The Natlan occurrence is located 27 kilometres northeast of Hazelton on the northern portion of Natlan Peak mountain range.
The area is underlain by a monzonite to quartz monzonite stock of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite. The stock intrudes Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bowser Lake Group greywackes, siltstones and argillites. The sedimentary rocks have been hornfelsed and pyritized near the margins of the intrusion.
Molybdenite and minor chalcopyrite are developed in the intrusion, particularly near the eastern contact area. Quartz veining is common and K-feldspar alteration is developed in some of the mineralized areas. Of 281 rock chip samples, the highest molybdenum and copper analyses were 0.1650 per cent and 0.07 per cent, respectively (Assessment Report 5465).
Work History
The area was initially explored as part of the porphyry boom in the mid-1960s. The Natlan showing was discovered in 1974 by Canadian Nickel Company Limited and consists of an extensive area of molybdenum mineralization primarily on the eastern margin of the large monzonite intrusion.
In 2011-12, analysis of orthorectified ASTER satellite images revealed accumulations of “probable iron oxide”, “probable hydroxyl”, “probable sericite” and “probable silica” alteration in the contact area of the Bulkley Plutonic Suite intrusion, especially on the northern and northeastern boundaries of the intrusion. In the vicinity of the Natlan showing, these intense alterations are noted to have an area that is up to 3 kilometres in length (Assessment Report 33136).
This Natlan showing area was not visited during the 2012 or 2013 programs of Stratton Resources Inc. and/or Ken Galambos who held the Natlan and Ace (093M 036) showings as part of their Natlan project.
The Natlan showing area covers a high-level porphyry system of significant scale measuring 1800 by 500 metres and remains open in all directions. Soil and rock sampling by Teck Resources Ltd. in 1997 and Paget Resources in 2008 yielded evidence of potential porphyry deposit scale gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and molybdenum mineralization. A gossanous area covers a strike length of approximately 2.5 kilometres. In 2012, a total of 14 rock grab and chip samples were taken from the gossan area, and results range from background to 3.16 grams per tonne gold, 210 grams per tonne silver, 8060 parts per million (ppm) copper, 3320 ppm zinc and 2690 ppm lead. Significant results are tabulated.
Sample ID Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (ppm) Zn (ppm) Pb (ppm)
1043606 3.16 210 8060 3320 2690
1043608 1.21 134 1590 1790 1670
1043613 0.74 177 1270 344 925
Additionally, a total of 89 soil and humus samples were taken across the gossan and across an area west of the gossan. The C-horizon soils averaged 500 ppm copper over 950 metres in the gossanous area, while 2000 metres to the west, humus samples identified anomalous gold values up to 397 parts per billion over an 800-metre strike length (Press Release - Stratton Resources Inc., November 29, 2012).
See Ace (093M 036) for details of the Natlan area work history.
