The Old Tom area is underlain by Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group volcanics of the Telkwa Formatin comprised of variegated red, maroon, green to grey andesitic to rhyolitic flows, tuffs and breccia. The volcanics have undergone extensive faulting and shearing. They are intruded by Upper Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite comprised of granodiorite with associated light colored felsite dikes.
Sulphide mineralization conforms to bands of shallowly dipping volcanics which host pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and magnetite with lesser sphalerite and tetrahedrite. Gangue minerals consist of quartz, epidote, calcite, chlorite with micas and altered wall rock.
In 1978, Drill Hole #1, on the Old Tom claim, cut grey to black flat lying andesite and intersected a 1.0 metre wide altered band which assayed 0.41 per cent copper, 8.9 grams per tonne silver with low gold, zinc and cadmium. At 17.7 metres another 1.9 metre wide intersection assayed 0.16 per cent copper, 3.0 grams per tonne silver with low gold and zinc (Assessment Report 7070).
A second drill hole in grey to black, flat lying argillite intersected a 3.0 metre sulphide band which assayed 0.68 per cent copper, 18.2 grams per tonne silver and 0.96 gram per tonne gold. Another intersection at 90.5 metres assayed 0.05 to 0.37 per cent copper with low gold and silver (Assessment Report 7070).
In 2008, sampling of the Old Tom area yielded 0.29 per cent copper, 0.15 gram per tonne gold, 13.3 grams per tonne silver and 2.58 per cent zinc from a grab sample (14461) across a 2-metre bed, 1.27 per cent copper 1.08 grams per tonne gold, 50.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.066 per cent molybdenum from a grab sample (14463) on a 3 to 4 metre wide bed located 250 metres along strike to the south east, while above this band another 2 metre wide bed yielded 0.361 per cent copper 0.65 gram per tonne gold, 16.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.69 per cent molybdenum in sample 14464 (Assessment Report 31515; Pautler, J. (2009-07-15): Technical Report on the El Toro Project). A further 200 metres along strike to the south east a sample (14529) assayed 0.807 per cent copper, 0.225 gram per tonne gold and 6.8 grams per tonne silver over 1.2 metres, while a stratigraphically higher bed, located another 350 metres south east along strike, yielded 0.981 per cent copper, 0.140 gram per tonne gold, 5.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.073 per cent molybdenum over 1.0 metre in sample 14533 (Assessment Report 31515; Pautler, J. (2009-07-15): Technical Report on the El Toro Project).
In 2009 it was stated that the Old Tom-Hankin-Lava-Loring showings (093L 034,035,036 and 037) formed a continuous zone that can be traced for at least 5 kilometres along the cliffs along Loring Creek. The cliffs are riddled with gopher holes (small adits) with prominent malachite stained bedded tuffs visible from the air. At least one of the showings at Crater Lake (093L 039) also shows a stratiform character, suggesting that stratiform type mineralization continues for 5 kilometres along strike and 2 km down dip.
WORK HISTORY
The first work recorded on the mineral showings along Loring Creek was by prospectors Tom Forrest, the Hankin brothers and E. Louis Loring. Work was recorded annually until 1907 and again in 1915. The area remained inactive until 1968 when Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited conducted a program of geological mapping over the Loring Creek property on their Lava 1-135 claims, including a geochemical soil and magnetometer surveys on a grid along Loring Creek (Assessment Report 1810, 1875, 1880). Also completed by Falconbridge was 257.8 metres of diamond drilling in 6 holes. By 1970 the property had been reduced to 48 claims.
In 1973 Maharaja Minerals Ltd. carried out geological surveys on claims that include the area later covered by the Loring 3 claim. Since that time numerous programs have been conducted on claims in the immediate vicinity. Two drill holes were completed in 1978 on the Old Tom (093L 034) by Mecca Minerals Ltd. (Assessment Report 7070).
Work was recorded on mineral claims to the southwest of Loring 2 by Skeena Resources Limited and Leeward Capital Corporation in 1991 (Assessment Report 21765). This work consisted of prospecting and silt sampling in the upper drainage of Loring Creek, and yielded 2080 parts per billion gold from a silt sample and several rocks assayed around 0.2 gram per tonne and 1 to 2 per cent copper. The Loring 1 and 2 mineral claims were staked after prospecting along the lower reaches of Webster Creek.
