The Bonaparte gold-quartz veins are located 30 kilometres north of Kamloops in the Bob/Wentworth creeks area. The property is accessible via the Jamieson Creek logging road.
Mapping (Geological Survey of Canada Map 42-1989 and Fieldwork 2000), north and south of the Bonaparte property indicates the area to be underlain by units of the late Paleozoic Harper Ranch Group comprised of argillite, phyllite, volcanic sandstone, chert pebble conglomerate and local carbonate. The strata are intruded by Triassic and/or Jurassic granodiorite, quartz monzonite and diorite which are believed to form part of the Thuya batholith. Miocene to Pliocene plateau basalts are extensive and consist of predominantly olivine basalt and andesite with minor ash and breccia.
The Bonaparte property covers an erosional window through Miocene plateau basalts in which older bedrock consisting of Triassic metasediments are intruded by Triassic and/or Jurassic quartz diorite. The plateau basalts occupy the higher ground and form prominent cliffs bounding the exposures of older rocks. Argillites are the oldest rocks exposed. They are commonly pyritic and vary in composition from phyllitic shale to argillaceous siltstone. The phyllite unit hosts unmineralized (rare pyrite) quartz veins that generally do not exceed 20 centimetres in width. Hornfelsed argillaceous sedimentary rocks are found in contact with and adjacent to quartz diorite. Xenoliths of hornfels are also found within the quartz diorite body.
The quartz diorite intrusion is medium grained and weakly altered, with minor saussuritization of feldspars and chloritization of mafic minerals. Locally, up to 3 per cent disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite is evident. Narrow quartz veins and stockwork sections, generally barren of sulphides and gold, are common in the intrusive rocks. Wider (up to 3 metres) north trending quartz veins are also hosted by the quartz diorite. Locally these veins are auriferous and may contain up to several per cent sulphides.
Mineralization primarily occurs in a series of north trending quartz veins hosted mainly by the quartz diorite intrusion. At least eight gold-bearing quartz veins are recognized from trenching and drilling and occur within an area 823 by 548 metres. From west to east these are the Grey Jay, Owl, Crow, Nutcracker, Raven, Chickadee, Flicker and Woodpecker veins. A number of drill intersections which may represent additional veins also occur. The veins generally dip moderately to steeply east and locally range up to 3 metres in width. Pinching and swelling is common along the length of the veins. Locally, the massive white quartz veins contain up to several per cent sulphides consisting of pyrite with lesser chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and molybdenite. Native gold is also evident but generally is associated with silver-grey tellurides. Only very locally, anomalous gold values occur in shear zones or in the intrusive rock close to, but sometimes spatially unrelated to auriferous quartz veining.
The Grey Jay vein is, where exposed at surface, the westernmost member of the Crow vein system. The vein is a discrete vein, but appears to merge with the Crow vein at depth. It also intersects the Owl vein. The Grey Jay vein strikes 023 degrees and dips 45 degrees east. Drilling indicates a strike length of 130 metres with an average true width of 0.95 metre. Average gold grade is 29.13 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 18682).
The Crow vein system consists of three discrete segments termed the North, Central and South. The South segment strikes 027 degrees and dips 55 degrees east and is separated from the Central segment by a major fault. This fault displaces the South segment about 10 metres into the footwall relative to the Central segment. The Central segment strikes 012 degrees and dips 55 degrees east. A portion of this section of vein represents the region where the Nutcracker and Crow veins have merged along strike. The North segment of the Crow vein strikes 034 degrees and dips 55 degrees east. The Grey Jay and Owl veins intersect this segment. An average true width of the Crow vein system is 1.15 metres with a drill indicated strike length of 220 metres. Average gold grade is 14.39 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 18682). Measured geological (proven) reserves for the Crow vein are 5200 tonnes grading 21.08 grams per tonne gold. Indicated (probable) reserves are 5000 tonnes grading 20.56 grams per tonne gold (Property File - News Release, Inter-Pacific Resource Corp., January 14, 1987).
The Owl vein is part of the Crow vein system and strikes 032 degrees with 50 degree east dips. The Owl vein intersects the Crow and Grey Jay veins and drill data suggests that the Owl vein continues both along strike and downdip beyond these intersections. The width of the Owl vein appears to increase with depth to a maximum of 2.3 metres. Drilling has indicated a strike length of 100 metres. A drill intersection across 2.3 metres assayed 14.05 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18682).
The Nutcracker vein is also part of the Crow vein system. It strikes 027 degrees and dips 48 degrees east with an average true width of 0.35 metre. Drill data suggests the Nutcracker vein continues south along strike beyond its point of merging with the Crow vein. Drilling has indicated a strike length of 110 metres. Average gold grade is 50.39 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 18682).
The Raven vein strikes 020 degrees and dips 48 degrees east with an average true width of 0.69 metre. Structure is complex with three faults truncating and displacing the vein. Drill data indicates a strike length of 35 metre. Average gold grade is 6.99 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 18682).
