The Fly (Ridge) occurrence is located near a small lake in the northeastern headwaters of Jamison Creek, approximately 4 kilometres southeast of Niut Mountain.
The Fly area is underlain by a strongly faulted region of overlap assemblage between the Tchaikazan fault and a probable splay fault, the Niut fault, northeast of the Jurassic to Paleogene Coast Plutonic Complex (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1163, Map 1713A). These faults trend northwest and were probably active in the late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. Secondary faults and shear zones in the area have a variety of trends, commonly west-northwest and east-northeast. The host volcanics have been assigned to the Middle to Upper Triassic Cadwallader Group and the tonalitic pluton that extends north from the Fly area is assigned to the Cadwallader plutonic suite. Upper Cretaceous Overlap assemblage rock of the Powell Creek Formation is in faulted contact about 2.5 kilometres to the west, on the west side of the Tchaikazan Fault.
The rocks present are mainly felsic, intermediate and mafic volcanic flows, agglomerate, breccia and tuff, with minor sedimentary rocks (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1163; Assessment Reports 10303, 17200). These rocks strike northwest. All rocks are intruded by numerous dikes and sills, many of which are probably related to a relatively large quartz diorite intrusion to the northwest. Dikes are composed of porphyritic quartz diorite and feldspar-quartz porphyry, or mafic rock; they trend mainly west-northwest or east-northeast, and dip steeply north.
The Fly is marked by a gossanous area, which hosts strongly propylitically altered, fractured, sheared, hematized and pyritized volcanic rocks that are cut by quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes. The main area of copper mineralization occurs at the Ridge zone, a zone of strong fracturing and shearing, quartz porphyry dike intrusion and alteration (Assessment Reports 10303, 17200). Volcanic rocks in the vicinity are pyritized, and oxidation has produced a prominent hematite-rich gossan. Epidote-rich propylitic alteration is widespread, and locally intense around fracture systems, affecting the intrusions as well as the volcanics. Serpentine is also reported. Chalcopyrite and pyrite, with secondary malachite and azurite, are widespread in this zone, being visible over a length of 200 metres. Most of the mineralization is disseminated in the hostrocks, the remainder being concentrated as fracture-fillings in west-northwest-trending quartz-epidote-carbonate veinlets. Secondary minerals include chlorite, epidote, carbonates and sericite. The mineralized zone has been traced on surface and by diamond drilling over an area of 75 by 150 metres.
Based on the association of copper mineralization, porphyritic intrusions and propylitic alteration, it has been inferred that the Fly occurrence represents porphyry copper-style mineralization (Assessment Report 10303).
In 1973, diamond drilling is reported to have yielded up to 0.15 per cent copper over 3.0 metres (Assessment Report 17200). Other records indicated drilling yielded an estimated average of 0.02 per cent over 147.6 metres in hole VF-1, 0.08 to 0.09 per cent copper over 149.7 metres in hole VF-2, 0.07 per cent copper over 150.3 metres in hole VF-3, 0.03 per cent copper over 144.6 metres in hole VF-4 and 0.015 per cent copper over 70.8 metres in hole VF-5 (Property File - 808 Exploration Services Ltd. (for Placer Dome) [1992-06-01]: Report - Porphyry intrusive system with copper-gold mineral potential - Harvey property).
Surface samples, taken during this time, yielded from 0.10 to 0.66 per cent copper over 360 metres (Property File - 808 Exploration Services Ltd. (for Placer Dome) [1991-05-01]: Porphyry Intrusive System with Copper-Gold Mineral Potential - Harvey Property - Confidential Overview).
In 1987, sporadic assay values of between 0.1 and 0.2 per cent copper were obtained from rock samples; the highest value obtained was 0.68 per cent copper (Assessment Report 17200). Assays of gold, returning between 2 and 6 grams per tonne, are reported in quartz veins (possibly float) in adjacent areas (Assessment Report 17200).
