The DEERHORN prospect is located north of Deerhorn Lake, on the Woodjam North property, approximately 7.5 kilometres south-southeast of the community of Horsefly and 54 kilometres east-northeast of the city of Williams Lake. It was initially drilled in 2003 as an IP anomaly that was delineated by the 2001 and 2007 IP chargeability surveys.
The property is underlain by a succession of Triassic to Jurassic Nicola Group volcanics and sedimentary rocks intruded by the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Takomane Batholith to the south. The volcanic host rock stratigraphy at Deerhorn is defined by laminated to thickly bedded sandstones that are overlain by a sequence of plagioclase-hornblende-pyroxene-phyric andesite units that alternate between brecciated and massive facies. To the west, these units are overlapped by younger Miocene basalts. Several monzonite units intrude the volcanic stratigraphy: plagioclase-phyric monzonite; plagioclase-biotite-phyric monzonite; and plagioclase-hornblende-phyric monzonite. These monzonite intrusions correlate to at least two phases of copper +/- gold mineralization. The highest concentrations of gold-copper mineralization are hosted in the plagioclase-phyric monzonite and surrounding volcanic sandstone host rocks.
Mineral occurrences on the Woodjam property, including Megabuck, Megabuck East, Deerhorn, Takom, Tisdall Lake and the Southeast zone, consist of near-surface copper-gold±molybdenum mineralization similar to that of large tonnage low-grade alkalic porphyry-type deposits typical of the Quesnel Belt. Deposits on the Woodjam North property are silica-saturated alkalic copper-gold porphyries with mineralization dominated by visible chalcopyrite, minor bornite, rare molybdenum and rare native copper.
At the Deerhorn occurrence, sulphide mineralization occurs as very fine-grained disseminated and quartz-vein hosted chalcopyrite with lesser bornite. Rare molybdenite and native copper are also observed, associated with the plagioclase-hornblende-phyric monzonite. Disseminated pyrite is relatively common throughout as disseminations and within veins and is concentrated in an outer propylitic alteration halo to mineralization.
In 2008, two holes, WJ08-92 and WJ08-93, were drilled into the IP anomaly; WJ08-92 yielded 44.9 metres of 0.13 per cent copper and 0.23 gram per tonne gold and 31.5 metres of 0.21 per cent copper and 0.49 gram per tonne gold; WJ08-93 yielded 75.0 metres of 0.21 per cent copper and 0.47 gram per tonne gold.
Follow-up drilling in 2009 hit significant mineralization when drilling in an east to west orientation across the IP chargeability anomaly. Of particular note was hole DH09-03 which yielded 59.03 metres of 0.35 per cent copper and 1.68 grams per tonne gold. Significant drill hole intercepts in 2010 include DH10-09 yielding 86.42 m of 0.39 per cent copper and 0.62 gram per tonne gold; DH10-14 yielding 115.88 m of 0.30 per cent copper and 0.29 gram per tonne gold; and DH10-21 yielding 139.50 m of 0.28 per cent copper and 1.26 grams per tonne gold.
Significant results from the 2012 drilling program include 364.2 metres of 0.14 per cent copper and 0.85 gram per tonne gold, including 305.99 metres of 0.16 per cent copper and 1 gram per tonne gold and 190.46 metres of 0.23 per cent copper and 1.55 grams per tonne gold, and 289.17 metres of 0.24 per cent copper and 1.33 grams per tonne gold, including 255 metres of 0.26 per cent copper and 1.5 grams per tonne gold and 184 metres of 0.32 per cent copper and 1.88 grams per tonne gold (Press Release, Consolidated Woodjam Copper Corporation, January 21, 2013).
A National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource estimate for the Deerhorn zone was released in May 2013. The inferred resource was calculated as 32.8 million tonnes grading 0.49 gram per tonne gold and 0.22 per cent copper with 14.63 tonnes (516.2 thousand ounces) of gold and 71 758.31 tonnes (158.2 million pounds) of copper (Press Release, Consolidated Woodjam Copper Corporation, May 15, 2013).
