The JW (Jean) area is underlain by a mainly granodiorite-quartz diorite stock (the Jean Marie stock) which has intruded rocks of the Middle Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group. Mineralized zones occur along the contact of the stock with dark grey aphanitic andesites and pyroxene porphyries, probably of the Upper Triassic Witch Lake Formation (Takla Group). A sample of the granodiorite yielded two potassium/argon dates: 1) 136 +/- 4 Ma (biotite) and; 2) 131 +/- 4 Ma (hornblende) (Bulletin 70, page 63). These Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks are cut by numerous dikes ranging in composition from plagioclase syenite porphyry through aplitic syenite to red granite.
Copper and molybdenum are reported to occur in three zones on the JW and Jean claims. The three zones are reported to grade from 0.3 to 0.4 per cent copper equivalent (Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Volume 15, Table 1, Deposit No. 98). The zones are 150 by 500 metres to 260 by 800 metres in area.
Chalcopyrite and molybdenite with hematite occur along potash feldspathized fractures in granodiorite and quartz diorite. Chalcopyrite is reported to occur as replacements of hornblende in syenite dikes, and also along with pyrite in quartz veins and fractures cutting granodiorite and syenites. Malachite is common within fault zones along which granite and syenite dikes have cut the main intrusion and the volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks exhibit blocky fracturing generally more pervasive than the fracture density in the crosscutting intrusive rocks, and chalcopyrite is locally significant along hairline fractures and smeared along small faults in the andesites within the altered contact zone. Bornite also occurs on the property.
The property was first staked in 1969 by the NBC syndicate. During the next several years numerous geochemical and geophysical surveys were conducted and over 4000 metres of diamond and percussion drilling were completed.
Work done in 1995 by International Focus Resources Inc., with support from the Explore B.C. Program, included 27 kilometres of grid lines, 29.4 kilometres of IP survey and 838.4 metres of diamond drilling in 5 holes. The IP survey defined a 4 by 2 kilometre anomaly that warrants drill testing, while the diamond drilling significantly upgraded copper values from earlier percussion drilling. The best hole was 95-2 with 28.2 metres grading 0.61 per cent copper and 35.7 metres grading 0.562 per cent copper in the previously drilled B zone (Explore B.C. Program 95/96 - M26).
Continental Energy Corporation (formerly Continental Copper Corp.) drilled a 186-metre interval graded 0.38 per cent copper and 0.009 per cent molybdenum (Exploration in BC 1997, page 29) in 1997. The company reports a "probable resource" of 27,000,000 tonnes of 0.3 per cent copper and 0.015 per cent molybdenum in the A and B zones and a further 27,000,000 tonnes of 0.11 per cent copper and 0.017 per cent molybdenum in the C zone (resource calculation likely from 1970's drilling) (GCNL #230(Dec.1), 1997).
Work History
The earliest staking on record in the current Jean property-area was carried out on behalf of NBC Syndicate in 1969. The syndicate consisted initially of the Vancouver-based consulting firm Bacon & Crowhurst Ltd, Cominco, Conwest, Duval and Granby. Subsequently, Chevron acquired half of Duval's interest and Noranda purchased Granby's.
The showings were staked in 1969 as the J.W. and Jean groups for the NBC Syndicate, which was comprised of N.E. Bacon, Cominco Ltd., Duval Corporation, The Granby Mining Company Limited, and Standard Oil Company of British Columbia Limited. During 1970 work on the Jean group included an induced potential survey over approximately 14.5 kilometres, a geochemical soil survey of approximately 750 samples, and 281 metes of diamond drilling in 3 holes on Jean 30, 32 and 34. On the JW group the 1970 exploration work included an induced potential survey over approximately 6.44 kilometres, a geochemical soil survey of approximately 1000 samples, and 142 metres of diamond drilling in 2 holes on JW 105. The 1969 and 1970 work yielded several interesting soil anomalies, chief among which was the 3.3 kilometre long by 0.8 kilometre wide copper soil anomaly. During 1971 a further 922 metres of diamond drilling in 10 holes was done on JW 75, 102, 103, 105 to110, 112. Induced potential and resistivity surveys were carried out over 19.3 kilometres in 1972. The property was expanded to approximately 300 claims in the Jean, JW, and FEB groups. Cominco Ltd, during 1973 and 1974, carried out a magnetometer survey over 49.9 kilometres, a frequency-domain induced potential survey over 24.8 kilometres, trenching, and 3198.7 metres of percussion drilling in 40 holes on the JW group.