In 1991, a sample (H-1) of porphyry mineralization yielded up to 0.97 gram per tonne gold and 0.364 per cent copper (Property File - 808 Exploration Services Ltd. (for or with Placer Dome) [1991-05-01]: Porphyry Intrusive System with Copper-Gold Mineral Potential - Harvey Property - Confidential Overview).
In 1992, the weighted average of four unconnected rock chip samples across 36 metres of the Ridge zone yielded an average of 0.130 per cent copper (Property File - 808 Exploration Services Ltd. (for or with Placer Dome) [1992-06-01]: Report - Porphyry intrusive system with copper-gold mineral potential - Harvey property).
WORK HISTORY
Exploration in the vicinity of the current Buzz mineral tenures was prompted by the sighting of two large gossans. Seven showings as of 2022 (Fly, Gold, Creek, Anthony, Downs, Rusty and Niut Mountain) were since discovered within the mineral tenure area (Figure 2, Assessment Report 35815). Work has been performed on the showings at various times since the late 1960s by a number of operators.
The first documented work within the area now covered by the Buzz property was done at the Fly showing in 1968 and 1969 by E. Scholtes, a contractor working for a syndicate comprising Newconex Canadian Exploration Ltd. and New Jersey Zinc Exploration Co. (Canada) Ltd. The primary focus of this work was to test the economic potential of prominent gossans (Assessment Report 22358). The mineral tenures were allowed to lapse and no report was filed for this work.
In 1972, Vanco Explorations Limited staked 14 mineral tenures over the Fly Showing and performed reconnaissance-style geological mapping, prospecting and hand trenching on ridges and in cirques above treeline. A limited 1830 metre magnetometer survey was completed. The program work outlined a sizeable target, with copper values between 0.1 and 0.66 per cent from a 366 metre section along the ridge. A sample collected east of this showing returned 6.34 grams per tonne gold ((Assessment Report 17200).
In 1973, Vanco added 22 mineral tenures to its Fly property. It also completed geological mapping and 679.7 metres of diamond drilling in five holes to test below the Fly Showing. Drill results ranged between 0.015 and 0.08 per cent copper over 71.9 and 152.1 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 17200).
No further work was reported on the Fly Showing until 1981, when Vanco collected rock samples for geochemical and thin section studies. The results of the thin section study show that regionally the area is dominated by epidote alteration with some chlorite, sericite and carbonate development. Around the area of anomalous copper, there is more extensive chlorite, sericite and phyllic alteration with the development of serpentine. Geochemical analyses of the samples returned subdued gold values (peak of 0.038 grams per tonne) with moderately elevated copper (up to 0.18 per cent) (Assessment Report 10303). The mineral tenures were subsequently allowed to expire.
In January 1987, I.M. Watson & Associates Ltd. staked the Gossan 1-2 mineral tenures over the Fly Showing and later completed pan concentrate and rock geochemical sampling. This program outlined a zone of low-grade copper mineralization that coincides with the earlier work area. A significant gold value (1.99 grams per tonne ) was obtained from a sample of rusty, angular quartz float that was collected in a creek located about 900 metres to the northwest of the Fly Showing (Assessment Report 17200). The mineral tenures were subsequently allowed to expire.
In 1991, Placer Dome Inc. staked the Harvey property over the Fly Showing and surrounding areas (Assessment Report 22358). It completed prospecting and rock sampling. Four discontinuous chip samples collected near the Fly Showing averaged 0.13 per cent copper and 0.011 grams per tonne gold over a cumulative length of 36 metres. A second zone (Creek Showing) was identified 1500 metres to the southeast of the Fly Showing. Three samples taken within 100 metres of one another averaged 0.124 per cent copper, while five samples taken within the same area averaged 0.425 grams per tonne gold; a third taken from this zone yielded 0.159 and 0.746 grams per tonne gold with subdued copper values of 0.076 and 0.030 per cent and moderately elevated mercury values of 790 and 9750 parts per billion (Assessment Report 22358). The Gold (Harvey Gold) was located at this time also, but the higher gold values (4.22 grams per tonne) did not become public until Placer Dome gave its exploration files to BC Geological Survey (Property File) in the late 1990s. The Harvey mineral tenures were allowed to lapse.
