The KC 1 occurrence is located on the ridge slopes east of the headwaters of the north fork of Kliyul Creek, approximately 10 kilometres south-southeast of Johanson Lake, approximately 120 kilometres northwest of Germansen Landing. The showing is on the Kliyul property (2025), approximately 2 kilometres southeast of the Kliyul Main Zone porphyry prospect and is also referred to as Bap Ridge.

It is within an area of bright red and yellow outcrop bluffs and talus slopes which define a zone of quartz-pyrite-sericite alteration within and peripheral to the northwest end of a mafic-ultramafic pluton that cuts volcaniclastic rocks of the Upper Triassic Takla Group (EMPR Open File 2005-4). This conspicuous alteration attracted early prospectors in the area, who discovered the Independence (MINFILE 094D 028) and Banjo (MINFILE 094D 029) gold-bearing quartz vein systems in the 1940s. The KC 1 occurrence, about 700 metres northeast of the Banjo, was discovered at a later date, during an exploration program by Golden Rule Resources in 1981 (Assessment Report 10346).

The KC 1 showing encompasses a system of northwest-striking shear zones and associated northwest-striking quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-galena veins that has been traced for a strike-length of about 1500 metres (EMPR Assessment Report 13580). Individual veins vary from 30 to 200 centimetres in width and have been traced for up to 37 metres (EMPR Assessment Report 10346). Several grab samples of mineralized vein material have yielded significant precious metal values, including one that contained 36.4 grams per tonne gold and 23.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10346, Sample KC-DT-8).

In 1984, Golden Rule reported an extensive 70 degree striking, variably silicified, fracture zone hosting 0.2 metre to 1.3 metre-wide quartz veins in regions of intense fracturing and silicification. Cross-fracturing in the quartz veins were described as mineralized with up to 30 pyrite and lesser galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite; float samples assayed up to 122 grams per tonne gold and 70 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 13580).

In 2007, three holes drilled on Bap Ridge (NW_07_01 to 03) by Geoinformatics intersected sericite-pyrite plus/minus chlorite plus/minus quartz alteration, with narrow magnetite-pyrite-chalcopyrite zones at depth but no significant intersections. These were re-logged by Pacific Ridge in 2020 (Assessment Report 39336).

Teck's four holes drilled in 2015 on the Ginger and Bap showings intersected anomalous copper and gold porphyry-style mineralization including 0.18 per cent copper and 0.53 gram per tonne gold over 245 metres in KLI-15-034 and 162.4 metres of 0.2 per cent and 0.26 gram per tonne gold in KLI-15-033 (Assessment Report 35978).

Work History

In 1974, 1975 and 1976, BP Minerals carried out extensive surface sampling and an IP geophysical survey noting widespread less than 3 centimetre-wide quartz-sulphide veining in an epidote-altered monzonite. Sampling returned anomalous copper and molybdenum values. In 1975 three trenches were blasted on the BAP and their soil grid was extended, but results were not notable. In 1976, 7 lines of EM geophysics over their sample grid, identified 6 northwestern-trending zones of weak conductivity that were interpreted as either shear zones or water-filled strongly fractured zones (Assessment Report 5976).

BP subsequently allowed all but three of their BAP claims to lapse and the lapsed claims were restaked in 1981 as the KC claims by Golden Rule Resources, who also carried out work on the southeastern corner of the Kliyul property. Golden Rule discovered several 0.3 to 2.0 metre wide, northwestern-striking quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-galena veins with 2.3 to 36.4 grams per tonne gold and 2.6 to 150 grams tonne silver located within 200 metres of the Kliyul property’s southern border. They also relocated the Independence vein and re-sampled it in three trenches over a strike-length of greater than 300 metres, returning gold values of 0.46 gram per tonne and 1.35 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 10346). To maintain their three BAP claims, BP reanalyzed their 1974/1975 soil and talus fine samples for gold; the majority of these samples exceeded 70 parts per billion gold, to a maximum of 1750 parts per billion gold (Assessment Report 10950).

In 1981, Golden Rule Resources on the Independence and Bap occurrences re-staked over BP's former claims and discovered small (0.3 to 2 metres) wide northwest-striking quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-galena veins on what is now the Kliyul property. In 1984, Golden Rule Resources, explored the potential of gold-bearing quartz veins on their KC claims which included Independence (094D 028) and Banjo (Bap) (094D 029).

