The Tam prospect, part of the 3Ts property (093F 055, 68) encompasses a north trending, low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver quartz vein system. The gold-silver-copper prospect consists of several quartz vein and stockwork veinlet occurrences found in the vicinity of Tommy Lakes, about 125 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof. The veins occur in welded rhyolitic flows and lesser ash-flow tuff of the Middle Jurassic Hazelton group (Entiako Formation).
The area is underlain by andesites and rhyolites of the Hazelton Group cut by dikes and sills of an Eocene felsite. Sills and dikes of Late Cretaceous microdiorite related to the Capoose batholith intrude the Jurassic rocks. The rhyolite has been carbonate and argillic altered with development of fine quartz veinlets. Two showings, the Mint and Ted veins, have been discovered and are about 500 metres apart.
The Mint (CK) vein zone consists of a series of quartz veins up to 8-10 metres wide, in a zone of abundant quartz stockwork at least 100 metres wide. The veins strike mostly 030 to 040 degrees and are essentially vertical. The quartz is white to grey, fine-grained, occasionally with fine colloform banding and almost chalcedonic; it contains irregularly distributed wispy patches of grey sulphides, mainly galena and sphalerite with minor pyrite. Rock samples from this showing analysed up to 5.3 grams per tonne gold, 483 grams per tonne silver, 1.3 per cent zinc and 0.7 per cent lead (Assessment Report 23746).
The Ted (Mint South-HS) vein zone is located approximately 400 to 500 metres south-southwest of the Mint vein zone and consists of a 50-metre-wide zone of small outcrops and subcrop of altered rhyolite and abundant quartz stockwork including wider veins. One of these is at least 15 metres wide and massive. The quartz is fine-grained, white to grey, and contains occasional disseminated pyrite and galena; it is sometimes brecciated. The veins are subvertical and trend 150 to 170 degrees. Rock samples from this showing analysed up to 1.5 grams per tonne gold, 82 grams per tonne silver, 0.1 per cent zinc and 0.3 per cent lead (Assessment Report 23746).
The Ted Vein is mottled; its colour varies from pale grey to light greyish brown to creamy white to medium grey to greyish blue. The Ted Vein has been brecciated and re-healed; the vein material observed in drill cores appears to have undergone at least three or four such episodes of veining and brecciation.
Ted Vein quartz is locally finely banded on a millimetre scale. The vein usually contains from 10 to 40 per cent variably silicified and assimilated Quartz- and feldspar-phyric rhyolite fragments. The vein generally contains 5 to 10 per cent pale brown to brownish white to pale pink-orange calcite, often as late vein material cementing brecciated vein quartz fragments. Open cavities up to 20 by 8 millimetres across are lined by pale grey, subhedral quartz or calcite crystals; these cavities form up to 2 per cent of the rock volume. Some of the cavities lined by euhedral quartz crystals are infilled by later calcite.
The wallrock RQFP is generally pervasively silicified, brecciated and healed by quartz-calcite veins and veinlets across widths of up to about 10 metres along both sides of the Ted Vein. The Ted Vein usually contains about 0.5 per cent combined sulphide minerals. The most abundant sulphide is pyrite, which occurs mostly as finely disseminated, subhedral grains. Grey, sooty pyrite forms hairline, irregular, stylolitic veinlets crosscutting vein quartz. Variable amounts of chalcopyrite, blonde or grey sphalerite, dark bluish, metallic sulphosalt(?) and galena also occur within the Ted Vein. The chalcopyrite occurs as occasional, irregular, wispy masses that are generally rimmed by sulphosalts. Subhedral sphalerite blebs, usually 2 to 5 millimetres across, are also rimmed by sulphosalt. Sulphosalts within the Ted Vein mostly occur as rims around sulphide mineral grains, or as irregular, branching masses up to 3 or 4 millimetres across. Galena occurs as rare disseminated grains. Bright red, dusty disseminated hematite locally occurs within the Ted Vein. Early vein quartz fragments within the Ted Vein generally contain more abundant sulphosalts and sulphide minerals than do later generations of vein quartz and calcite within the vein structure.
