The Bu prospect consists of copper-gold mineralization, 6 kilometres east-southeast of Bluff Lake, and 16 kilometres west-northwest of the community of Tatlayoko Lake.
The occurrence lies between two major northwest-striking faults along the northeastern margin of the Jurassic to Tertiary Coast Plutonic Complex. The Yalakom and Tchaikazan faults and a splay of the latter, called the Niut fault, runs through the area of interest (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1163).
The area is underlain by Middle to Upper Triassic volcanics and sediments of the Cadwallader Group, intruded by quartz diorite of the Late Triassic Cadwallader plutonic suite. The volcanics are mainly andesitic tuffs, with minor breccia and porphyritic flows. These are interbedded with rhyodacitic flows and tuffs, and locally with amygdaloidal basaltic flows (locally pillowed), and volcaniclastic sandstone. The volcanics are intruded by dikes, including monzonite, diabase, and hornblende-feldspar porphyry, but the most common type is quartz-feldspar porphyry. To the northeast is the contact with medium-grained, porphyritic diorite and quartz diorite; the contact is skarnified, with the development of pink garnet in the volcanics.
The rocks are strongly faulted and fractured. A variety of orientations are represented, although locally, north and northeast-striking fracture sets are probably more important than the regional, northwest fault trend, and intrusive contacts appear to have this orientation. Alteration is generally pervasive, or is fracture-controlled where relatively weak. Propylitic alteration is most important, and is usually accompanied by about 10 per cent pyrite and pyrrhotite as disseminations or in veinlets or fractures. These sulphides may reach 15 per cent in zones of silicification, which is also important, especially around quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes. Argillic and sericitic alteration are locally intense in dioritic rocks adjacent to structurally-hosted mineralization. Calcite veinlets are common. Alteration or fault zones commonly give rise to prominent elongate goethite-rich gossans.
Mineralization is generally hosted in steeply-dipping, structurally-controlled quartz or calcite veins in hydrothermally altered diorite or volcanics, and appears to be of the porphyry copper-gold (molybdenum) type (Assessment Report 18036). Between 1 and 5 per cent sulphides is typical; most is pyrite and pyrrhotite with minor chalcopyrite, locally accompanied by galena and sphalerite. Some chalcopyrite may be disseminated in the host rock. Molybdenite is restricted to quartz veinlets in intrusions, and apparently post-dates chalcopyrite mineralization (Assessment Report 4540).
Strong accumulations of sulphides were encountered in two drill holes put down northwest of Butler Lake in 1988. Two diamond drill holes were completed at 45 degree dips to test a copper-gold geochemical and geophysical chargeability anomaly. Strong accumulations of sulphides were encountered in both drill holes with the second hole (NM-88-2)intersecting significant copper and anomalous gold values throughout its length. A 157 metre interval from the second hole averaged 0.174 per cent copper though three lost intervals totaling 4.42 metres were entered in the length-averaged calculation as zero (Assessment Report 18036). A higher grade sub-interval, from 90.52 metres to 108.5 metre, averaged approximately 0.30 per cent copper and 0.34 gram per tonne gold over the 18 metres. The peak copper and gold values for the hole were in this interval and were 0.58 per cent copper and 1.13 gram per tonne gold. An 8.53 metre interval within the 18 metre interval averaged 0.51 grams per tonne (0.015 oz/ton) gold (Assessment Report 18036). Molybdenum values are low, with a peak value of 0.018 per cent, reflecting the sporadic, though visible occurrence of molybdenite.
In 1989/1990, Noranda Exploration reported copper results returned from a soil survey ranged from a low of 9 parts per million to a high of 2426 parts per million (Assessment Report 20860). Threshold, first and second order anomalies were determined to be 100 parts per million, 200 parts per million and 500 parts per million respectively. The main copper anomaly outlined by Noranda 1989-1990 survey parallels Butler Creek from Line 101N, 96+50E to Line 119N, 99+25E for a distance of 1.8 kilometres and ranges in width from approximately 50 metres to 600 metres. A continuation of this anomaly can also be projected to extend from Line 119N to Line 127 which gives a total strike length of 2.6 kilometres and open to the north. To the south the copper soil anomaly appears to end at Line 101N where a large, steep, talus covered north-facing bluff begins. As with the copper-rich zones, the main gold anomalies tend to occur parallel to Butler Creek and along the western limb of the moderate and high I.P. chargeability response as well as to the north crossing lines 111N to 119N. In 1989/1090, a combined helicopter-borne magnetic, electromagnetic and VLF-EM survey outlined a large regional magnetic high (5.4 kilometres by 0.5-1.8 kilometres) coincident with a roughly circular zone of high resistivity (4.5 kilometre by 1.5-2.0 kilometres) thought to represent a Tertiary quartz diorite stock intruding a Lower Cretaceous volcanic/sedimentary assemblage. A number of anomalous I.P. Zones were exhibited as a result of the I.P. Survey. The geophysical surveys has delineated an anomalous broad, arcuate chargeability zone that is lying on the immediate inside perimeter of a discontinuous ring-like high resistivity zone measuring approximately 1.0-1.5 kms in diameter. The dominant geophysical trend is northwest-southeast. Still other anomalies occur inboard (eastward) of the western limbs of the copper - I.P. Anomalies. Enveloping the aforementioned high magnetic/high resistivity anomaly is a zone of low to moderate resistivity. A 2.6 kilometre by 0.15-0.6 kilometre copper-gold soil anomaly has been found to exist along the transition between the high and low resistivity zones. Previous drilling in this transition zone returned 157 metres of 0.178 per cent copper, 0.34 grams per tonne gold while another hole drilled outside of the transition zone returned no significant copper-gold mineralization (Assessment Report 20860).
