The Nugget Queen and Bobmac (MINFILE 092L 179) properties cover a cluster of quartz veins near a pendant contact on the east side of Nenahlmai Lagoon, approximately 36 kilometres northeast of Port Hardy. The properties lie at approximately 100 metres elevation between Lee Lake on the east, McKinnon Lagoon on the northwest, and Nenhlmai Lagoon on the southwest. Between them, the two properties cover eight veins, seven of which were known in the 1930s.
The area of the occurrence is underlain by granite and granodiorite of the Mesozoic Coast Plutonic Complex.
The occurrence is in a northwest striking sub-vertical roof pendant of undetermined, but possibly Cretaceous age, and consists of one or more quartz veins up to 1.8 metres wide. The pendant consists of intercalated sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The irregular and faulted vein or veins crosscut argillaceous sediments and schistose to massive greenstone, and appear to occupy shear zones. Sulphide minerals (chalcopyrite, bornite, sphalerite, galena, pyrrhotite, pyrite and magnetite) are locally important but most of the veins consist of apparently barren quartz.
Five veins are recognized clustered together over a distance of 230 metres, approximately 1.4 kilometres east of the junction of the McKinnon and Nenahlmai lagoons. These are, from east to west, the Number 1 vein, which is located 100 metres from McKinnon Lagoon and the Number 2, 3, 4 and 5 veins, which are on strike with the Number 1 vein. Three more veins (Numbers 6, 7 and 8) lie 0.4 kilometre, 1.1 kilometres and 1.2 kilometres, respectively, further east of Number 5 vein but are described separately as the Bobmac 6 (MINFILE 092L 179) occurrence.
The Number 1 vein consists of three quartz veins exposed in a creek bed, approximately 100 metres south of McKinnon Lagoon. The veins varying in thickness from 1 to 3.5 metres and consist of milky, massive barren veins hosted by argillitic metasediments. They strike 40 degrees east and dip 85 degrees to the northwest. No sulphide mineralization is described.
The Number 2 (West) vein, located just west of the Number 3 vein, is hosted by volcanic rocks. No description is given of the vein or mineralization. In 1996, sampling of the vein yielded values between 0.6 and 4.3 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24958). In 2004, a chip sample (01527) assayed 1.63 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 27565).
The Number 3 (South) vein varies in width from centimetres to 1.5 metres and is exposed over 75 metres. No description is given of the vein or mineralization. In 1938, eight vein samples yielded an average of 63 grams per tonne gold and 19 grams per tonne silver over an average width of 0.31 metres (Assessment Report 24958). In 2004, a 0.9 metre discontinuous channel sample (01530) yielded 5.52 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 27565).
The Number 4 vein, located 15 metres east of the Number 3 vein, varies in width from centimetres to 1.5 metres and is exposed over 75 metres. The vein is comprised of milky quartz with irregular sulphides, including chalcopyrite, bornite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite laying within a west-northwest trending, steeply dipping shear. In 1938, assay plan of the vein, sampled on 1.5- metre centres over a strike length of 65 metres, returned a maximum value of 69.95 grams per tonne gold over 0.9 metre (sample Number 1597 Property File: Bobmac Mine, Drawing 4). A weighted average for the vein is 5.69 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 0.7 metre (Property File: Bobmac Mine, Drawing 4). In 1996, 17 samples yielded an uncut average grade of 22.31 grams per tonne gold, 30.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.337 per cent lead over an average width of 0.49 metre (Assessment Report 24958). In 2000, a grab sample (20764) assayed 6.1 grams per tonne gold, 81.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.142 per cent copper, 1.16 per cent lead and 0.093 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 26391).
The Number 5 vein, located above the Number 4 vein, lies along a north west- striking shear zone and consists of milky quartz lenses and stringers with minor sulphides. The vein has been traced for over a length of 75 metres. No description is given of the sulphide mineralization. In 1995, six samples of vein material yielded values from 0.005 to 13.0 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24958). In 2000, a grab sample (20758) of silicified metasediments adjacent to the vein assayed 8.8 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26391).
