The WP 110-130 (Marb 72) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1270 metres on a west-facing slope of the Promontory Hills between Poison and Shackelly creeks.
The area is underlain by intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, intruded to the north and east by dioritic to granodioritic phases of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Guichon Creek Batholith. To the west, both Nicola and Guichon Creek rocks are unconformably overlain by intermediate lavas of the Cretaceous Spences Bridge Group. The Nicola Group porphyritic andesites strike nearly east and dip steeply south. These have been intruded by quartz diorite, granite, pegmatite and aplite dikes and are highly altered and epidotized near their contact with quartz diorite to granodiorite of the Border phase of the Guichon Creek Batholith .
Locally, on the claim boundary between the former W.P. 110 and W.P. 130 claims (later Marb 72 claim), a steeply dipping fault zone strikes approximately north and cuts Nicola Group rocks that have been silicified, sheared, brecciated and mineralized with chalcopyrite, pyrite, specularite and minor cinnabar. In the fault zone fragments are cemented by calcite and albite. The maximum width of the mineralized zone is 60 centimetres and the zone has been traced discontinuously for 61 metres. A narrow, 15-centimetre wide quartz vein with chalcopyrite and malachite in a porphyritic andesite is also reported on the former W.P. 130 claim.
In 2015, three outcrop grab samples (130515-THU-004, -005 and -006) of altered andesite with minor quartz veining and malachite on fracture plains from this zone yielded from 0.529 to 0.683 per cent copper and trace to 5.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 36141).
In 2016, chip and channel sampling of the no. 1 trench and the shaft yielded 0.37 per cent copper over 10 metres and 0.71 per cent copper over 4 metres, respectively, whereas rock samples from the shaft yielded up to 1.68 per cent copper (Assessment Report 36844).
On the north boundary of the former W.P. 101 (later Marb 59) claim, located approximately 2 kilometres northeast of the previous zone, a 15-centimetre wide quartz vein cuts a quartz diorite and carries chalcopyrite and malachite mineralization. Later work (2015) identified a trench and shaft at this location hosting a 50-centimetre wide quartz vein.
On the former W.P. 88 claim, located approximately 1.4 kilometres north of the first zone of mineralization, a quartz diorite hosts sparse disseminated chalcopyrite. Later work (2015) describes this zone as a hornblende-biotite quartz diorite with patchy potassium feldspar alteration and sparse disseminated malachite±chalcopyrite mineralization cut by quartz-sericite veins with trace blebby chalcopyrite. Magnetite and epidote are also reported.
Immediately east of the former Marb 43 claim (later on the Gus claim) and approximately 1.5 kilometres southeast of the first zone of mineralization, copper mineralization is reported in a diorite breccia. Later work (1987) identified a marble-skarn zone outcropping over an area of approximately 425 square metres in this area. The skarn zone contains hematite, epidote, garnet, actinolite and chlorite with minor magnetite, chalcopyrite and malachite.
Another zone of copper mineralization hosted in a metadiorite with minor amphibolite is reported approximately 1.5 kilometres northeast of the first zone.
Work History
In 1957, Highland Valley Mining Corp. completed 51.8 line-kilometres of ground magnetic surveys on the area as the White and Pendlebury claims. The following year, Noranda Mining and Exploration Inc. completed 19.9 line-kilometres of ground electromagnetic surveys, geological mapping and two trenches, totalling 90 metres, on the area as the W.P. claims of the Gordon Creek property. Also at this time, Northwestern Exploration completed a program of soil sampling, geological mapping and 50.1 line-kilometres of ground magnetic surveys on the area as the CJS property.
In 1965, Torwest Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and diamond drilling, totalling 2438.4 metres, on the area as the Marb and Apache claims. No drilling results are known. In 1969, Torwest completed a 56.6 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the Marb claims.
In 1981, Better Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and a ground magnetic survey on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the Gus and Betty claims of Key property. In 1987, three diamond drill holes, totalling 227.1 metres, were completed on the Gus claim. The following year, a program of geological mapping, a 21.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey and a single, 288.9-metre diamond drill hole were completed on the Betty claim. In 1990, Better Resources Ltd. completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 629.9 metres, on the Betty claim.
In 2000, Ahura Mining Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Gord 1-10 claims.
In 2012, Huldra Silver Inc. completed a 903 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Thule property. This work isolated six magnetic anomalies (A through F) with the potential for magnetite skarn development, similar to the nearby Craigmont (MINFILE 092ISE035) deposit.
In 2015, Nicola Mining Inc. completed a program of rock and soil sampling on the area as the Thule Copper-Iron property. The following year, a program of rock sampling and three diamond drill holes, totalling 1063.7 metres, were completed on the Thule property.
In 2016, Nicola Mining Inc. completed a program of prospecting, rock sampling, geological mapping and five diamond drill holes, totalling 1063.7 metres, on the Thule Copper property.
In 2017, Nicola Mining Inc. and Clibetre Exploration Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, a 27.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey, a 24.5 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey, 29 rotary drill holes, totalling 392.0 metres, and 5 diamond drill holes, totalling 2994.7 metres on the Thule Copper property.
In 2018, Nicola Mining Inc. completed a 9.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic and induced polarization survey; 70 percussion drill holes, totalling 1540.0 metres, and 16 diamond drill holes, totalling 6438.5 metres, on the area as the Craigmont property.
In 2019, Nicola Mining Inc. completed a program of soil sampling and 5 diamond drill holes, totalling 3649.0 metres, on the area as the New Craigmont property.