The Chickadee vein strikes 360 degrees and dips 50 degrees east with an average true width of 0.3 metre. Trenching has indicated a strike length of 20 metres. Gold grades up to 13.84 grams per tonne have been obtained from channel samples (Assessment Report 18682). The Flicker vein strikes 015 degrees and dips 72 degrees east with an average true width of 0.95 metre. Two low angle faults offset the vein. Drill data indicates a 115 metre strike length. Average gold grade is 6.06 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18682).
The presence of the two low angle faults suggests that the Woodpecker vein occurs in the hangingwall of the Flicker vein. Drill data indicates a strike length of 45 metres. A drill intersection across 1.67(?) metres assayed 9.25 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18682).
Between 1969 and 1979 (Assessment Reports 4665 and 8500), the area of the property was prospected for molybdenum. In 1973, Amoco Canada Petroleum Ltd. carried out geological mapping, soil sampling, induced polarization/magnetic surveys and drilled two core holes totalling 299 metres (reported in Assessment Report 23722). In 1984, following regional heavy mineral silt surveys, MineQuest Exploration Associates Ltd., on behalf of the GoldQuest I Limited Partnership, discovered high grade gold-quartz float in four areas on the property. Following the discovery of the gold-quartz float, and financed by option agreements with Inter-Pacific Resources and the Hughes-Lang Group, MineQuest conducted detailed geological mapping, extensive soil sampling and both ground and airborne magnetic/VLF-EM surveys, as well as diamond drilling and trenching in 1985 and 1986 on the property. Inter-Pacific Resources acquired the property in 1985 and completed 7.1 kilometres of magnetic surveying, soil geochemistry (257 samples), lithogeochemistry (88 samples), trenching and 1129.9 metres of diamond drilling. Hole #6 intersected 0.92 metre grading 35.7 grams per tonne gold. The Hughes-Lang Group optioned a 50 per cent interest in the property in 1986 and completed 22 diamond-drill holes and 27 trenches on the property on 5 veins. Drilling and trenching has identified six closely spaced, narrow, en echelon auriferous quartz veins trending north to northeast. During June to September, 1994, Cleveland Capital Corporation carried out a pilot plant mining program in the Discovery area and removed approximately 9000 tonnes (10,000 tons) of bulk sample material for processing at the Trail smelter.
In 1998, 1,103 metres of drilling was carried by Orko Gold Corp. in 21 holes Twenty-one (21) holes were drilled ranging in length from 15.2 to 97.5 metres.
The ground was restaked and sold to Uganda Gold Mining Ltd. and optioned to Clan Resources Ltd. which in turn optioned the ground to North American Gem Inc. in 2003 who then staked additional claims. A trenching and diamond drilling program was carried out in 2003 by North American consisting of 652 metres in 15 drill holes along with trenching and stripping. North American followed up in 2004 by collecting 59 stream silt samples in and around the property.
North American reports that the Crow vein system has now been trenched for over 90 metres in a southerly extension of the existing mining pit. The vein continues to be open to the south. Widths encountered average 0.83 metre near the existing pit and widen to average over 1.7 metres in width over the southern 26 metres of the exposed vein system. The newly discovered Eagle vein system has now been trenched for over 100 metres, with over 75 metres averaging 1.42 metres in width having been exposed. The Flicker vein system has now been exposed over an additional 30 metres. The Raven vein system has been trenched for over 65 metres, which, with old workings, now exposes the vein for approximately 100 metres, and is open to the north and south.
In 2009, Encore Renaissance Resources Corp acquired the property and in May 2012 changed their name to WestKam Gold Corp.
In 2009 a total of 161 metres of underground development was completed to evaluate the vein system at depth. An initial bulk sample of 330 tonnes assayed 16.3 grams per tonne Au (Encore Renaissance News Release March 9, 2012).
In 2013 and 2014, WestKam Gold Corp. completed magnetometer and induced polarization surveys on the area. In 2015, WestKam completed seven diamond drill holes, totalling 583.22 metres. A drill hole (15-05) located approximately 500 metres east of the Grey-Jay vein system on a coincident resistivity and copper-gold soil anomaly encountered a new quartz vein in granodiorite similar to those encountered in the Discovery zone. Intercepts included 7.88 grams per tonne gold, 38.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.33 per cent copper over 1.0 metre (Kemp, R. (2019-04-12): National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Bonaparte Gold Project).
In 2016, WestKam was permitted to extract a 10,000 tonne underground bulk sample of ore. The permitted design of the bulk sample program includes the extension of the existing decline from 124.3 metres to approximately 355 metres through to the Grey Jay-Crow-Owl vein systems. By November 2017, a total of 115.5 metres of decline advance was completed to a final depth from the portal entrance of 239.8 metres. Both the Raven and Chickadee-Eagle veins were crossed by the advancing decline. Panel sampling on the Chickadee-Eagle vein yielded up to 4.04 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 by 0.3 metre and a chip sample assayed 9.91 grams per tonne gold over 0.3 metre, while a panel sample from the Raven vein yielded 3.90 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 by 0.5 metre (Kemp, R. (2019-04-12): National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Bonaparte Gold Project).
In 2018, WestKam completed eight diamond drill holes, totalling 591.1 metres. Drill hole 2018-07 yielded 11.9 grams per tonne gold over 1.1 metre (Kemp, R. (2019-04-12): National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Bonaparte Gold Project).