The main areas of mineralization are highlighted by geophysical and copper-gold soil geochemical anomalies aligned along Butler Creek, confirmed by rock sampling and analysis. One grab sample of altered andesitic tuff was analysed at over 3.1 per cent copper, and 2.4 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 20860). Another sample analyzed 2.4 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 17080).
The main targets have been diamond drilled. The length-averaged copper grade from one hole was 0.174 per cent over 157 metres; an 18-metre interval averaged 0.3 per cent, including a peak copper value of 0.58 per cent (Assessment Report 18036). The same interval contained a smaller, 8.5 metre interval averaging 0.54 gram per tonne gold, including a peak value of 1.15 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18036).
In 1991, diamond drill yielded intercepts of:
----------------------------------------------------Hole From To Length Copper (No.) (m) (m) (m) (%) 91-3 71.03 85.37 14.34 0.177 91-3 98.48 107.50 9.02 0.166 91-3 113.50 155.14 41.64 0.170 91-5 40.04 53.95 13.91 0.119 91-5 77.50 85.00 7.50 0.142 91-9 99.40 105.84 6.44 0.266 91-9 131.76 136.26 4.50 0.127 91-9 154.26 207.32 53.06 0.140 --------------------------------------------------- |
(Assessment Report 21967)
During the early 1970's, Noranda Exploration Company Limited staked the B.U. claims in the Butler Lake area after regional sampling indicated anomalous values for copper, molybdenum and gold. Noranda completed geological, geophysical (IP) and geochemical (soil) programs.
In 1984, Ryan Exploration, a subsidiary of US Borax located a significant metal anomaly (copper and arsenic) on the main channel of Butler Creek and staked the M.S.B. Claims over an area of Butler Lake and the earlier Noranda discoveries. The claims lapsed in 1987.
In 1987 Canevex Resources Limited purchased the St Teresa claim from Don Rose and staked the Newmac claims around them. Newmac was a contraction of New MacDonald. The property was optioned to Jaqueline Gold Corp that same year. Subsequent work revealed porphyry style mineralization and alteration in Butler Creek bed. During October 1987, a senior geologist and three geotechnicians spent fourteen days on the property conducting geochemical soil grid surveys, mapping, and backhoe trenching. Jaqueline Gold Corp. expanded their grid and completed an IP survey preparatory to drilling two diamond drill holes later that year. A total of 139 rock aand 878 soil samples were collected for analysis. As a result of the 1987 work, three discrete anomalous trends were delineated. The previously known Cow Trail vein, located on the A grid, was enlarged and a new quartz-sulfide stockwork zone, the Goat Trail zone, was outlined in the "A grid" area. Samples from this new zone returned values up to 480 grams per tonne silver and 1.03 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 17080). A third zone, known as the Road Gossan, shows a north-south trending gold, silver, copper, zinc anomaly with dimensions exceeding 600 metres in length and 200 metres in width. Further rock and soil sampling was done on the B grid, C grid, McDonald road, the Bornite showing, and Lower Butler Creek.
In 1988, Jacqueline Gold Corp.'s exploration program focused on the B Grid/Butler Lake anomaly (Bu Prospect area (092N 030)) and comprised: fill-in and extensions of the geochemical sampling; line cutting; Induced Polarization surveying; geological mapping and; core drilling. A roughly coincident copper-gold geochemical and geophysical chargeability anomaly measures approximately 1200 meters by 200 meters along a northerly trend and appears to remain open to the south. Two diamond drill holes were completed at 45 degree dips to test the coincident anomalies. degree dips to test strong chargeability and soil geochemical anomalies. Strong accumulations of sulphides were encountered in both drill holes while hole NM-88-2 intersected significant copper and anomalous gold values throughout its length (Assessment Report 18036). Jaqueline Gold subsequently returned the property to Canevex.