The Ted vein is offset by brittle, post-mineral faults that are marked on surface by prominent topographic lineaments and gullies. These post-mineral faults strike east-northeast.
Later work, in 2012, indicated that the Ted and Mint vein structures are separate parts of the same mineralized vein structure, referred to as the Ted-Mint vein, and have a combined strike length of at least 900 metres. The mineralized vein structure is open at depth, below a crosscutting microdiorite sill.
The Butch vein is located approximately 400 metres west of the central part of the Ted-Mint vein, whereas the Swamp vein/zone is located approximately another 200 metres west of the Butch vein, and the Pluto vein is located slightly north and between the previous two zones. A north-trending fault structure, referred to as the Cooley Fault, is located between the Butch and Ted veins.
Work History
In 1994, Cogema Resources Inc. staked the Tam property (Tam 1-3 claims) and completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling. This program identified the Mint and Ted (Mint South) zones. In 1994, Phelps Dodge Corp. completed a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area immediately east of the Tam claims as the Taken 1 claim.
In 1995, Phelps Dodge Corp. optioned the Tam property and completed programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Tam 1-3 and Taken 1 claims. A subcrop grab sample (45693) from the Mint (CK) vein yielded 6.76 grams per tonne gold and 79.3 grams per tonne silver, whereas two samples (45695 and 51586) from the Ted (HS) vein yielded values of up to 1.02 grams per tonne gold and 96.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 24215).
In 1996, Phelps Dodge Corp. completed a further program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and nine diamond drill holes, totalling 1263.1 metres, on the Tam property. The best results were encountered from the Ted vein, which has been traced along strike for 300 metres and over an average width of 10 metres. The Ted and Mint veins are reported to be truncated at depths of 70 to 110 and 45 metres by diorite sills. Drilling intercepts on the Ted and Mint veins included 8.9 and 1.4 grams per tonne gold over true widths of 6.5 and 3.9 metres in hole 252-9 and 252-2, respectively (Assessment Report 24710). Forty-one 1-metre chip samples from the Ted vein yielded an average of 0.29 gram per tonne gold and 34.6 grams per tonne silver with values of up to 1.48 grams per tonne gold and greater than 100 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 24710). Note that the average silver value is likely higher than reported because a number of samples yielded greater than 100 grams per tonne silver.
In 1998, Paramount Ventures & Finance Inc. completed a program of geological mapping, soil and rock sampling, trenching and a 5.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Taken 1 claim.
The 3Ts Project consists of the Tsacha property (093F 055) the Tam property (093F 068) and the Taken property (093F 068). The Tsacha and adjoining Tam and Taken properties cover a number of outcropping gold-silver quartz vein systems. For the purposes of MINFILE, the Tommy Vein, Larry Vein and Tommy North, which all occur on the Tsacha claim, are assigned to that MINFILE designation. The Ted Vein, Ted East, Corner Zone, Adrian West, Adrian Creek, Mint Vein, Ringer zone and Triple Junction form more of an eastern cluster on the Tam and Taken claim and are assigned to that MINFILE designation.
In 2002, Southern Rio Resources Ltd. completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 360.9 metres, on the Tam property. They were collared at 50-metre intervals along strike from a core hole drilled in 1996 by Phelps Dodge and traced the Ted vein structure for at least 250 metres along strike. The best assays were from sections of the vein that were composed of semi-massive bands of fine-grained sulphides and sulphosalts. Intercepts included 1.29 grams per tonne gold and 237.2 grams per tonne silver over 26.9 metres (14.53 metres true width) in hole TT-02-10, 1.66 and 0.66 gram per tonne gold with 476.2 and 62.4 grams per tonne silver over 7.09 and 8.35 metres (3.86 and 4.51 metres true width) of the Ted vein and the adjacent stockwork zone, respectively, in hole TT-02-11 and 2.47 grams per tonne gold with 56.7 grams per tonne silver over 14.10 metres (7.61 metres true width) in hole TT-02-13 (Assessment Report 27043).
