The Vector prospect occurs south of Tchentlo Lake, about 7 kilometres west of its eastern end, approximately 94 kilometres north of the community of Fort St. James.
This area is underlain by the southeastern end of the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous Hogem Intrusive Complex, which has been mapped, to the east and northeast, as consisting primarily of Early Jurassic monzonite and syenite phases; these intrude rocks of the Middle Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group (Open File 1992-4). Noranda Exploration Limited, however, has mapped the intrusive rock in the Vector area as mainly diorite with lesser areas of granodiorite and gabbro. South of the intrusive contact, the rocks have been identified as augite porphyries and volcanic tuffs, probably of the Upper Triassic Witch Lake Formation (Takla Group).
The intrusive rocks are moderately fractured with the principal shear zones striking northwest. The two dominant fracture orientations are: 1) 150 degrees strike with 65 degrees east dip, and 2) 050 degrees strike with 40 degrees west dip. The main copper mineralization is associated with the northwest striking shear zones with the three main showings (Vector, Mid (093N 139), and Nighthawk (093N 091)) forming a roughly linear feature.
The showings can be traced in outcrop for up to 350 metres along a creek. This zone is strongly to intensely propylitic altered throughout most of its strike length. The altered zones invariably contain 2 to 3 per cent pyrite and 2 to 5 per cent chalcopyrite. Mineralization occurs most commonly as fracture-filling veinlets (1 to 8 millimetres wide) surrounded by an albite-chlorite-magnetite alteration halo with pervasive finely disseminated sulphides. Some sulphides occur with massive magnetite in what appears to be a brecciated zone in intrusive rock.
In 1991, Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. drilled two holes into the Vector zone. These holes intersected diorite containing zones of strong fracturing, and strong alteration consisting of chlorite plus/minus quartz and carbonate with abundant pyrite and chalcopyrite. A 17.90-metre drill interval (from 18.50 to 36.40 metres) averaged 0.82 per cent copper, 0.47 gram per tonne gold and 4.11 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 21762, page 10). Two fences of two holes each were drilled in the Nighthawk zone (093N 091) and one fence in the Vector zone. Most of the holes intersected faults or shear zones dipping 75 to 88 degrees west where geophysical conductors were expected. Clay-sericite and potassic hydrothermal alteration were identified along many of these fault zones. The potassic alteration appears to be more prevalent at depth, and the clay-sericite alteration zones are more common near surface. Thin zones of gold and copper mineralization are associated with the weak sulphide enrichment identified mostly near shear zones.
Below the 700-metre elevation level, the drillholes at the Vector zone intersected wider zones of sulphide enrichment and sections containing up to about 1.1 grams per tonne gold over 1.0 metre, 4.4 grams per tonne gold over 0.8 metre, and 0.18 per cent copper over 1.1 metre (Assessment Report 24871).
According to Birch Mountain, the 1996 work conducted on the Eagle property showed that the diorite had been hydrothermally altered over a length of at least 2.5 kilometres along a shear system striking northwest and that this alteration zone may extend further to the southeast. The drilling program revealed that the gold and copper mineralization appear to increase with depth.
In 2017, three mineralized grab samples (V395101-102, V395110) were taken from the Vector zone approximately perpendicular to the strike of the zone. The mineralized samples confirm the significant copper mineralization observed in outcrop and indicate that mineralization contains significant precious metals. The three samples average 0.643 per cent copper, 0.24 gram per tonne gold and 4.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 37168).
Work History
In 1966, the West Coast Mining and Exploration Company completed an induced polarization (IP) survey over the Nighthawk copper showings which delineated a steeply westward dipping responsive body, with an estimated thickness of 30-60 metres. A second IP survey was carried out in 1967 to cover an expanded grid in the areas surrounding the Nighthawk showings. The survey outlined three primary anomalies, one of which is located over the Nighthawk zone and was interpreted to be dipping steeply eastward.
In 1971, Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. optioned the property and conducted electromagnetic (EM), magnetometer, IP, and geochemical surveys. Samples were assayed for copper only. The soil sampling and geophysical surveys outlined several anomalous areas, and small copper showings associated with north trending shear zones. Based on the drill core found on the property, approximately 915 metres of diamond drilling were completed around the Nighthawk showing in 1971 and 1974; however, the drill logs are not available.
In 1988, A.D. Halleran staked the Eagle 1 and 2 claims over the area’s known copper showings, aeromagnetic signature and similarity to the Mount Milligan property (093N 194). Noranda optioned the claims and staked the Eagle 3, 4 and 5 claims. Noranda conducted an exploration program on the property in 1989 which included 56.6 kilometres of line cutting, 34.7 kilometres of magnetometer and 13.0 kilometres of IP surveys. They also collected 1362 B-horizon soil samples. The program identified three significant copper-gold showings: the Nighthawk zone (093N 091), the Mid zone (093N 139) and the Vector zone, collectively referred to as the Main zone. All showings occur within highly potassic-chloritic altered diorite/monzodiorite.