In 1989, Canevex optioned the property to Noranda Mining and Explorations Inc. who (from 1989 to 1990) completed 30 kilometres of IP survey, 37 kilometres of ground Magnetics survey, analyzed 1203 soil samples, 158 rock samples, and completed 700 line-kilometres of helicopter airborne geophysical survey (Assessment Report 20860). Work was conducted on B grid and Butler Creek area of the Newmac Group and the and Newmac East group of claims. Eighteen east-west soil lines were run off a 4.5 kilometre north-south baseline on lines that varied from 2 to 5 kilometres in length. The lines were spaced at 200 metres over the southern half of the grid and 400 metres over the northern half. Butler Lake is covered by the soil lines at the southern-central-most part of the grid; the Bornite zone is contained within the northwest corner of the grid area where a weak copper-gold anomaly exists and is open to the north. The Bornite zone is about 3 kilometres north of Butler Lake.
In 1991, Noranda completed 1939 metres of diamond drilling in seven holes before returning the property to Canevex (Assessment Report 21967). At the conclusion of Noranda’s work, an apparent horseshoe-shaped induced polarization response was identified and interpreted to reflect a pyrite shell surrounding a potentially significant mineralized core. Noranda also concluded that essentially all of the drill testing had occurred within the pyrite shell.
In 1998, Canevex optioned the Newmac property Ascot Resources Ltd. who undertook exploration for a porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum target, referred to as the “B Grid” or Butler Lake target. Ascot completed 4 holes (875 metres), designed to test the inside of the pyrite shell but found that the holes had intersected rock with a total sulphide content the same as that previously found within the pyrite shell (Assessment Report 25766). The Ascot program, while failing to identify economic mineralization, did establish that the porphyry system was potentially very large. A small amount of work was completed approximately 3 kilometers to the north of the B Grid in an area referred to as the “Bornite Showing” target. This target is also a copper-gold (molybdenum) anomaly that, while probably originally discovered in the 1940’s, was re-identified by soil geochemistry and induced polarization surveying by Noranda while working the Butler Lake target in 1991. The Bornite showing was completely overburden-covered and at this time had never been drilled.
In 2004, Newmac Resources Inc. acquired the claims from Canevex and conducted 17.8 kilometres of IP and magnetic surveys along the Macdonald road ("C" grid, Newmac 1 (092N 055)) where altered and pyritic rocks had been noted (Assessment Reported 27543). Several well-defined induced polarization anomalies were revealed. In 2005, Newmac completed a total of 6 widely spaced drill holes for a total of 1130.4 metres (Assessment Report 28547). Work was done on the Bornite showing-Noranda Pits area, the MacDonald Road and the Butler Lake area. The widely spaced drilling failed to refine or direct the exploration beyond the knowledge base already at hand. Two of the holes were collared in close proximity to hole 88-2 but at different dips. In 2006,diamond drill hole 05-2, located near the former drill hole 88-2, was drilled to a depth of 310 metres and yielded 0.18 per cent copper and 0.07 grams per tonne gold over 214 metres (Assessment Report 28547).
In late 2006, Newmac Resoures Inc. completed an option agreement for the Bluff Claims and were followed closely by a geophysical survey totalling 28.2 kilometers of IP and magnetics. The geophysical program delineated several targets to be followed up by diamond drilling.
In early 2007, a diamond drilling program was initiated by Newmac which completed 2389.4 metres of NQ coring in 14 holes (Assessment Report 29526). Drilling was done in the Rolston Ranch (“C” grid) area. Results of that program were inconclusive. Drill core was not systematically sampled and that core which was assayed was reported to not be significant. However, un-split core stored on site at the Rolston Ranch shows varying degrees of copper mineralization, particularly in holes 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8, which were drilled on the “C” grid and on setups to the west-southwest and southwest of drill hole 07-07. (Figure 4, Assessment Report 29526). Holes 07-09 to 14 tested IP changeability anomalies and failed to locate economic mineralization. Sufficient quantities of pyrite were encountered to explain the IP effects. Refer to year 2013 work history for drillhole 07-08 re-analysis.
In 2012, Susan Rolston formed Tchaikazan Resources Ltd. to manage the expanding land holdings. Work since that time, has been undertaken on behalf of the company. The 2012 geochemical program consisted of rock sampling on three areas of the Bluff claim block. Notable samples were taken below the Bluff Lake road in the area of Painted Bluff showing. Samples Blu1, Blu2 and Blu3 (adjacent Bluff Lake) returned copper values including 0.319 per cent, 0.233 per cent and 0.625 per cent respectively. Sample Blu1 also returned 2.02 grams per tonne gold, 0.226 per cent arsenic and 0.09 percent zinc (Figure 6. Assessment Report 33785). Eight of twelve samples located in the area of the Bornite showing (NEW MINFILE in Dec. 2021) were anomalous in copper with sample Bor007 returning assays of 0.217 per cent copper, 0.09 grams per tonne gold and 3.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 33785). Bor007 was taken from a broad, 20 metre, shear zone that crosses the west branch of upper Butler Creek.