In 2006, ATAC Resources Ltd. staked the Buzz property (12 mineral tenures) to cover the historically anomalous areas, with 4 previously documented MINFILE occurrences: Fly (092N 056), Niut Mountain (092N 020), Clipboard (092N 065) and Rusty (092N 044). ATAC performed a brief exploration program comprising prospecting and stream sediment and contour soil geochemical sampling; 117 soil, 16 stream sediment and 25 rock samples were collected during the two-day field program (Assessment Report 29245). Some of the mineral tenures were allowed to expire before ATAC Resources sold the Buzz property to Strategic Metals in fall 2009. Mineralization at the Downs showing area was first sampled in 2006. The Fly and Niut were not visited in 2006. Six samples were collected from the Anthony Showing in 2006.
In early 2011, Geotech Ltd. of Aurora, Ontario conducted helicopter-borne magnetic and Z Axis Tipper Electromagnetic (ZTEM) geophysical surveys over the Buzz property of behalf of Strategic Metals (Assessment Report 32233). A total of 772-line kilometres of EM and magnetic data were recorded. In spring of that year, the data from those surveys were evaluated by Condor Consulting (as follows in 2012).
In 2012, Strategic Metals compiled data from Condor Consulting’s geophysical interpretation together with previously obtained geochemical and geological data collected by other operators (Assessment Report 33014). MINFILE occurrences within the area of the geophysical survey include: Nuit Mountain (092N 020), Rusty (092N 044), Anthony (092N 064), Clipboard (092N 065), Fly (092N 044), Fly Creek (092N 074) and Harvey Gold (092N 073).
The electromagnetic data show two main, subparallel conductive highs that trend northwest to southeast about four kilometres apart. The eastern conductor corresponds to the Niut Fault and sub-parallel thrust faults. The eastern edge of the western conductor coincides with the Tchaikazan Fault. The Niut Fault conductive zone is more substantial than the Tchaikazan Fault conductive zone in terms of depth extent and overall robustness. Condor Consulting believes that this fault could host structurally-controlled mineralization and that its surface trace should be prospected in detail. The survey identified four discrete resistivity highs within the property. One resistivity high (R1) was partially delineated to the west of Tchaikazan Fault. It lies off the property to the west of Tchaikazan Fault. The other three resistivity highs (R2 to R4) line up along a northwesterly trend between the two major conductivity highs. The northern two resistivity highs (R2 and R3) lie within the main body of dioritic intrusive rocks, while the southernmost (R4) is located within Cadwallader Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Condor Consulting feels that these resistive features may be possible discrete intrusive centres. Due to their close proximity to the mapped gossans and mineralized showings, Condor Consulting recommends follow up reconnaissance induced polarization surveying over the resistivity highs R3 and R4 to assess whether porphyry stocks are present and if so, whether they are mineralized. Condor Consulting deems R2 resistivity feature to have potential, but considers it to be a secondary priority. In the southeast corner of the survey area, there is a secondary magnetic high that does not appear to be directly correlative with topography. This magnetic high coincides with a resistivity high (R4) that encompasses Rusty Showing. Fly Showing lies at the eastern edge of the central resistivity high (R3), which coincides with an area of weak magnetism. The northernmost resistivity high (R2) coincides with a large magnetic high. Gold and Creek showings lie immediately west of the eastern conductivity high, near the surface trace of Niut Fault.
In 2015, a total of 28 rock samples were collected from the Fly, Downs and Niut Mountain showings. The other showings were not revisited in 2015. Sample locations and significant results from all programs are plotted on Figure 5. In 2015, a float sample, consisting of milky white, vuggy, vein quartz, was taken from a west-facing drainage 500 metres northwest of the showing and returned 0.27 grams per tonne gold and 20.40 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 35815).
In 2021, Goldplay Mining Inc. conducted prospecting and geochemical sampling on the Goldstorm South project.