In 2021, Deerhorn holes DH21-75 to DH21-79 encountered similar geology. From bedrock interface, dark green volcanic sandstone was cored before drilling through a fault zone and into the 110m to 140m thick (core length, not true thickness) mineralized zone. The mineralized zone is typified by volcanic sandstone cut by sheeted monzonite dikes. Alteration is intense silica-kfeldspar-magnetite with quartz-magnetite forming a stockwork and fine magnetite-kfeldspar-chalcopyrite selvages. Chalcopyrite occurs as very fine disseminations with magnetite and as centrelines to 0.5-1centimetre wide grey banded, sheeted or stockwork quartz veins.
In 2023, drill hole DH23-107 intersected 37.5 metres averaging 0.12 per cent copper and 0.78 gram per tonne gold, including 22.5 metres averaging 0.13 per cent copper and 1.07 grams per tonne gold. Drill hole DH23-104 intersected 90.7 metres averaging 0.10 per cent copper and 0.38 gram per tonne gold. Extending the southwest area of the Deerhorn prospect, 2024 drill hole DH24-120 intersected 86 metres grading 0.18 per cent copper and 0.91 gram per tonne gold from a downhole depth of 191 metres (PR REL Vizsla Copper Corp. Dec. 5, 2023; Sept. 3, 2024).
WORK HISTORY
Exploration first began in the area in the 1800s. The first mineral occurrence discovered on the Woodjam property was the Megabuck occurrence, discovered in the late 1960s in a small hand trench on the northern slope of a small knoll. Between 1966 and 1967, Helicon Exploration Limited and Magnum Consolidated Mining Company completed induced polarization and geological surveys in the area. From 1973 to 1977, Exploram Minerals Limited conducted an exploration program consisting of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveys, soil samplings and 1056 metres of drilling in the Megabuck and Takom zones.
In 1983, Placer Development Company optioned the claims in the Megabuck zone and conducted surface geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys and completed 15 diamond drill holes totalling 1266 metres. At the same time, Archer Cathro & Associates Limited staked the Ravioli claims adjacent to those held by Placer Development and conducted soil sampling to the west and south of the Megabuck occurrence. In 1984, Rockridge Mining Corporation optioned the claims from Archer Cathro and completed a soil and rock sampling program. In 1986, Big Rock Gold Limited optioned the claims from Rockridge as well as claims over the Takom zone and southern portion of the Megabuck zone. Big Rock carried out a trench sampling program, completing two trenches in the Megabuck zone and three in the Takom zone. In 1990, Auspex Gold Limited carried out a soil geochemistry program over the Takom zone. The claims were reassembled by Noranda Exploration Limited in 1991 and an exploration program carried out the following year consisted of airborne geophysical surveys, reconnaissance mapping and excavator test-pitting over the Megabuck and Takom zones; however, Noranda terminated the options later that year.
In 1998, Wildrose Resources Limited (now known as Cariboo Rose Resources Limited) began acquiring property in the area. The following year, the property was optioned to Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada Limited, who further expanded the property and conducted reconnaissance mapping and prospecting and completed four diamond drill holes totalling 198 metres before withdrawing from the project for corporate reasons. In 2001, Cariboo Rose granted Fjordland Exploration Incorporated a 60 per cent option on the property, forming the Woodjam Joint Venture. That same year, 23 line kilometres of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveys were carried out over the Megabuck, Deerhorn and Megabuck East zones. Exploration the following year consisted of five diamond drill holes totalling 1009.4 metres drilled to the north, northeast and southwest of the Megabuck zone. In 2003, three diamond drill holes totalling 460.85 metres were drilled to test the Megabuck East mineralization corridor and the periphery of an induced polarization anomaly identified during the 2001 exploration program. In 2004, 11 diamond drill holes were completed in the Megabuck zone, totalling 3967.6 metres. The drilling was designed to test the Megabuck zone to depth and delineated a large, irregular, complex pipe-like intrusive body hosting copper and gold mineralization, trending northeast and dipping approximately 45 degrees to the southeast. In 2005, soil sampling over an area stretching from the Megabuck East zone south to the Southeast zone identified copper anomalies coincident with induced polarization chargeability anomalies over the Megabuck East and Southeast zones. Additional exploration included six diamond drill holes totalling 2017.6 metres and 907.4 metres of reverse circulation drilling over 10 drillholes, one in the western portion of the Megabuck zone, one in the Megabuck East zone and eight in the Takom zone targeting the copper soil anomalies identified by the soil sampling program.