Drilling resumed in 1974 by percussion machine. This drilling discovered the three known deposits. The Syndicate carried out modest programs of drilling, IP, mapping, soil sampling and an airborne survey until 1983 (Assessment Reports 6332, 6948, 7530, 9320 and 11572).
In 1989 and 1990 Noranda carried out systematic soil sampling of their Marie claims which were located in the general area of current Jean property claims (Assessment Reports 18393, 20333). One of Noranda's targets was the aeromagnetic anomaly situated 1.5 kilometres south of the later enzyme leach anomaly known as Area 1 (Assessment Report 9320). The common central low known as enzyme leach anomaly Area 3 is centered on the aeromagnetic anomaly.
Imperial Metals Corporation relocated some of the former NBC Syndicate ground in 1989 and conducted an airborne geophysical survey the following year (Assessment Report 20333).
R.U. Bruaset and D.L. Cooke partly acquired the key ground of the original NBC Syndicate Jean property in a 1991 staking rush. Following consolidation of all local claim ownerships under Bruaset and Cooke in the early 1990s, the Jean property was extended in the southwest direction well beyond the former syndicate ground. The property extension was prompted by a conifer outer bark reconnaissance survey carried out in 1993. In 1994, detailed bark sampling indicated a broad area of anomalous copper southwest of the syndicate's soil coverage and partly coincident with it (Assessment Report 24001). Work done in 1995 by operator International Focus Resources Inc., yielded new IP data from the 1994 (18.6 kilometres) and 1995 (24.9 kilometres) surveys that was later incorporated into a compilation that by then totaled 168 kilometres of surveying.
In 1995 International Focus Resources Inc. completed 838.4 metres of diamond drilling in 5 NQ holes, mainly in the A and B zones. DDH J 95-1 tested in the south edge of "H" anomaly and the hole was anomalous in silver throughout; averaging 1.3 gram per tonnes over 226 metres (Assessment Report 24518) indicating the existence of the mineralizing system at least one kilometre south of Contact fault.
The 1997 program by Continental Energy Corp consisted of 11.7 kilometres of road building and 11 NQ diamond drill holes totaling 2,279.72 metres. Diamond drilling was carried out in the B zone and two holes tested N-Anomaly along the new access road. The intersection of alkaline dikes and scattered anomalous values in gold up to 588 parts per billion within that anomaly were encouraging. The H and N-Anomalies, both elliptical IP highs, occur partly within the halo of the so-called C-Anomaly which had been considered the principal untested target on the property (Assessment Report 25610).
In 2006, owners R.U. Bruaset and D.L. Cook surveyed a 15 square kilometre area of high mineral potential with selective extraction Enzyme Leach. A total of three oxidation-halo anomalies, designated as Areas 1-3, were indicated (Assessment Report 28971).
In 2007, Newstake Resources Ltd collected 17 rock samples over the Jean property. The program encountered encouraging levels of copper-silver and gold in dike and vein occurrences, respectively, over narrow widths, within C-Anomaly. Dike sample No. 99064 contains 7.16 per cent copper, 97.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.075 gram per tonne gold over 0.4 metre and vein sample No. 99067 contains 21.0 grams per tonne gold, 0.26 per cent copper and greater than 10,000 parts per million arsenic over 0.2 metre (Assessment Report 29668).
In 2008, Newstrike Resources Ltd. completed a diamond drill hole program over the property containing the occurrence. Highlighted results included hole 0801 grading 0.5318 per cent copper and 8 grams per tonne silver over 5 metres, and hole 0803 grading 2.70 grams per tonne gold over 0.19 metres (Assessment Report 30535).
In 2020, Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. completed a 700-line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey, collection of 38 rock sampling, and 15 reverse circulation drilling holes on the Jean Marie property. Results from drilling and rock sampling confirmed the presence of copper, silver and gold mineralization associated with a 5-kilometre-long porphyry footprint. In addition, new areas of copper, gold and silver mineralization were identified at the Leap prospect and to the south of the C Zone.
