The Roscoe (Chataway West) occurrence is located on the east side of Roscoe Creek, approximately 0.6 kilometre northwest of its confluence with Chataway Creek.
The area is underlain primarily by coarse-grained granodiorites (Chataway variety) of the Highland Valley phase of the Lower Jurassic Guichon Creek batholith.
Mineralization, as noted from dump material, is similar to that of the Jay 1 (MINFILE 092ISE018) occurrence and consists of Chataway phase granodiorites that have been fractured, faulted, argillized, silicified and deeply oxidized with widespread disseminated and fracture-filled malachite associated with lesser azurite and minor chalcocite.
In 1992, a chip sample from a cluster of malachite-stained boulders, located near the adits, yielded 0.48 per cent copper (Assessment Report 22373).
In 2019, two samples (4354 and 4355), taken from the adit portal dump, of potassium feldspar-biotite-sericite-hematite-quartz-calcite altered shear-fault zones with minor quartz veins and malachite-bornite-chalcocite mineralization associated with the contact of a coarse-grained and fine-grained quartz diorite breccia yielded 2.74 and 5.63 per cent copper, 11.5 and 21.9 grams per tonne silver with 0.232 and 0.346 gram per tonne gold, respectively (Assessment Report 38907).
Work History
The area was originally explored in the early 1900s by two adits.
In 1964, Chataway Exploration Co. Ltd. completed a 5.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and a 16.7 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Rob, Ros, Rum and Tom claims of the Chataway property. This work identified a number of low-order anomalies (Assessment Report 00611).
In 1968, King Resources Co. completed a program of geological mapping on the area as the Ant, In, Jay, Len, Rex, Rob, Sho, T.D.M., Moon and Wiz-Dot claims of the Chataway property.
During the 1970s, numerous operators including Asarco, Canadian Superior Exploration, International Mogul Mines Ltd. and Aselo Minerals completed programs of ground geophysical surveys on the area.
In 1972, International Mogul Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, a 53.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and four diamond drill holes, totalling 355.7 metres, on the area as Bob, Moon, Sho and Val claims of the Chataway property.
In 1982, Cominco Ltd. completed an induced polarization survey on the area as the Antler, Buck, Elk, Lake and Score claims of the Gump property.
During 1991 through 1993, Aucumo Resources and Hudson Bay Exploration completed programs of geological mapping, soil and stream sediment sampling and an induced polarization survey on the area immediately west of the occurrence as the CVS property.
In 2006, Gary Brown completed a program of prospecting and photo-geological interpretation on the area as the Chat and Skuhun claims of the Copper Hill property.
During 2009 through 2011, the area was examined by Highbank Resources Ltd. and Moag Copper-Gold Resources Inc. as the Highland Valley property. Programs of geological mapping, soil sampling, seven diamond drill holes, totalling 1548.0 metres, and an induced polarization survey were completed during this time.
During 2012 through 2019, Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling, a 32.3 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and re-interpretation of historical airborne geophysical data on the area as part of the Rateria-West Valley property.