In early 2003, Southern Rio Resources Ltd. completed 14 diamond drill holes, totalling 1541.8 metres, on the Tam property. Drilling focused on the Ted vein system and the Mint zone, 500 metres to the north, on the Tam property. The Ted vein was defined over a strike length of approximately 350 metres, from surface to a depth of 120 metres, with estimated true widths of between 8 and 14 metres. Drilling on the Mint zone intersected wide zones of quartz veining in altered rhyolite hostrocks. Drilling intercepts included 3.78 grams per tonne gold and 137.5 grams per tonne silver over 28.0 metres, including 12.77 grams per tonne gold and 99.6 grams per tonne silver over 5.5 metres, in hole TT-03-16 on the Ted vein, and 5.48 and 4.00 grams per tonne gold with 127.3 and 43.8 grams per tonne silver over 2.0 and 4.9 metres in holes TT-03-25 and -27, respectively, on the Mint vein (Assessment Report 27177).
In November 2004, a program of approximately 4000 metres of diamond drilling started on the 3Ts property. This work, which continued to late February 2005, was the largest single drilling program to date by Southern Rio. The first hole of the program identified the depth extension of the Ted Vein beneath the underlying sill (see hole TT-04-37).
In late 2004, the company drilled hole TT-04-37, representing the first drilling beneath the underlying microdiorite sill at Ted. The hole tested below the sill, approximately 200 metres below the known mineralization, and intersected a 17.4-metre interval of quartz-carbonate veining from 384.0 to 401.4 metres (estimated true width 10.0 metres). An 11-metre interval from 388.3 to 399.3 (estimated true width 6.47 metres) grades 3.74 grams per tonne gold and 59.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 27867).
In 2005, Southern Rio changed their name to Silver Quest Resources. In 2006, the company conducted a drill program and their website reports inferred resources for the Tommy Vein (093F 055) of 668,850 tonnes grading 6.07 grams per tonne gold and 55.2 grams per tonne silver and for the Ted Vein, 273,800 tonnes grading 2.0 grams per tonne gold and 133.0 grams per tonne silver (www.silverquest.ca). Also at this time, three diamond drill holes, totalling 295.8 metres, were completed on the Taken 1 claim.
In 2011, Silver Quest Resources completed an eight hole drill program, totalling 1647 metres. Three holes targeted the Ted Vein, three holes targeted the area between the Ringer target and the Mint Vein, and two holes targeted the Mint Vein. The two holes at the Ted Vein were TT11-46 and TT11-47. Hole TT11-46 is located near the supposed northern limit of the Ted Vein structure and reached a depth of 274 metres. The Ted Vein was intersected from 232.2 to 236.0 metres depth, and assayed 0.37 gram per tonne gold and 32.3 grams per tonne silver over 3.8 metres, which includes a higher grade zone of 1.02 grams per tonne gold and 68.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 32671). Hole TT11-47 reached a depth of 370 metres and intersected the vein from 300.84 to 326.03 metres. The Ted Vein here grades 5.33 grams per tonne gold and 50.6 grams per tonne silver across 24.18 metres. This intercept includes a higher-grade zone of 8.57 grams per tonne gold and 63.4 grams per tonne silver from 303.00 to 311.00 metres depth (Assessment Report 32671).
Drillhole TT11-50 intersected the Mint Vein structure at 265.55 to 279.64 metres depth. The Mint Vein assays 7.69 grams per tonne gold and 84.2 grams per tonne silver across 7.5 metres, from 268.5 metres to 276.0 metres depth. This intercept includes a higher-grade zone of 16.30 grams per tonne gold and 223.0 grams per tonne silver from 269.5 to 270.6 metres depth (Assessment Report 32671).