The Loring 1 and 2 claims were staked in 1995 and a program was conducted by Hera Resources which resulted in the collection of 55 rock, chip and silt samples (Assessment Reports 24760). In 1996, Hera followed up with a program that resulted in the collection of 128 rock samples that were in the plotted vicinities of the Old Tom (093L 034), Hankin (093L 035), Loring (093L 036), Lava (093L 037).
In 2007, Lions Gate Energy Corp conducted an Aerotem airborne geophysical survey on parts of the El Toro property that included the following showings (Assessment Report 29456): MARMOT (093L 038), CRATER LAKE (093L 039), IDAHO (093L 040), KING (093L 041), HUNTER (093L 042), COLORADO (093L 043), RAINBOW (HUNTER BASIN), (093L 044), FOG (FLY), (093L 045), FOG (093L 046), DENY NORTH (093L 047), DENY SOUTH (093L 049), DENY EAST (093L 050), TRIBUNE (093L 255), SUNSET (093L 304). The airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey was completed over 628.8 kilometres.
The 2007 reconnaissance level exploration program of Lions Gate Energy was composed of a prospecting program during which 40 reconnaissance rock samples were collected from the following claims (Assessment Report 30188): #554998, 555000, 555001, 555003, 567390, 567391, and 567603 respectively in the Sunset, MSJ, Deny and Hunter Basin areas.
The 2008 El Toro program of Lions Gate Energy Inc involved mapping, prospecting, 87 rock and 15 soil geochemical samples, GPS surveying of previous diamond drill hole collars, and underground and surface workings, an evaluation of the property (Assessment Report 30731), followed by a 1495 line kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic geophysical survey (Assessment Report 30982). The survey on the West block covered Princess (093L 061), War Eagle (093L 062), Santa Maria (093L 063), Evening (093L 064), Duchess (093L 066), Countess (093L 067), MSJ (093L 241), Ant 1 (093L 320). The survey of the East block covered: Old Tom (093L 034), Hankin (093L 035), Loring (093L 036), Lava (093L 037), Marmot (093L 038), Crater Lake (093L 039), Idaho (093L 040), King (093L 041), Hunter (093L 042), Colorado (093L 043), Rainbow (093L 044), Fog (Fly) (093L 045), Fog (093L 046), Deny North (093L 047), Deny South (093L 049), Deny East (093L 050), Hannah (093L 080), Tribune (093L 255), Sunset (093L 304). The Lava, Loring, Crater Lake, Marmot and Hope (093L 033) showings were not investigated in 2008. The Old Tom and Hankin showings were visited and described as forming a continuous zone that can be traced for at least 2.2 kilometres along the cliffs on the east side of Loring Creek. Some sampling was completed there.
In 2009, Lions Gate conducted a program that involved mapping, rock (37) and soil (568) geochemical sampling, and additional GPS surveying of previous diamond drill hole collars and old workings, concentrated on Hunter’s Basin, Hankin Basin (Loring Creek), the Loljuh and MSJ stocks, Wolverine showing and Starr Creek, and an MMI soil geochemical survey over the MSJ porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold target (Assessment Report 31515). The program identified additional copper-silver-gold vein mineralization in Hunter’s Basin, additional stratiform mineralization in Loring Creek. In 2009, the Lava (093L 037), Loring (093L 036), Crater Lake (093L 039) and Marmot (093L 038) showings were investigated with sampling completed. The Hope showing was not investigated.
Significant porphyry copper-molybdenum mineralization was found to be associated with the Loljuh stock, and favourable copper, gold, molybdenum plus/minus silver mobile metal ion (MMI) soil geochemical signature, associated with a chargeability high anomaly in a favourable geological setting for the discovery of a porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit, was outlined at the MSJ stock. A previous DDH record was uncovered from the War Eagle pyrite showing indicating results of 24.0 and 9.43 grams per tonne gold, each over 3.05 metres, which had not been followed up (Assessment Report 31515).
In 2011, Lions Gate collected 371 bark biogeochemical samples and conducted 7.3 kilometres of ground magnetics and 2.7 kilometres of VLF surveying (Assessment Report 33275). The work appears to have been done in the War Eagle showing area (093L 062).
In 2012, Lions Gate conducted a 2.7 kilometre ground magnetic geophysical survey on their El Tory property (Assessment Report 34445).
Refer also to King (093L 041) for general information on the El Toro property, a large property that was worked from 2007 to 2015) and contained the Hankin basin (Loring Creek area)as well as other basin areas.
