The Babs property is located on the northeast side of Babine Lake, between Wilkinson and Wright bays, about 76 kilometres east of the community of Smithers. It straddles the border between NTS maps 93L16 and 93K13. The property, which has very little outcrop, was staked to cover a southeast-trending train of well mineralized, subangular biotite feldspar porphyry boulders. The boulders are typical of the Eocene Babine intrusions which are the hostrocks at the Bell (093M 001) and Granisle (093L 146) mines. Over 80 boulders ranging from 10 to 150 centimetres in diameter have been located within an area of 150 metres by 300 metres. Limited diamond drilling was done by Equity Exploration in 1992 and by Noranda in 1993 and 1994.
A large angular block of biotite feldspar porphyry with a chalcopyrite-pyrite stockwork was located by prospector and property owner Ralph Keefe in a new clearcut at the southeast limit of the boulder train. A sample from this block assayed 10,491 parts per million copper and 411 parts per billion gold (Property File - Property description by MacIntyre, 1995). Many of the boulders are strongly magnetic, have intense stockwork veining or crackle breccia textures and appear to contain secondary biotite. The boulders are very similar to ore grade material from the Granisle mine which is 14 kilometres to the northwest and up ice from the Babs boulder train. This prompted earlier workers to believe the boulders were transported by ice from Granisle. However, subsequent drilling has shown that low grade copper mineralization occurs in sericite-clay altered quartz phyric tuffs that underlie the boulder train and this suggests the boulders may be locally derived. Although the source of the boulders has not yet been located, a small northeast-trending dikelet of dark grey biotite feldspar porphyry was found cutting pink, pyritic, Early Jurassic Topley intrusions monzonite in a small drainage ditch near the junction of the Nose Bay and Pats haulage roads.
The Babs boulder train occurs within a northwest-trending belt of altered quartz phyric pyroclastic rocks that are completely surrounded by pink, fine to medium grained Topley intrusive rock. Although the contact with the Topley intrusions is not exposed, it is most likely a fault. The felsic pyroclastics are probably Eocene in age and part of the Babine igneous suite based on lithologic similarity to quartz phyric rocks on the Newman Peninsula.
A massive area of granodioritic rock occurs in the Babs vicinity and has been assigned to the Middle Jurassic, Spike Peak Intrusive Suite (MapPlace). These rocks are reported to be visually similar to the Topley Suite, which also is mapped regionally in the Babs vicinity. Jurassic aged volcanics are shown as regionally underlying the Babs area.
The only outcrop near the Babs boulder train is in a stripped area that parallels the main access road. Here, over 100 metres of pervasive, sericite-clay altered quartz phyric tuffs containing minor disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite and malachite are exposed. Similar rocks occur as large angular blocks or subcrop within the area of the boulder train. Similar rocks were also intersected in drilling done by Equity in 1992 and Noranda in 1994. The best intersection was Noranda hole NB94-10 which was drilled just north of the stripped area and intersected 0.19 per cent copper over 77.3 metres (MacIntyre, 1995).
Work History
In 1991, prospector Ralph Keefe discovered over 150 sub-angular mineralized Eocene biotite-feldspar-porphyry boulders and cobbles over a 150 by 300 metre area approximately 2.5 kilometres down ice from the property. The boulders ranged in size from 10 centimetres to 1.5 meters and have assayed up to 1.05 per cent copper and 1.3 grams per tonne gold and contained 1 to 4 per cent magnetite (Assessment Report 33911).
In 1992, the Keefe/Hidber Babs claims (MINFILE 093L 325) were optioned to Equity Silver Mines. The company conducted float prospecting, overburden trenching, soil surveys, geophysical surveys (VLF-EM, magnetometer and IP) and diamond drilled 322 metres in 7 NQ holes. Drilling focused on magnetic high and IP chargeability targets. Drill holes 92- 05 to 07 were drilled only a few metres into bedrock and no samples were taken.