In 1939, three small test lots, with an aggregate dry weight of 0.867 tonne, were collected from the Nugent Queen property by E.M. Morrison. These samples are likely from the Nugget Queen occurrence and not the Nugent Queen (MINFILE 092M 005). Total production from 610 tonnes was 20,931 grams of gold, 44,882 grams of silver, 1759 kilograms of copper, 10,188 kilograms of lead and 234 kilograms of zinc.
In 1940 and 1941, R.C. McCorkell shipped 604 tonnes of 'higher- grade' material from a 15-metre long, 5-metre deep surface cut along the north west- trending Number 6 vein (MINFILE 092L 179). A further 5 tonnes were shipped by J.T. Jefferies from the 'main' vein in 1949.
The property was first staked and extensively explored and trenched by Mining Company of Canada Limited in 1938. It was restaked as the Dud claim by R. Dudley Smith in 1939, and then as the Silta in 1940. The claim was purchased by McCorkell in 1943 and optioned to H.T. Jefferies in 1947. Between 1941 and 1949 work included the sinking of an 18 -metre inclined shaft along the Number 1 vein.
The ground was staked in 1972 by Q.C. Explorations Limited as QC 1 to 40, with the Number 6 vein (MINFILE 092L 179) located on claim Q33. Between 1972 and 1974, trenching, sampling, short-hole drilling and an electromagnetic survey were done on the claims, mainly on the QC 3 claim. It was again restaked as the Whelakis claim group, including the Mine 1 and 2 claims in 1979. In 1980, Frank Beban Logging Limited undertook additional geophysical and regional mapping programs. Three years later, the company drilled five winkie drill holes, totalling 157 metres, to test the previously bulk sampled vein immediately to the west of the old sample site. The results were disappointing as the holes encountered argillite and quartz but returned low gold values. It was re-staked in 1990 as the Cherry 1 to 4 claims.
In 1995, Solaia Ventures Inc. optioned the property from the current owners and commissioned Ashworth Explorations Limited to conduct a variety of grid-based and other exploration programs. Over two years, it re-sampled the old trenches, collected stream sediment samples, conducted magnetometer and VLF-EM geophysical surveys over the main vein cluster, implemented both wide- spaced and in- fill soil geochemical surveys and hand trenched and sampled several areas of anomalous soil geochemistry. The soil survey located a pronounced polymetallic (gold, lead, zinc and arsenic) soil geochemical anomaly coincident with a newly discovered quartz vein approximately 80 metres to the south of the 'main' Number 6 vein. The anomaly displays an east- south east trend and extends for a minimum strike length of 225 metres. The best sample, taken across a 0.35-metre width of vein, returned 475.44 grams per tonne gold, 135.6 grams per tonne silver and "significant" copper, lead and zinc (Assessment Report 24334). The work also identified coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies that indicate extensions of the No's 3, 5 and 6 veins. The work outlined a new soil anomaly parallel to the Main Showing. The 1995 mapping identified tuffaceous layers and slaty argillites interbedded with the sediments in the pendant. The mineralized vein system is parallel to a set of faults in the slaty argillite that strike 291 degrees and dip 74 degrees northeast. The Malasapina Fault strikes 305 and lies immediately west of the claims.
In 1996 a geological, geochemical and trenching program was carried out to test the extension of the known gold-bearing mineralization between the Number 4 and 6 veins, and to test the 1995 geochemical anomaly by trenching. This led to the discovery of a new vein: Number 8 on the Bobmac (MINFILE 092L 179) occurrence. Solaia revisited the site in 1997, but little work was done. During 1998 through 2004, Pacific Topaz Resources completed programs of geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, prospecting and a 4.8 line kilometre ground electromagnetic survey.