In 1990, Noranda continued its exploration work on the property with more detailed geological, geochemical and IP surveys designed to evaluate the size, potential and precious metal content of the known mineralizing system. The surveys were carried out at 400-metre line spacing and 50-metre sample spacing to cover most of the Eagle 1-5 claims.
The IP survey extended the 1989 anomalies from the Mid zone to the Nighthawk zone. The first phase of the 1990 geochemical survey outlined a highly anomalous zone to the west of the Eagle grid in an area close to the contact zone between the Hogem batholith and the Takla Group. The anomalous zone was followed up by staking the Eagle 6 and 7 claims to cover the Gibson grid and the surrounding area. The Eagle 6 and 7 claims lapsed in July 1991 (the Eagle 6 claim reported on in 1996 by Birch Mountain was staked in that year. The Eagle 6 claim of 1989 did not cover the same ground).
A hand trench about 2 by 1 by 1 metre deep was dug on the Gibson grid and led to the discovery of the Gibson zone (093N 185). The showing was then followed up by geochemical, geological and IP surveys. The 1990 project delineated several drill targets on both the Main and the Gibson zones and it was reported that it identified the presence of a large copper-gold bearing system on the Eagle grid and a lead-silver-gold-bearing system on the Gibson grid that appears to be part of a peripheral vein system.
In 1991, Noranda conducted diamond drilling to test several coincident magnetic, IP and geochemical anomalies associated with known mineralization on both the Main zone and the Gibson zone. The program consisted of 1483.3 metres of drilling in 17 holes, of which nine holes (657.3 metres) were drilled to test the Gibson showing and strong multi-element soil geochemical and IP anomalies.
All the drillholes at the Gibson zone intersected significant sections of intense clay-sericite-quartz alteration and mineralized volcanic rocks consisting of pyrite, galena and sphalerite. The other eight holes were drilled on the Main zone to test large, moderate to strong chargeability anomalies on the Nighthawk and Vector zones. Four holes drilled on the Nighthawk and Vector zones intersected significant copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization over moderate widths with visible chalcopyrite and bornite in sulphide stringers and disseminations. The other four holes drilled in the area near the Nighthawk zone intersected intense magnetite-biotite-altered diorite with trace chalcopyrite, bornite and 1 per cent pyrite, indicating that a strong component of the IP response was caused by the pervasive magnetite flooding. The 1991 diamond drilling program concluded that a fairly large alteration and mineralizing system is present as a high-grade, multidirectional gold-silver-lead-zinc peripheral vein system on the Gibson zone. The potential for a copper-gold hydrothermal system is present on the Main zone and requires follow-up work.
In 1996, Birch Mountain Resources Ltd. optioned the property from A.D. Halleran, and staked the Eagle 6 claim. The company carried out an exploration program of line cutting, geological mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys, and 1838.6 metres of diamond drilling in six holes. In this year, 1176 soils were collected and 52.4 kilometres of HLEM ground electromagnetic surveying was done. The soil survey, ground magnetometer survey and horizontal loop (Max-Min) survey were carried out on new lines constructed on the Main and Gibson zones. A prospecting and mapping program was conducted on the Eagle 6 claim. Two holes were drilled on the Vector zone and four holes were drilled on the Nighthawk zone.
In 1996, Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Co. Ltd. conducted an exploration program on the property containing the occurrence. The program included outcrop mapping, soil and rock sampling, and ground based geophysical surveys. Multiple regions of anomalous values were observed in the soil sample assays and geophysical surveys.
In 2007, Geoinformatics Exploration Inc. conducted work on the Eagle property which consisted of reviewing the outcrops around the existing prospects: Nighthawk, Vector, Gibson, and Central zones.
In 2009, a compilation of previous geochemical data was filed for assessment (Assessment Report 31227). Between 2010-16, a number of work reports were filed for Rich Rock Resources Inc. In 2010, an airborne magnetic gradiometer, VLF/EM and radiometric survey was completed (Assessment Report 31689). In 2012, an airborne magnetic gradiometer and radiometric survey comprising 146 kilometres of surveying was completed (Assessment Report 33354). In 2015, a ground magnetic survey comprising 17.5 kilometres of surveying was completed (Assessment Report 35398). In 2016, a soil geochemical survey comprising 150 soil samples was completed (Assessment Report 35927).
In 2017, the Eagle property was examined by geologists J. Bradford and T. Ruks over the course of three days. The primary focus of the work program was to assess the current level of access and state of old access roads, to re-examine previously documented alteration and mineralized zones in order to document the style of mineralization and alteration and determine the area's prospectivity for alkalic porphyry copper-gold deposits, and to prospect the area for mineralization. Representative rock samples (7) were collected in mineralized areas to document the tenor of mineralization.
In 2019, ArcWest Exploration Inc. conducted a sampling program on the property containing the occurrence. Highlighted grab sample S849911 graded 2.70 grams per tonne gold, 29.2 grams per tonne silver and 1.42 per cent copper (Assessment Report 38504).
In 2020, Wedgemount completed a 112 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic (VTEM) geophysical survey on the area.