Independence Gold Corp. acquired the 3Ts property from Silver Quest Resources in December 2011. In 2012, Independence Gold Corp. completed a 17 hole drill program totalling 3949 metres. A mineralized quartz-carbonate vein was found in the area between the Ted and Mint veins. The best intercept in this area averaged 6.08 grams per tonne gold and 62 grams per tonne silver across 10 metres, which included a 2 metre section grading 28.5 grams per tonne gold and 162 grams per tonne silver. This is thought to indicate that the Ted and Mint veins are segments of the same mineralized vein structure (Press Release - Independence Gold Corp., January 29, 2013).
A National Instrument (NI) 43-101 compliant inferred resource estimate has been calculated for the Tommy (093F 055), Ted and Mint veins. Using a 1 gram per tonne gold grade cut-off, the total inferred resource for these three veins is 3,614,072 tonnes grading 3.39 grams per tonne gold and 85.15 grams per tonne silver for 11,180,560 contained grams of gold and 280,513,624 contained grams of silver (Press Release - Independence Gold Corp., January 20, 2012). This estimate does not include the results from the 2012 drill program. The Ted Vein has an inferred resource of 1,813,573 tonnes grading 2.37 grams per tonne gold and 124.43 grams per tonne silver with a cut-off of 1.0 gram per tonne gold (Armitage and Pawliuk, 2012).
In 2012, Independence Gold Corp. collected rock samples across their 3Ts property which included veins at the Tsacha (093F 055) and Tam (093F 068) prospects. In 2013, Independence Gold Corp. drilled two holes that totalled 470.6 metres that were designed to explore the Ted Vein along strike to the south, and downdip of existing vein intercepts. No significant mineralization was intersected in these holes.
In 2013 and 2014, Independence Gold Corp. completed 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 2683.0 metres, on the 3Ts property. Drilling targeted areas between the Goofy and Ted vein structures to test the Butch vein, Swamp zone and Cooley fault structure; the south and north extensions and high-grade zones of the Ted and Mint veins; a north-trending structure east of the Ted vein; the Ledge zone and a magnetic feature northwest of the Ringer zone. No significant mineralized quartz veins were reported to have been intersected by this drill program, with the best results yielding 0.28 gram per tonne gold and 21.0 grams per tonne silver over 1.6 metres of the Ted vein and 0.75 gram per tonne gold over 1.3 metres of the adjacent wallrock in hole TT14-92, which was collared approximately 150 metres south of the Ted vein and tested the vein’s southern extension, and 0.39 gram per tonne gold with 32.7 grams per tonne silver over 2.5 metres in hole TT14-96, which tested the Ted vein above the microdiorite sill (Assessment Report 35479).
Also at this time but prior to drilling, Independence Gold Corp. reported an inferred resource for the 3Ts project, using a 1.0 gram per tonne gold grade cutoff (Tommy [MINFILE 093F 055] and Ted-Mint veins), of 5.452 million tonnes grading 2.52 grams per tonne gold and 71.5 grams per tonne silver, including an inferred resource of 2.942 million tonnes grading 1.64 grams per tonne gold and 94.7 grams per tonne silver for the Ted vein and an inferred resource of 1.020 million tonnes grading 2.51 grams per tonne gold and 48.0 grams per tonne silver for the Mint vein (Assessment Report 35479).
In 2016 and 2017, following the release of the 2015 Geoscience BC spruce-top biogeochemical survey results, Independence Gold Corp. conducted MMI and B-horizon soil geochemical sampling programs that showed gold, arsenic and zinc anomalies up-ice (west) of the known vein system. Soil sampling included an orientation survey and some regional sampling with the aim of developing targets in new areas. Prospecting continued in the area of known veins. This work indicated that the Mint vein has a strike of 144 to 166 degrees and dips 72 to 80 degrees southwest from a roadcut along the main property road and strikes 190 to 205 degrees with a dip of 80 to 85 degrees west from outcrops along a nearby creek to the south of the road, in contrast with earlier reports of the vein striking north (005 degrees) and dipping subvertically (Assessment Report 36591).
In 2019, Independence Gold Corp. completed a program of prospecting, rock sampling, alteration mapping and a 286.4 line-kilometre airborne (drone-based) magnetic survey on the 3Ts property.
Refer to Tsacha (093F 055) for further related information.