The option with Equity lapsed and the property was subsequently optioned to Noranda Exploration in 1993. Noranda completed prospecting, float sampling, soil sampling and diamond drilling of two holes totaling 200.6 metres The best results from NB 93-08 were 0.21 per cent copper over 10.4 metres from a depth of 9 metres in phyllic altered quartz-eye and lapilli tuff of the Jurassic Hazelton volcanics (Assessment Report 23261). In 1994, Noranda completed geological mapping, rock sampling, geochemical and geophysical (magnetometer and IP) surveys. The company re-logged and sampled Equity Silver’s DDH92-06 which yielded 0.34 per cent copper over the 3 metre of bedrock drilled. Soil surveys identified and 800 by 900 metres copper-in-soils anomaly with the boulder field along the northwest margin. IP chargeability surveys identified an arcuate chargeability high underling the majority of the boulder field and extending to the east and south which was believed to be indicative of a portion of a pyrite halo. The company also found that the best copper mineralization in float was associated with magnetite and as disseminations and veinlets rather than with pyrite. In late 1994, Noranda drilled two diamond drill holes totaling 196.8 metres targeting chargeability high, magnetic high and magnetic low targets. Best results from NB -10 returned 77.3 metres grading 0.19 per cent copper including 0.32 per cent copper over 11.7 metres from tuffs containing up to 7 per cent pyrite (reported in Assessment Report 33911). Following the 1994 season, Noranda returned the property to Keefe and Hidber.
Northern Dynasty optioned the property in 1995 and 1996. The company completed prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling, geochemical and geophysical (magnetic and IP) surveys and drilled eight holes totaling 1143.3 metres. The limit of the mineralized boulder field was extended to 500 by 150 metres with the discovery of a number of large boulder containing trace magnetite and 3 to 4 per cent chalcopyrite. Northern Dynasty’s exploration program extended up ice a considerable distance over the area later (by 2012) covered by the Babs 1-3 claims owned by Ken Galambos. B-horizon geochemical surveys outlined copper-in-soils over a 800 by 1300 metres area surrounding the boulder field with values up to 467 parts per million copper (Assessment Report 24560). The Central anomaly covers a northeast trending 300 by 1100 metre area with values up to 914 parts per million copper (reported in Assessment Report 24560). The Northwest anomaly is a two line north-northeast trending zone with values up to 244 parts per million copper (reported in Assessment Report 24560). The best results from the exploration program were 0.3175 per cent copper over 13.7 metres from DDH 95-13 (reported in Assessment Report 24560).
The property lay dormant until 2008 when Kenrich Eskay optioned the property and completed till pitting, soil sampling, rock sampling and drilled seven diamond drill holes, totaling 1048.7 metres, all within the Main anomaly area surrounding the boulder field. Best results from the program were 0.2 per cent copper over 85.6 metres from DDH08-6 in the same area as drill hole NB93-08. As part of their program the company completed MMI geochemical and magnetic geophysical surveys consisting of 1041 soil samples and 57.5 kilometres of ground magnetometer lines. The MMI survey outlined numerous anomalies. One target measured 300 to 500 metres by 800 metres over the boulder field. A second area of interest was identified approximately 2500 metres up ice from the boulder field. The Kenrich, ground magnetic survey has outlined numerous north-south and east-west trending narrow magnetic high targets in the vicinity of the boulder field. The survey also shows a number of east-west trending linear magnetic high anomalies in the area up ice, by this time covered by the Babs 1-3 claims.
In 2012, prospecting on the Babs 1-3 claims by owner Ken Galambos consisted of a number of day-trips into the area to prospect and sample available bedrock. Of interest are samples 45224 and 042456 which reported 5 grams per tonne gold and 2 grams per tonne gold respectively (New MINFILE documentation) (Assessment Report 33911). One extended trip was made to the claim group to conduct a test humus geochemical survey to see if humus sampling would confirm earlier MMI anomalies in the area. Two 1 kilometre long lines were completed across the northeast trending magnetic anomaly, one across the area identified by MMI sampling and the second across the possible source of Northern Dynasty’s B-horizon “Central Anomaly”. Results from the humus geochemical sampling confirmed the presence of anomalous copper, molybdenum and other indicator elements.
In 2017, Kenneth Galambos completed a program of rock and soil sampling on the Babs property. A float sample (1043631) of angular biotite feldspar porphyry with disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite, located approximately 1.5 kilometres northwest of the Babs occurrence, yielded 0.544 per cent copper and 1.08 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 37003).
