The QCM occurrence is located approximately 7 kilometres northwest of Manson Creek, on a north slope of a small knoll. It is accessed by an old cat road and the location is centred on the most intense alteration zone (see also Motherlode occurrence, 093N 024).
By 2006, the QCM gold zone was interpreted as being orogenic (or mesothermal) in origin. It is associated with the northwest striking Manson Creek fault zone, a right-lateral structure of regional extent that passes through the claims. The property is characterized by a very strong pyritic zone in Middle Triassic or older volcaniclastic rocks strongly altered to iron-magnesium carbonate and sericite, variably silicified and veined by quartz in three vein sets. The altered and mineralized zone (QCM zone) extends over an area of at least 1000 by 300 metres, elongated in a northwest direction. Visible gold, though rarely seen, is associated with minor chalcopyrite and pyrite, both in quartz veins and altered groundmass.
In 1972, anomalous gold, silver, copper and zinc from soil and rock geochemistry outlined two large anomalous trends, the Flag and the Central zones (Assessment Report 4245). This geochemistry led to extensive geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys and eventually reverse circulation drilling in 1983 (Assessment Report 11627).
Rocks in the area are poorly exposed and are volcanically derived sediments belonging to the Middle-Upper Triassic Slate Creek Formation (Takla Group). These sediments are a mixture of siltstones, sandstones, wackes and conglomerates. Also present are argillites, aphanitic to pyroxene phyric flows and lesser cherts. The argillites are thin to moderately bedded, cream to rusty weathered and grey on fresh surfaces. They are interbedded with cream to beige, thin to moderately bedded siltstones to siliceous siltstones in sequences 1 to 10 metres thick. The coarser grained sediments are less abundant and contain clasts of subangular feldspar and augite crystal fragments, feldspar augite porphyries, aphanitic volcanics and minor argillite. The basalts are green to dark green, amygdaloidal mafic flows with small phenocrysts of pyroxene and plagioclase.
All the rocks have been affected by variable carbonate alteration characterized by ankerite and pyrite. Two types of carbonate alteration have been distinguished with the first being characterized by large porphyroblasts which have poikiloblastic cores containing quartz, feldspar, hematite and other opaques. The second is characterized by idioblastic, iron-poor porphyroblasts which may be related to the inclusion-free rims of the porphyroblasts of the first type. Fine-grained and idioblastic pyrite is the only sulphide associated with these alteration zones and forms up to ten per cent of the rock.
Alteration assemblages are dependent upon lithology. In the mafic and intermediate volcanics, the alteration assemblage is typically ankerite-albite-sericite-quartz +/- mariposite and pyrite. The volcaniclastic rocks typically contain ankerite, sericite, albite, and quartz with or without pyrite. The most intensely altered zones contain abundant quartz veins of varying widths.
The most important zone is the Central zone, which is 200 by 300 metres and hosted by epiclastic rocks of the Takla Group. These sediments are bleached to a whitish to cream-coloured rock composed primarily of sericite, quartz, iron-carbonates, pyrite (5 per cent) and albite. The original clastic nature and texture of these rocks are barely discernible. This zone contains very little quartz veining. These altered rocks occupy a northwest-trending sliver of the right-lateral Manson fault zone. To the southeast, other splays of the Manson fault zone control the quartz-carbonate (listwanite) alteration.
Surface lithogeochemical sampling from the altered zones analyzed as high as 4.2 grams per tonne gold from 1-metre chip samples (Assessment Report 10746). Coincident gold and pyrite concentrations suggest that the gold may be within the pyrite and may also be disseminated within the altered volcanics.
Mineralization as of the 2006 drilling consists of fine to medium-grained euhedral pyrite, very fine-grained anhedral chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and gold. Very fine-grained disseminated sphalerite and fine-grained sphalerite inclusions within pyrite were noted also. Chalcopyrite is disseminated or occurs as inclusions within pyrite and locally contains fine-grained gold inclusions. Gold occurs as a free form in quartz plus carbonate plus pyrite veins or as inclusions described above. Rare visible gold in a quartz plus albite vein was observed in drillhole QCM06-15 at approximately 241 metres depth. Additionally, bonanza-grade assay results from drillholes QCM06-22 may correspond to similar quartz plus albite veining observed within the assayed interval although no gold was observed directly. Quartz plus albite veins were documented to contain other fine to medium-grained base metal minerals including galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite. Mineralization in volcanic and volcaniclastic breccias is minor and dominated by trace fine-grained disseminated pyrite and lesser chalcopyrite. Rare chalcopyrite occurs as small veinlets and in quartz plus albite and quartz plus calcite veins in amounts up to 3 per cent. In tuffaceous argillite, pyrite is preferentially mineralized in the more volcanic material rich horizons. Rare pyrrhotite occurs as anhedral masses with pyrite in a small silicified zone cutting tuffaceous argillite.