Fjordland Exploration staked additional ground surrounding the existing claims in 2006, effectively doubling the size of the property. Exploration work that year consisted of one diamond drill hole totalling 526.4 metres in the Takom zone, one diamond drill hole abandoned at 136.3 metres in the Megabuck East zone and 21 diamond drill holes totalling 7654.7 metres, intended to test the southern downdip extension of known mineralization in the Megabuck zone. In 2007, Fjordland and Cariboo Rose carried out induced polarization and ground magnetic geophysical surveys, expanding the existing grids to the south and outlining a large induced polarization chargeability anomaly. Drill testing of the anomaly led to the identification of the Southeast zone mineralization on the Woodjam South property. Four drillholes were completed on the Southeast zone, totalling 1157.07 metres, in addition to one drillhole (370.9 metres) on the Megabuck zone and three drillholes (859.9 metres) on the Takom zone. In 2008, work continued with induced polarization and ground magnetic geophysical surveys and a three-phase diamond drill program of 20 drillholes totalling 7574.6 metres. Four drillholes totalling 1176.6 metres were completed in the Takom, Deerhorn and Megabuck East zones on the Woodjam North property.
In 2009, the Woodjam property was divided into the Woodjam North and Woodjam South properties. Gold Fields Horsefly Corp. optioned the Woodjam North property, followed by the Woodjam South property in 2010. The property is now jointly held by Gold Fields and Woodjam Copper Corporation, an amalgamation of the Woodjam interests held by Fjordland Exploration and Cariboo Rose Resources Limited. A two-phase exploration program was carried out in 2009. Phase one consisted of geological mapping, prospecting, 9859 line kilometres of airborne magnetic survey, silt sampling (42 samples). After signing the Joint Venture agreement with Fjordland-Cariboo Rose, Gold Fields Horsefly Exploration drilled 3 holes (993.65 metres) in 2009, 22 drill holes (6,429.75 metres) in 2010, and 11 holes (2,863.54 m) in 2011 at the Deerhorn prospect.
In 2012, 34 diamond drill holes were completed on the Deerhorn occurrence, totalling 9765.21 metres and one hole (236.52 metres) was drilled at Deerhorn-Corner Lake, approximately 3 kilometres north. In total, 21,220 metres of drilling have been completed over 77 drillholes. The Deerhorn zone has been defined to 600 metres in length (Assessment Report 33805).
The objectives of the 2020 infill core drilling exploration program targeted the Deerhorn Zone to better understand controls on the continuity of gold mineralization. Four HQ size core holes (1746 metres) were completed in an area of previous high gold in core intercepts. Three of the four drill holes intersected to projected mineralized zone at Deerhorn with only DH20-73 (redrilled as DH20-74) lost in a fault zone before reaching the zone (Assessment Report 39414).
In 2021, six HQ size core holes (2514.3 metres) were completed in an area of previous high gold in core intercepts at Deerhorn. In 2022, a soil sampling program south of Horsefly road and a 2,999 line-kilometre, high resolution, helicopter-borne magnetic survey was conducted over the main mineralized corridor at Woodjam (Assessment Report 40993). This new magnetic geophysical data highlights numerous untested or poorly-tested targets in the Deerhorn area (PR REL Vizsla Copper Corp. Mar. 21, 2023).
In December 2022, Consolidated Woodjam Copper Corp. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vizsla Copper Corp. (PR REL Vizsla Copper Corp. Dec. 13, 2022).
Vizsla's 2023-2024 exploration programs included the drilling of eight holes at the Deerhorn zone following an airborne electromagnetic (ZTEM) survey over targets on the Woodjam property (PR REL Vizsla Copper Corp. Dec. 5, 2023; Sept. 3, 2024).
