The Fab occurrence is located about 5 kilometres south of Troitsa Lake approximately 105 kilometres south-southwest of the community of Houston.
Galena and sphalerite occur in argillic altered thin-bedded tuffs of the Cretaceous Kasalka Group. The mineralization is mainly fracture controlled but there is also some disseminated galena, sphalerite, and pyrite. Massive galena, sphalerite, and pyrite occur in quartz and calcite veinlets up to 1.3 centimetres wide. The Kasalka Group rocks have been preserved within a graben.
In 1987, a one metre wide, rusty shear zone was exposed in Trench 8 and exhibits pyrite and sphalerite and galena mineralization surrounded by clay-altered and pyritized Kasalka Group volcaniclastics. In 1987, drillholes WB-87 1 and 2 investigated this shear zone exposed in the creek at Trench 8. One interval assayed 13.4 grams per tonne silver, 0.2 gram per tonne gold, 0.49 per cent lead and 0.87 per cent zinc over 0.91 metre (Assessment Report 17228).
The original claims (Fab claims) on the Coles Creek Property were simultaneously staked in 1966 by Kennco Exploration Limited and Amax Exploration Inc. to cover a prominent gossan exposed along the western tributary of Coles Creek. Kennco Explorations (Western), Limited, held the Troitsa of 18 claims in 1967 and carried out geological, magnetometer, and induced polarization (IP) surveys, and 61 metres of diamond drilling in two holes, probably in 1967 and dropped their claims in 1969.
Amax tested the property in the period 1968-72 inclusive with seven diamond-drill holes totalling 853 metres, geological mapping, soil, silt and water geochemical surveys, induced polarization-resistivity, and ground magnetometer surveys and trenching. The best intersection reported was in hole A4 which tested the breccia zone located along the southeast contact of the quartz diorite intrusion (possibly Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite) with Kasalka Group volcaniclastics. It yielded 1.02 per cent copper and 5 grams per tonne silver across 3 metres. Holes A1-A3 are in a granodiorite porphyry stock with chalcopyrite. No results are available on the balance of Amax drilling; this core is stored at an old Amax camp. Amax drillholes (1972) are shown on Plates 8, 9, 10 of Assessment Report 17228 and Figure 4 of Assessment Report 28324.
At the end of 1986 and the beginning of 1987, a total of 155 kilometres of airborne magnetometer and VLF survey was carried out by Westbank Resources Inc. The survey failed to locate any additional magnetic intrusion on the property.
In 1988, Westbank Resources Inc. conducted geological, geochemical, ground VLF and IP surveys (Assessment Reports 15980, 17228). The geochemical survey seems to have delineated a linear northeast-trending anomaly at least 1100 metres in strike length along the northern edge of the western tributary of Coles Creek. The soils were anomalous in copper and molybdenum. No drilling was reported of this anomaly. Eight trenches were blasted in areas of intense alteration or visible mineralization. A drill program, totalling 886 metres in seven holes, was also completed in 1988 by Westbank Resources Inc. The drilling was confined to three areas in the southeast corner of the property in the Kasalka Group volcaniclastic and flat-lying sediments. Considerable pyrite mineralization was intersected, a cause of IP anomaly, but no economical values were reported. The core was stored at an old Westbank camp (Cole-20 was drilled from this site).
In 2005, a detailed prospecting and rock sampling program was carried out by Callinex Mines Inc. on the Coles Creek Property (Assessment Report 28324). The assay results of the surface rock sampling delineated two significant zones of anomalous mineralization. First, a porphyry-type of mineralization anomalous in copper, silver, and molybdenum was outlined along the creek, 75 metres southeast of the Amax camp. This mineralization zone is related to a rusty “alteration zone” surrounding the semi-circular porphyritic granodiorite. This was the main exploration target on the property. Second, possible stratiform base metal potential with high silver and lead values is associated with an highly “charged” area called “hornfelsed” zone where quartz diorite intruded and altered the surrounding Hazelton Group of volcaniclastic rocks. The third area of interest that was sampled in the 2005 program was the southeast area called Kasalka Basin. Pyrite mineralization was observed, but samples returned low copper, gold and molybdenum values.
In 2006, Callinan Mines Ltd. conducted an exploration program on the Coles Creek Property. It consisted of the following activities: (i) camp construction; core storage, (ii) line cutting and chaining totalling 78.5 kilometres, (iii) geochemical survey totalling 13.2 kilometres where soil samples collected totalled 395 samples along with 15 silt samples (iv) geophysical survey along 20.7 kilometres consisting of IP and ground magnetometer, (v) trenching was excavated and an 82 kilogram-sample was extracted which assayed 0.482 per cent copper, 0.036 per cent molybdenum, 2 grams per tonne silver and 0.6 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 29286). In 2007, Cole-09 was drilled to test this trench, and (vi) surface drilling where eight holes were drilled for a total of 4547.34 metres.
