The Golden Gate occurrence lies in the Zeballos gold camp, east of the Zeballos River along a ridge separating Hidden Valley and Golden Gate creeks and at an elevation of approximately 253 metres.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group basaltic to rhyolitic volcanic rocks. Conformably underlying the Bonanza volcanic rocks are limestones and limy clastics of the Triassic to Lower Jurassic Parson Bay Formation (Bonanza and Vancouver groups) and Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation (Vancouver Group), and tholeiitic basalts of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). Dioritic to granodioritic plutons of the Zeballos intrusion phase of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite have intruded all older rocks. The Zeballos stock, a quartz diorite phase of the Eocene to Oligocene Mount Washington Plutonic Suite, is spatially related to gold-quartz veining in the area. Bedded rocks are predominantly northwest striking, southwest dipping, and anticlinally folded about a northwest axis.

In the Zeballos gold camp, generally narrow (10 to 30 centimetres) quartz-calcite veins, trending north or east (Fieldwork 1983, page 230) cut all rock types. Vein mineralogy includes pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and locally arsenopyrite. Recorded production for the camp totals 9465 kilograms gold and 4119 kilograms silver, from 652,000 tonnes of ore mined (Fieldwork 1982, page 291). Most of the production came from the Spud Valley and Privateer deposits.

The Golden Gate (Shaft) vein, striking 340 to 350 degrees and dipping 70 degrees east, follows a shear zone in massive Bonanza andesite cut by numerous fine-grained dikes of gabbro, presumably associated with nearby Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite and the Eocene Zeballos stock. The shear zone is only a few centimetres wider than the vein, which is lenticular and ranges in width from 2.5 to 45 centimetres with an average width of 12.5 centimetres. Vein mineralogy includes pyrite, pyrrhotite and lesser amounts of chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena in quartz gangue. Usually, sulphides make up a few per cent of vein material but locally this can go as high as 75 per cent. Native gold is reported to be associated with sulphides and in the quartz gouge.

Another vein, referred to as the Campbell vein, is reported to be located 6 metres northeast of the shaft. This vein strikes 260 degrees with a 78-degree north dip and is comprised of pyrrhotite, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena in crushed, leached talcose gouge, quartz and calcite. The vein has been traced for approximately 168 metres along strike.

In 1939, a sample from the Golden Gate vein, taken at 12.9 metres from the collar of the shaft, assayed 645.7 grams per tonne gold with 346.1 grams per tonne silver over 0.45 metre, whereas a sample from the bottom of the shaft assayed 91.7 grams per tonne gold over a width of 12.5 centimetres (Property File - W.A. Lammers [1939-06-23]: Re: Golden Gate). A 0.9-metre channel sample from the Campbell vein returned 25.4 grams per tonne gold (Property File - W.A. Lammers [1939-06-23]: Re: Golden Gate).

In 1940, a shipment of high-grade sorted ore produced 373 grams of gold, 156 grams of silver with 44 kilograms of copper and 39 kilograms of lead.

In 1982, six underground chip samples from various locations along the vein yielded an average of 6.7 grams per tonne gold and 9.1 grams per tonne silver over an average width of 8.75 centimetres (Assessment Report 12863).

In 1983, diamond drilling encountered a 9.8-metre intercept of 9.6 grams per tonne gold (diamond-drill hole #5) and a 1.5-metre section assaying 135.7 grams per tonne gold and 44.2 grams per tonne silver (George Cross Newsletter #191, #192, 1983; Northern Miner Oct.6, 1983). Also at this time, four grab samples from the central trench yielded an average of 20.5 grams per tonne gold and 11.3 grams per tonne silver, whereas a 0.45-metre chip sample (9270) taken 3.7 metres north of the trench assayed 55.8 grams per tonne gold and 23.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 12863).

Work History

The area has been explored since the 1930s with various trenches, at least two shafts and an adit, located at approximately 224 metres elevation; a 37.5-metre crosscut and a 48.3-metre drift being developed during 1937 through 1946. Minor production occurred in 1939 and 1940.

In 1973, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. soil sampled the area immediately southeast as the Zeb claims. The following year a program of geological mapping and rock and soil sampling was completed on the Zeb and Banko Claims. In 1983, Sibola Mines Ltd. completed five drillholes, totalling approximately 338 metres.

In 2005, Newmex Minerals Inc. prospected the area as part of the regionally extensive Zeballos property. During 2011 through 2019, North Bay Resources Inc. completed programs of prospecting and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling the area as the Zeballos Gold property.