In 1972, Sullivan and Rogers of Toronto sampled anomalous gold, silver, copper and zinc from soil and rock geochemistry and outlined two large anomalous trends on the current QCM claims. This geochemistry program was followed up later in 1972 by induced polarization (IP) and resistivity surveys. This work extended over 100 kilometres of grid lines and resulted in two extensive anomalous gold trends.
In 1973, Rio Tinto optioned the claims and completed six diamond-drill holes. The results of this drilling were not filed but it has been reported that one of the drillholes, which intersected the more eastern of the two major carbonate alteration zones, yielded a 0.79 metre wide zone grading 4.25 grams per tonne gold. Claims in the area lapsed and were re-staked in 1979 by Vital Mines; these were allowed to lapse just one year later.
In 1980, Golden Rule Resources of Calgary staked the QCM claims and contracted Taiga Resources to complete geological mapping, soil, and rock geochemistry, as well as a limited ground magnetic and ground VLF-EM survey. Their work is summarized under OPEC and QCM claims.
In 1982, Anaconda Canada optioned the Manson Creek property from Golden Rule and carried out extensive geological mapping, detailed soil, and rock geochemical sampling, ground magnetic and VLF-EM surveys and trenching. This work delineated two zones, the Flag showing, which is now called the Motherlode (093N 024) or Flagstaff located 1.5 kilometres north, and the Central showing, which is now called the QCM. The QCM is 200 by 300 metres and open to the southeast with gold-in-soils ranging from less than 10 to 4200 parts per billion. Bedrock below and around the Central zone consists of quartz-carbonate altered epiclastics of the Takla Group. A 32-hole percussion drill program followed but the work was not filed for assessment. A four-hole reverse circulation drill program including 414 metres of drilling which was filed (Assessment Report 11627) and a three-hole, NQ-sized diamond-drill hole program including 422 metres of drilling which was not filed. The results of the percussion and diamond drill programs were briefly summarized in later assessment reports numbered 19594 and 24349. In 1992, Golden Rule allowed the claims to lapse.
In 1993, Mike Fox, who worked on the property for Golden Rule since 1980, staked the Au 1-12 two-post claims. Fox completed a program of re-mapping, analysis of existing data, and re-evaluation of the controls of mineralization in late 1994 to 1995. Four line- kilometres of grid line were re-established to provide ground control. This program concluded that a significant potential gold resource of 0.6 gram per tonne gold extending over an area 300 by 130 metres by 80 metres deep, justified further exploration on the property.
Pursuant to an option agreement between Royal County Minerals Corp. and Viceroy Resources Ltd. dated October 04, 2002, the Canadian Gold Hunter Corp. earned a 100 per cent interest in the Manson Creek QCM bulk tonnage gold property. The property includes the QCM (093N 200) and Motherlode (093N 024).
In 2004, the property was explored by Canadian Gold Hunter Corp. Work included line cutting, soil (375 samples) and rock (57 samples) geochemistry and 21.4 kilometres of IP and ground magnetic geophysical surveying. The company completed a 34 line-kilometre IP survey that outlined a north-northwest trending zone with low chargeability and high resistivity characteristics. Five diamond-drill holes totalling 1190 metres tested a 375-metre strike length of the coincident anomaly. Three of the five holes drilled in 2004 intersected low-grade gold mineralization over broad intervals. Results of the diamond drilling indicated a broad low-grade zone (greater than 0.5 gram per tonne gold) with some intercepts greater than 1.0 gram per tonne gold and rare high-grade intercepts of up to 173 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres (Assessment Report 27804).
In 2005, the QCM property was again drilled by Canadian Gold Hunter Corp. who also carried out an IP survey over the QCM zone and collected an additional 201 soil samples to extend geochemical coverage and fill in gaps in previous surveys. A total of 1802 metres in nine holes evaluated carbonate altered, quartz veined pyritic greywacke of the Triassic Slate Creek Succession (Takla Group) and yielded a best intersection of 0.58 gram per tonne gold over 137.2 metres (Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 2005, page 48).
In 2006, Canadian Gold Hunter Corp. extended the existing exploration grid by 500 metres to the north and south and completed 16.2 kilometres of IP and ground magnetics survey. The data led to the identification of two areas with high resistivity and low chargeability similar to those coincident with the QCM zone, to the north and east of the QCM zone. A total of 1542 metres of NQ-size diamond drilling in eight holes in three areas was completed (Assessment Report 29133). The downdip extension of a west dipping gold-enriched zone at the QCM zone has been verified by three holes. Other drillholes were not significant.
By 2006, a gold soil anomaly (greater than 50 parts per billion) was seen to be extending over an area of 1600 by 400 metres at the QCM zone and includes exceptional samples containing up to 4000 parts per billion gold (Assessment Report 29133). Other spotty, low-order gold soil anomalies occur a few hundred metres northeast of the QCM zone in the area of generally heavy glacial overburden. The soil anomaly over the QCM zone coincides in large part with a resistivity high (greater than 300 metres) and a weak to moderate chargeability anomaly.
In 2016, owner/operator B. Kreft conducted prospecting and geochemical sampling (19 soil, 20 rock) on the QCM property.
