 10186).

During 1962 through 1976, a variety of individuals and companies held mining claims and explored the Jesse Creek area, mainly for copper-magnetite skarn mineralization similar to that at Craigmont Mine. Exploration work at this time usually included soil sampling, trenching and magnetometer surveying.

In 1976 and 1977, Quintana Minerals Corp. explored their claims north from the Merritt city limits to the Jesse Creek drainage. A magnetic survey was performed and identified a number of magnetic anomalies, which were followed up on with a program of detailed geological mapping to assess the inferred skarn mineralization.

During 1981 through 1991, Pine Valley Explorers prospected the area between the City of Merritt and the Mike occurrence. This work indicated that the Mike skarn mineralization may trend north-south associated with a calcareous tuff bed belonging to the Nicola Group.

In 1991, Conlon Copper Corp. acquired claims covering the known copper-bearing skarn showings in the area. Over the next decade Conlon Copper or its later publicly reporting companies, Merritt Copper Corp. and Conlon Copper Corporation, explored the claim holdings with several phases of geological mapping, rock and soil geochemical sampling, geophysical surveying, trenching and diamond drilling. Seven diamond drill holes, totalling 490.9 metres, were completed in 1994 and 1995. The results from a 1997 induced polarization survey within the Cinderella (MINFILE 092ISE168)–Chase (MINFILE 092ISE045) area show a strong, northwest-trending induced polarization chargeability anomaly covering an area of 800 by 600 metres and open to the east and south.

In 1993, a chip sample from a 4-metre wide skarn zone yielded 0.26 gram per tonne gold, whereas sampling of other skarn zones are reported to have yielded up to 0.4 per cent copper and 0.34 gram per tonne gold and 0.3 per cent copper over 2 metres (Blanchflower, J.D. (2012-02-17): Technical Report on the Jesse Creek Property).

In 1994, a drillhole (JC94-1) yielded 0.35 per cent copper over 1.67 metres (Blanchflower, J.D. (2012-02-17): Technical Report on the Jesse Creek Property). Also at this time, surface sampling (samples 142633 and 142634) of a tuff hosting garnet-, epidote- and magnetite-rich bands with chalcopyrite, azurite and malachite yielded 0.318 and 0.272 per cent copper over 2.0 and 2.4 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 23646).

In 1999, four diamond drill holes, totalling 404.0 metres, were completed on the Jesse Creek property. This work centred on the Chase (MINFILE 092ISE045) and Cinderella (MINFILE 092ISE168) occurrences.

In 2012, Dundarave Resources Inc. retained Minorex Consulting Ltd. to carry out a property examination on the Jesse Creek property. A 1050.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey and 68.6 line-kilometre induced polarization survey were completed at this time.

In 2013, Ocean Park Ventures Corp., on the behalf of Dundarave Resources Inc., completed seven diamond drill holes, totalling 2043.0 metres, on the Jesse Creek property.

In 2016, Wealth Minerals Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling on the Jesse Creek property. The following year, a program of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, geological photo-interpretation, a 24.2 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 4478.9 metres, were completed on the property.