The NORTH HIXON occurrence is located between Hixon and Buckley creeks, approximately 750 metres north of the Quesnelle Quartz (MINFILE 093G 015) past-producing mine, 5.5 kilometres northeast of Hixon, B.C. The Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property includes the historical Quesnelle Quartz Mine, Pioneer mine (093G 013), Cayenne (093G 014) and Halo (093G 090) showings and part of the North Hixon showing.

Regionally, the area is underlain by augite porphyry basaltic greenstone and sedimentary rocks of the Middle to Upper Triassic Nicola Group in the west and mudstone, siltstone, shale and fine clastic rocks of the Proterozoic-Paleozoic Snowshoe Group in the east. Ultramafic rocks of the Slide Mountain terrane locally occur along the Eureka thrust, which marks this terrane boundary. The Nicola Group is intruded by a syenite-diorite/gabbro body, assigned to the Early Jurassic Polaris Ultramafic suite along the western property boundary and the Snowshoe Group is intruded by the Early Cretaceous Naver pluton in the eastern property area. These are locally overlain by conglomerate and coarse clastic rocks of an un-named Oligocene to Pliocene formation.

Locally, numerous narrow quartz veins are hosted in greenstone.

In 1987, trenching yielded values from 0.89 gram per tonne gold over 3 metres to 13.52 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres (Property File - Hixon Gold Resources Inc. [1988-11-18]: Prospectus - Hixon Gold Resources Inc.).

In 2022, drill hole QGQ22-1, intersected andesitic volcaniclastic and interbedded fine clastic rocks of the Inzana Lake succession of the Nicola Group, with lesser andesite. These rocks were intruded by a diorite body within the top 60m of the hole, thought to belong to the Polaris Ultramafic suite. The diorite hornfelses the surrounding rocks, with the development of magnetite, particularly from 138 to 143 metres downhole. A pyritic 0.5 metre wide quartz vein is present at 205 metres downhole and porphyry style alteration is evident within the hole, consisting of chlorite-magnetite stringers, veins and stockwork and potassium feldspar alteration. Drill hole QGQ22-01 targeting the carbonate altered greenstone and listwanite at the North Hixon showing, intersected several mineralized zones, including 0.98 gram per tonne gold over 8.6 metres from 199.6 to 208.2 metres downhole and 0.87 gram per tonne gold over 32.05 metres from 235.25 to 267.3 metres downhole, including 1.3 metres of 3.25 grams per tonne gold from 245 to 246.3 metres downhole and 0.6 metres of 2.65 grams per tonne gold from 266.7 to 267.3 metres downhole (PR REL Golden Cariboo April 25, 2023; May 7, 2024).

In the fall of 2022, trenching and sampling extended the North Hixon zone 100m to the southwest where grab samples of mineralized greenstone-listwanite returned 0.76 gram per tonne gold and 0.52 gram per tonne gold. A grab sample of silicified greenstone ran 1.31 grams per tonne gold and a mineralized quartz vein yielded 1.02 grams per tonne gold (PR REL Golden Cariboo May 18, 2023).

The 2024 North Hixon drill hole QGQ24-08 reflected fault, replacement and vein styles of mineralization returning 0.58 gram per tonne gold over 61.4 metres from 179 to 240.4 metres downhole and 0.68 gram per tonne gold over 41.85 metres from 264.85 to 306.7 metres downhole (PR REL Golden Cariboo June 11, June 18, 2024). Similarly, drill hole QGQ24-09, located 98 metres north of hole 24-08, intersected 89.73 metres (185.12 to 274.85 metres) assaying 0.43 gram per tonne gold, including 9.1 metres (233.55 to 242.65 metres) grading 1.83 grams per tonne gold (PR REL Golden Cariboo June 11, July 16, 2024).

Work History

The area has been explored since the 1880s in conjunction with the nearby Quesnel Quartz (MINFILE 093G 015) past-producing mine. In 1971 Bethlehem Copper staked 84 claims over the Pedley Lake to Buckley Creek area and conducted grid mapping and soil sampling over the entire claim block.

During 1980 through 1984, Taiga Consultants carried out geological, geochemical, geophysical surveys and trenching on behalf of Golden Rule Resources. In 1987 and 1988, Noranda Explorations examined the area and completed programs of diamond drilling and trenching.

During 2004 through 2007, Cayenne Gold Mines Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geochemical sampling and geological mapping on the area.

During 2012 through 2017, A. Justason and T. Hatton completed programs of prospecting, rock sampling and ground SP geophysical surveys on the area. Also, in 2017 and 2018, Standard Drilling and Engineering Ltd. completed an induced polarization survey and a LiDAR and ortho-imagery survey.

In 2019, an examination of part of the North Hixon showing by Golden Cariboo Resources resulted in a new discovery of silicified, pyritic and magnetite bearing float carrying 9.83 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 38841). This discovery prompted the drilling of hole QGQ22-01 on an area of the North Hixon showing in 2022 (Assessment Report 40409). In the fall of 2022, three trenches and 9 test pits were excavated targeting the extension of the North Hixon zone, the favourable greenstone/phyllite contact, and areas of listwanite. A total of 6 chip, 13 channel, and 46 grab samples were collected from the trenches.

Drilling, mapping and sampling on their Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property by Golden Cariboo from 2023 through 2025 focused largely around the new Halo showing approximately 500 metres northwest of North Hixon. Two holes, QGQ24-08 and QGQ24-09 were drilled on the North Hixon showing in 2024.

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Quesnel Quartz (MINFILE 093G 015) occurrence and a complete regional exploration history can be found there.