The Ian showing is located 8.75 kilometres south-southwest of Toodoggone Lake, north of Jock Creek, and 8.25 kilometres north of the Shasta occurrence (094E 050) (Assessment Report 17061). The showing is located in the central part of the Toodoggone gold camp, approximately 290 kilometres north of Smithers.

The Ian showing is situated within a Mesozoic volcanic arc assemblage which lies along the eastern margin of the Intermontane Belt, a northwest-trending belt of Paleozoic to Tertiary sediments, volcanics and intrusions bounded to the east by the Omineca Belt and to the west and southwest by the Sustut and Bowser basins.

Permian Asitka Group crystalline limestones are the oldest rocks exposed in the region. They are commonly in thrust contact with Upper Triassic Takla Group andesite flows and pyroclastic rocks. These Takla rocks have been intruded by plutons and other bodies of the mainly granodiorite to quartz monzonite Early Jurassic Black Lake Suite and are in turn unconformably overlain by or faulted against Lower Jurassic calcalkaline volcanics of the Toodoggone Formation, Hazelton Group.

The dominant structures in the area are steeply dipping faults which define a prominent regional northwest structural fabric trending 140 to 170 degrees. In turn, high angle, northeast-striking faults (approximately 060 degrees) appear to truncate and displace northwest-striking faults. Collectively these faults form a boundary for variably rotated and tilted blocks underlain by monoclinal strata.

Geological mapping in the Ian showing area, shows the area to be underlain by both undivided rocks of the Jurassic Hazelton Group and the Toodoggone Formation of the Hazelton Group. Feldspar porphyritic flows, crystal lapilli tuffs, pyroclastic breccia, lahar and volcanically derived conglomerate, mudstone and greywacke comprise lithologies of the Hazelton group. They are generally found in fault contact with the Metsantan Member of the Toodoggone Formation and crop out east of the fault. The Metsantan Member, described regionally as consisting of trachyandesite flows with lenses of lapilli tuff, lahar; minor volcanic sandstone and conglomerate, occurs west of the fault (Bulletin 86). Within the Ian showing area a stock, part of the Black Lake Suite, occurs along the fault contact separating the two volcanic sequences and is composed of syenite to quartz monzonite and granodiorite to quartz diorite. This northwest trending, lens-shaped, stock is informally recognized as the McClair stock (Assessment Report 15264). Late mafic dikes cut the entire sequence.

The Ian showing area is dominated by a northwesterly trending set of structures represented by younger steeply dipping faults and syn-volcanic half-graben margins exhibited in Hazelton Group volcanics. Younger northwest-trending, post volcanic and intrusive faults also transect the area. Most of the prominent gossans in the area are also aligned along this trend.

There are numerous gossans in the Ian showing area. They are marked by an extensive zone of disseminated pyrite and intense propylitic alteration (chlorite and epidote). Argillic alteration, consisting of clays, occurs along faults. Locally silicification, consisting of blue-white silica with disseminated pyrite is found. Minor amounts of galena and malachite staining have also been found.

In 1972, a rock chip sample from the Ian occurrence area yielded 0.59 gram per tonne gold and 78.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 4091).

A grab sample was taken during property exploration in 1986. Assay results from this sample (RYO 106032) were 66.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.255 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 17061). No visible mineralization is reported from this sample, which was taken along a west-northwest trending fault within the Metsantan Member of the Toodoggone Formation, occurring near a large gossan on the west side of the McClair stock. Argillic alteration with quartz, a quartz silica cap and barite are reported nearby (Assessment Report 15264).

Another zone of mineralization, identified in 1968, is reported approximately 800 metres to the east-northeast and comprises a 0.3-metre-wide barite vein hosting traces of molybdenite and galena. The vein is hosted in an altered syenite with calcite stringers hosting traces of chalcopyrite.

In 1980, a rock sample (SC-41-80-7) of quartz vein material from this area assayed 0.18 gram per tonne gold, 4.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.560 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 9001). In 1985, two trenches were dug about 500 metres south of the previous sample and intersected clay-rich, bleached and altered rock with four of five samples from Trench 2 yielding silver values ranging from 1.5 to 1.8 grams per tonne, while a rock sample (R252) assayed 0.105 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 15264).

In 1996, a rock sample (LPJ-13) of syenite to monzonite hosting pyrite and chalcopyrite associated with chloritized hornblende assayed 0.446 per cent copper and 6.9 grams per tonne silver, whereas another sample (LPJ-6) of hydrothermal quartz vein breccia, taken from a ridge approximately 1.5 kilometres to the east-northeast yielded 0.768 gram per tonne gold and 38.7 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 25054).

Work History

In 1968, Quebec Cartier Mines completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Spartan claims.

In 1969, Cominco Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area immediately east as the Theban claims.

In 1971 and 1972, Kennco Explorations Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling program on the area immediately east as the Black claims.

In 1972, Denison Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area immediately north as the NE, GO and RI claims.

In 1980 and 1981, Serem Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the OJ, Orange, Arg and Argus claims.

During 1985 through 1987, Rhyolite Resources Inc. completed programs of geological mapping, trenching, geochemical (heavy mineral, rock and soil) sampling and a 200 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the Adrian, Argus, Ian, Otto and Paul claims. Also in 1987, Beachview Resources Ltd. prospected and sampled (rock and soil) the area immediately south as the Brooke and Lee claims. In 1988, Rhyolite Resources completed a further program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and a 7.2 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Ian, Otto, Adrian, Paul and Argus claims. In 1990, Rhyolite conducted a soil geochemical sampling program to extend the coverage of an existing survey grid and to explore a new area within the claim group.

In 1992, Electrum Resources completed a program of heavy mineral sampling on the area immediately east as the Pil 1-3 claims. The following year, the Pil claims were expanded and a further program of prospecting and geochemical (heavy mineral, rock and silt) sampling was completed. In 1995, Electrum Resources completed a program of rock and soil sampling and a 9.7 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Pil claims. In 1996, a minor prospecting and sampling program was completed along with LANDSAT TM and Radar imagery review. In 1997, a further program of rock and soil sampling and 28.7 line-kilometres of ground geophysical surveys were completed on the Pil claims. In 1998, Electrum Resource completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and a 4.9 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Pil claims.

In 1999, Finlay Minerals purchased the Pil property and conducted a major exploration effort including induced polarization and magnetic surveys, geochemical (soil and rock) sampling and detailed geological mapping. During 2001 through 2007, Finlay Minerals completed further programs of geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching, diamond drilling and geophysical surveys on the Pil property. A complete summary of this work can be found in the Pil South (MINFILE 094E 310) occurrence.

In 2015, Finlay Minerals completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Pil claims.