In 2007, Callinan Mines Ltd. conducted an exploration program on the Coles Creek Property. It consisted of the following activities: (i) camp construction and core storage, (ii) line cutting consisting of 15.8 kilometres (iii) 71 kilometres of geochemical survey consisting of the collection 1500 soil samples, (iv) 83.5 kilometres of IP survey and ground magnetics survey and (v) surface drilling 2644 metres in eight holes.
In 2008, Callinan Mines Ltd. conducted an exploration program on the Coles Creek Property consisting of line cutting totalling 74 kilometres re-cut and a total of 72.7 kilometres of new lines; geochemical survey including 147 kilometres of grid lines where soil sampling totalled 2917 samples and 69 kilometres of reconnaissance soil sampling totalling 694 samples; geophysical survey totalling 102 kilometres of IP survey and ground magnetics; and surface drilling consisting of 11 holes totalling 3267.61 metres.
In 2009, Callinan Mines Ltd. conducted an exploration program at Coles Creek consisting of camp construction, line cutting, quad trail reclamation, prospecting, geochemical surveys including 74 kilometres of soil sampling resulting in 307 grid soil, 75 reconnaissance soils and 714 Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) samples; and 11.75 kilometres of 3DIP survey and ground magnetometer surveying.
In 2010, Callinan Mines Ltd. conducted an exploration program at Coles Creek consisting 7069.18 metres of diamond drilling in 20 holes, the construction of a seasonal 40-man exploration camp, surveying 71.9 kilometres of grid lines using 3D IP and ground magnetometer, 10 kilometres of grid lines surveyed using TDEM system, and limited soil sampling and prospecting. Most of the surveys and drilling were completed in the area between Fab (093E 041) and Fab 49 (093E 042). Chip samples (147525 and 147526) yielded 0.714 and 0.201 per cent copper, greater than 1.0 per cent zinc each and greater than 100 grams per tonne silver each over 1.0 metre, respectively (Deveaux, P.J. (2011-05-06): Coles Creek Exploration Update, 2010).
In 2010, Callinan also optioned the Troitsa property to the immediate west containing Troitsa (Lake) (093E 003), Troitsa (Main) (093E 005), Troitsa (Cirque) (093E 009) and Troitsa East (093E 129).
The 2011 exploration program consisted of line cutting, geochemical surveys (soil and MMI), geophysical surveys (3D IP and magnetometer), prospecting, and diamond drilling. The program started in July 2011 and was completed in October 2011 and shifted over Coles Creek to the east of previous year’s work. The 2011 MMI and soil survey consisted of a grid with 24 lines spaced on average 150 metres apart and the samples within each line were spaced 50 metres. The lines were on average 3500 metres long; 1114 MMI samples and 2192 soil samples were collected and sent for assay. The results show two overlapping anomalies. A total of 11 holes were drilled in the 2011 season totalling 4395.26 metres to follow up holes and anomalies in the area of the previous drilling (the Fab showings areas).
Callinex performed a magnetic and ZTEM helicopter-borne geophysical survey over Coles Creek in August 2012. The geophysical survey consisted of 1011 line-kilometres. Callinex completed two diamond-drill holes totalling nearly 629 metres. Drillhole Cole-57 was 230 metres deep and identified a fragmental volcanic rock of intermediate composition with a chloritic alteration. The full length of the drillhole was assayed and no economic intercepts were identified. Drillhole Cole-58 was 398 metres deep and intersected black to grey argillite rock intruded by felsic to intermediate feldspar phyric magma. The full length of the drillhole was assayed and no economic intercepts were identified.
Much of the work done by Callinex from 2005 to 2012 covered areas over or near the locations of all the following Fab showings: Fab (093E 041), Fab 49 (093E 042), Fab 44 (093E 043), Fab 45 (093E 044), and Samuel (093E 104). The Callinex assessment reports provide maps of work done and raw data but do not discuss localized mineralization at any length or any of the discrete zones or showings defined prior to their work. The 2102 ZTEM airborne survey covered all the showings of the original Fab group and those of the Troitsa prperty as well, which include: Troitsa (Lake) (093E 003), Troitsa (Main) (093E 005), Troitsa (Cirque) (093E 009), and Troitsa East (093E 129).