In 1986, Lemming Resources optioned the remaining BAP claims from BP Resources and collected 90 grid-based talus fine samples on the Bap Ridge area to refine location of gold anomalies previously reported. In 1986, Ritz Resources optioned the KC 1 claims which included Independence (094D 028) and Banjo (Bap) (094D 029). They completed geochemical and geophysical surveys over two small grids in the northwestern corner of the property investigating the gold potential (Assessment Report 15583). The Banjo and North grid areas were surveyed for magnetics and VLF-EM.

Ritz Resources optioned the KC claims which included Independence (094D 028) and Banjo (Bap) (094D 029). They completed geochemical and geophysical surveys over two small grids in the northwestern corner of the property investigating the gold potential (Assessment Report 15583). In 1986, Lemming Resources optioned the remaining BAP claims from BP Resources and collected 90 grid-based talus fine samples on the Bap Ridge area to refine location of gold anomalies previously reported.

In 1992 Noranda carried out 1:5,000 scale geological and alteration mapping and in 1993, they drilled 6 reverse circulation holes on the Kliyul skarn zone (Assessment Report 23033) and followed up with an airborne magnetic, electromagnetic, and radiometric survey (Assessment Report 23379). This airborne survey also covered (or nearly covered) 25 MINFILE occurrences including the KC 1 (094D 181) occurrence.

In 2006, Geoinformatics drilled 2 diamond drill holes on the Kilyul main zone (Assessment Report 29112) and the following year drilled 3 diamond drillholes (NW_07_01, NW_07_02 and NW_07_03) on the BAP Ridge totaling 1,247.0 metres. These were re-logged by Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. in 2020 (Assessment Report 39336).

In 2015, Teck drilled 4 diamond drillholes totaling 1,908 metres on the Kliyul Main Zone. In addition, induced polarization (IP) and magnetometer ground geophysical surveys, geological mapping, rock sampling and re-logging of historic drill core was done on Ginger and BAP occurrences.

In the spring of 2017 AuRico Metals acquired Kiska Metals Corporation making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of AuRico Metals. In 2017, in partnership with First Quantum Minerals, AuRico Metals completed a property-scale evaluation of the Kliyul property consisting of constructing a stratigraphic column and property-scale (1:5,000 to 1:10,000) geological and alteration mapping, a 350-metre-spaced rock sampling grid across the whole property, and a ground ELF survey. A total of 383 rock and soil samples were collected on the 350-metre spaced grid. 294 (77 per cent) of the collected samples were from outcrop, 28 (7 per cent) were from subcrop, and 60 (15 per cent) were soil or talus fines (Assessment Report 37284). This work has identified the Kliyul Main Zone and the Bagel IP Anomaly as the most viable targets on the property. The BAP ridge quartz-sericite-pyrite zone remained a potential target, though downgraded from initial assessments. In November of 2017, Centerra Gold Inc. announced its acquisition of AuRico Metals.

In early 2020 Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. commenced an earn-in on the Kliyul property, and continued exploration towards acquiring 100 per cent interest in May 2023 (Press Release, Pacific Ridge, May 10, 2023). In 2020, Pacific Ridge ramped up exploration efforts on the property with re-logging and sampling of three drill core holes from Bap Ridge, mapping rock sampling and spectral analysis and magnetic and induced polarization surveys over the Kliyul Main Zone (KMZ). From 2021 through 2023 programs included mapping, sampling, airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys, LiDAR surveys, and induced polarization (IP) surveys focusing on the KMZ as well as the Ginger (Ginger B 094D 014), Parish Hill (094D 255) and M39 (KC 094D 140) areas. In addition, 3 diamond drill holes totaling 1544 metres were completed on the KMZ in 2021; 12 holes totaling 7,014.7 metres were completed at KMZ and north, west and east extensions in 2022; and 19 holes totaling 10,284 metres were completed in 2023 (16 holes at KMZ, 3 holes at Ginger, Ginger South and Parish Hill). This work resulted in extending mineralization in the KMZ to approximately 760 metres east-west by 600 metres north-south and to depths of 650 metres (Assessment Report 41888).

In 2024, Pacific Ridge launched a 541 line-kilometre airborne helicopter ZTEM survey at Kliyul, covering much of the Kliyul property, including the BAP Ridge (KC 1), Ginger B, Ginger South, Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ"), M-39 (KC), and Parish Hill target areas (Pacific Ridge Press Releases Jul. 23 , Nov. 14, 2024).

Refer to Independence (094D 028), Banjo (Bap) (094D 029) and Kliyul (094D 023) for related geological and work history information.