The 2013 work program of Tchaikazan comprised geochemical sampling of 22 rocks , 86 drill core intervals and six soils from various locations on the Bluff claims and the newly acquired land package. The “Noranda Pits” were located on the Butt1 claim in late May by Susan Rolston. Five soil samples were taken from five pits by Susan Rolston and geologist Roger MacDonald. Six samples of un-split core were taken from boxes stored at drill platform DDH 85-1/85-2 on the west side of the creek adjacent to the Cow vein.
In 2014 work program the Tchaikazan Resources Inc (Susan Rolston) comprised geochemical sampling of 27 rocks and 5 C-horizon soils from the Butler Lake area, Bornite Zone and Noranda Pits (Assessment Report 35049).
In April-May 2015, the Tchaikazan Resources Inc work program included prospecting in the West Butler Creek area just upstream from the confluence of East and West Butler Creeks (Assessment Report 35754). Fifteen samples, six grabs and nine chips, were collected for assay from gossanous outcrops exposed along the deeply incised cliff faces bounding West Butler Creek. In addition, a review of mineralized structures in the “Pretty Pile” area, the Painted Bluffs and the Slide area was undertaken to more accurately locate and orient the local copper/gold and molybdenum mineralization.
In October 2015, Tchaikazan established the Pie Grid with the cutting of 8.3 kilometres of gridline and trail in preparation for 5.8 kilometres of induced polarization (I.P.) and 4.6 kilometres of magnetometer surveying that later defined a moderate chargeability/resistivity anomaly (Assessment Report 36102). The newly acquired Math claim was prospected and two rock samples were sent for assay. Two rock sample locations in the vicinity of West Butler Creek were resurveyed using GPS.
The 2016 geochemical program Tchaikazan Resources Inc. consisted of the collection of 33 soil samples and produced a coincident copper/arsenic/antimony geochemical anomaly over the geophysical anomaly defined in the 2015 program (Assessment Report 36772). Mapping along the Hayfield Bluff indicated a possible mineralized system in the vicinity of the Painted Bluff copper showing and diamond drill hole BL07-08. Mapping was also done on the Pie Grid.
In 2017 and 2018 Tchaikazan Resources Inc. conducted a field program comprised the collection of 14 rock samples and 234 soil samples in the are just south of Butler Lake, about 1 kilometre southeast of the Bu prospect (092N 030) (Assessment Report 37746). The soil geochemical program identified two moderate copper/arsenic/antimony anomalies. One over 100 metres and a two station anomaly on the southwest end of the talus traverse TT18002 and TT18003. A weaker copper/arsenic/antimony anomaly is located at the west end of line 95+00N.
In 2019, rock geochemical and geological mapping was completed on the BLUFF, SOUTH BUTLER, BUTTS2, BLAKE S and BLAKE EXT claims by Tchaikazan Resources Inc. A total of 25 rocks were sampled of which 21 were sent for assay. Geologic mapping was carried out on 18 locations as the samples were collected. The program was successful in extending a copper-rich tourmaline breccia from its discovery outcrop to 500 metres to the north-west along a 330-to 340-degree trend along the Hayfield Bluffs. Sampling in the area of the Painted Bluff extended that mineralized zone some 150 metres to the south-east along a 135-degree trend. Also, 550 metres to the east of the painted Bluff, the Slide zone sampling returned a 0.136 per cent copper, 22.9 grams per tonne lead, and 1.15 grams per tonne silver assay from outcrop that previously returned anomalous molybdenum tenors (Assessment Report 38580). On the BLAKE EXT claim, staked in 2019, rock sample # 36 returned an assay of 0.186 per cent copper and 2.44 grams per tonne silver indicating similar mineralization to the Math showing located 1300 metres to the north-northeast (Assessment Report 38580). Sampling along a gossanous ridge in the St. Teresa area, located approximately 550 metres west of Butler Lake, returned two samples anomalous in copper; RM19005 at 0.0461 per cent and RM19007 at 0.0433 per cent copper (Assessment Report 38580).
In 2020, Rolston had a geophysical interpretation report completed on the Bluff Copper-Gold property (Assessment Report 39146). S.J.V. Consultants Ltd. was retained to evaluate historical geophysical data, including an airborne magnetic, VLF-EM and EM survey data, acquired by Aerodat Limited in 1989 and several vintages of induced polarization data gathered by various companies and contractors from 1990 to 2006.
