The Owl occurrence is situated approximately 12 kilometres south of Fraser Lake, 4 kilometres southwest of Counts Lake.
The region in which the Owl showing occurs is within the Intermontane Belt, underlain dominantly by the Late Cretaceous Kasalka Group andesitic rock and by Lower to Middle Jurassic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Hazelton Group. These assemblages are overlain by the Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary Ootsa Lake Formation and Miocene plateau basalt. Intruding the stratigraphy is a belt of granodiorite, diorite and quartz diorite plutons of the Middle Jurassic Endako batholith. Felsic plutons of probable Cretaceous age also intrude the stratigraphy.
The Middle Jurassic intrusion ranges in composition from diorite to alaskite but consists mainly of quartz monzonite and diorite. In the area of the showings, two main intrusive phases have been recognized: the Nithi quartz monzonite and the Casey quartz monzonite to alaskite.
In the area of the historic work of this occurrence, two areas of molybdenite mineralization have been defined in limited surface exposures and with percussion drilling. The largest of these is the Gel zone (093F 020) which lies in the southeast part of the Property east of Skip Creek. It has been defined by a line of eight percussion drill holes. The second area lies in the southwest quadrant west of Skip Creek and, in reference to earlier work, has been called the Owl zone (093F 019). It has been defined by three percussion holes drilled near two areas of surface quartz-molybdenite mineralization. Depth continuation was confirmed in both areas.
The Owl showing consists of minor amounts of molybdenite and chalcopyrite in thin quartz stringers cutting granodiorite and diorite. Slight potassic alteration occurs adjacent to these stringers. Mineralization in road cuts at the Owl Zone consists of a quartz-molybdenite vein system in Casey quartz monzonite which has been hydrothermally altered to white kaolinite, greenish sericite and red secondary K-feldspar. To the north, quartz-molybdenite veins occur in Takla andesite near contacts with Casey quartz monzonite.
WORK HISTORY
The first modern exploration in the vicinity of the Gel and Owl occurrences (Xama property) occurred in the mid-1960s mainly in response to the discovery of the Endako ore body and its development as a large open-pit molybdenum mine, the Endako molybdenum mine 21 kilometres to the northwest.
The Owl and Bee claims (093F 019) were staked by Anaconda American Brass Ltd. in 1967 and 1968, in what is now the eastern portion of what later was held (in 2014) as the Xama property. Soil and stream sediment surveys, including 262 mainly B soil horizon samples collected on 200 by 130 metre centres, detected poorly defined copper and molybdenum anomalies An IP survey was conducted later in the summer with follow-up IP in 1969. Only weakly anomalous chargeability zones were observed.
During the same period, Amax Exploration Incorporated staked the Counts Lake property (GEL claims (093F 020), in the eastern portion of what later was held (in 2014) as the Xama property, to cover anomalous silt and water samples over a magnetic low, with associated minor disseminated copper and molybdenum mineralization in float samples. In 1967, Amax completed 15.4 kilometres of IP surveying over the claim group which detected weak chargeability. A 35 line kilometre soil survey outlined a 750 by 1500 metre area with anomalous molybdenum and copper. 2700 metres of tractor trenching was also carried out.
Mercury Explorations Limited acquired the Count claims in 1968, along the north side of Amax’s Counts Lake property, and conducted 38.4 kilometres of IP surveying. The survey detected a weak, 2100 by 300 metre east-northeast trending chargeability anomaly.
In 1970, Taurus Exploration Corporation carried out a soil geochemical survey over the “I” claim group, in the north-central portion of the property. Samples were taken at 61 metre intervals over 39.5 kilometres of grid. Discontinuous zones of anomalous molybdenum values were noted, particularly in the northwestern part of the grid.
Also in1970, Cyprus Exploration Corporation, Ltd. acquired a very large group of mineral claims to the northeast of XAMA. The scope and results of their work is not well known as there was little to no public disclosure.
In the mid-1070s, due to a downturn in mineral exploration in British Columbia, drill holes that had been recommended on the Property were never drilled.
In 1990 and 1991, Escondido Exploration Corporation acquired the Skip and Ven claims over the historical Anaconda, Amax and Mercury properties and completed a compilation of the prior exploration work. They conducted reconnaissance prospecting, soil sampling, VLF-EM and self-potential (SP) surveys.
In 1996, G. W. Kurz acquired the Hen claim over the Amax exploration target area from 1967 to 1968 and completed 760 metres of Self Potential (SP) surveying. The survey defined a weak anomalous north-northeast trending zone that might indicate weak underlying sulphide mineralization.
In 2005, Kurz acquired the Skip claim over the main Anaconda-Amax target area and, in 2006, completed a reconnaissance geochemical survey of 85 soil and silt samples and 4 rock samples. The survey defined two composite metal anomalies, suggesting a porphyry molybdenum target surrounded by anomalous base metal values. In 2007, an 875 metre percussion drill program of 18 holes tested a portion of this anomaly that was underlain by a chargeability anomaly that had been defined by Amax. The program confirmed that the IP chargeability anomaly is caused by disseminated pyrite mineralization with associated anomalous molybdenum values.
In 2010, G.W. Bysouth became a part owner in the Skip claim with Kurz. They completed a program of geological mapping and sampling was carried out over the central anomaly. The work defined two zones of molybdenite mineralization, with similarities to the nearby Nithi Mountain occurrence. The mapping program provided considerably greater detail regarding the geological setting and the alteration associated with the mineralized system.
In 2012, Bysouth and Kurz completed a program of additional soil and rock geochemical surveying designed to further define and characterize the main Owl and Gel anomalies.
In 2014, Gerald Carlson and John Chapman completed an exploration program including rock sampling. Sampling of the area around the occurrence found anomalous values in soil and rock geochemistry.
In 2017, G.W. Kurz and G.D. Bysouth completed a self-potential geophysical survey on the property containing the occurrence. No significant results were reported.
In 2018, Garry Bysouth and Gary Kurz completed an exploration program including self-potential geophysical survey and a geochemical survey on the property containing the occurrence. The geophysical survey failed find any significantly anomalous zone. The geochemical survey identified a strong anomalous zone of copper, lead, zinc, and silver.
In 2019, G.W. Kurz and G.D. Bysouth completed a geophysical and geochemical survey on the property containing the occurrence. Results showed anomalous zones of copper, silver, cadmium, zinc, molybdenum and lead on the property.
