The GIC occurrence is located on a southeast–facing slope approximately 4 kilometres east of Park Creek, 23 kilometres northeast of the confluence of the Spatsizi River with Stikine River and 132 kilometres east of the community of Iskut on Highway 37.
Regionally, the area lies at the eastern edge of the Intermontane Belt near the Kutcho fault and marks the boundary with rocks of the Omineca Belt. The oldest rocks in the area are a sequence of lower greenschist–grade metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks correlated based on lithological similarities to rocks of the Asitka Group found elsewhere (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 483). Fossil evidence from later regional mapping dates at least part of the sequence as Mississippian (Geological Survey of Canada Paper 80-1B, pages 207-211). A tentative Devonian to Permian age is assigned to these rocks. Five stratigraphic units have been recognized and are, from oldest to youngest: feldspathic chlorite schist; phyllite, sericite and calcareous sericite schist; massive rhyolite, chert and sericite schist; carbonate; and upper feldspathic chlorite schist. The rocks are complexly folded and have undergone at least two phases of deformation. They are predominantly calc-alkaline with minor alkaline members. The sequence is similar in many respects to rocks of the Kutcho Formation in the southeastern corner of the Cry Lake map area. To the south of the Stikine River, Lower Jurassic Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group) volcanic rocks and Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Sustut Group dominate. North and east of the Stikine River valley, two Early Jurassic plutonic bodies of the Black Lake Suite intrude these rocks. One is quartz monzonite in composition and the other is diorite. Small zones and pendants of Upper Triassic Takla (Stuhini) Group are found to the east and north of the Toodoggone Formation rocks. The west-northwest–trending Grass fault is located immediately to the south and separates Asitka Group schists to the south from Upper Triassic Takla (Stuhini) Group volcanic rocks to the north.
Locally, a gossanous zone of hornfelsed, chloritized, sericitized, silicified, pyritized and goethite-hematite–altered, and highly fractured andesite and feldspar porphyry (monzonite?) hosts disseminated chalcopyrite, pyrite, molybdenite, magnetite, and specularite with minor malachite, neotocite, and rare native copper along fractures (Park Gossan). By 2024, the GIC prospect was defined as a 12 kilometre long target with overlapping gold-copper rock and soil anomalies, magnetic trends and chargeability/resistivity anomalies from induced-polarization (IP) geophysical surveys. This area is marked by the "Park Gossan" and occurs proximal to the contact between volcanic and intrusive rocks and large-scale faults.
In 2001, a chip sample (272529) assayed 1.41 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres (Assessment Report 26661). In 2003, a sample (127006) of molybdenite-bearing rock from the GIC Creek area, located downslope to the south, is reported to have yielded 0.186 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 28004).
In 2005, five rock samples, taken from the copper-gold soil anomaly on the north edge of the induced polarization anomaly yielded from 1.28 to 4.74 grams per tonne gold with 0.008 to 0.105 per cent copper, whereas a 1.2-metre long chip sample (271727) yielded 2.66 grams per tonne gold and 0.105 per cent copper (Assessment Report 28004). Also at this time, a 3.73-metre long chip sample (271729) from the south flank of the induced polarization anomaly (GIC Creek zone) yielded 0.22 gram per tonne gold and 0.220 per cent copper (Assessment Report 28004).
In 2006, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.634 gram per tonne gold and 0.0095 per cent molybdenum over 9.1 metres in hole WM06-1; 2.78 grams per tonne gold over 4.5 metres, 0.066 gram per tonne gold and 0.200 per cent copper over 1.4 metres and 2.31 grams per tonne gold with 0.024 per cent molybdenum over 0.5 metre in hole WM06-04 (Assessment Report 28810). These holes were located on the southern and eastern end of the gossanous and anomalous zone, respectively. The monzonite intrusive intersected in these holes was dated to 211.6 ± 2.2 million years using U-Pb isotopes (Assessment Report 35255).
In 2007, a grab sample (90024) from the gossanous zone assayed 0.29 gram per tonne gold and 0.132 per cent copper (Assessment Report 29605). In 2014, rock samples from the gossan area yielded up to 0.572 per cent copper (Sample M109115; Assessment Report 35255).
Drilling in 2024 intersected multiple high-grade gold zones, up to 9.67 grams per tonne gold. Drill hole WM24-03 reported intervals of 1.48 grams per tonne gold over 37 metres (from 364 to 401 metres downhole), including 2.99 grams per tonne gold over 11.25 metres. The downhole extension of CopAur's 2022 drill hole WM22-02 yielded 2.16 grams per tonne gold over 96.92 metres (Press Release, Omega Pacific Nov. 12, Dec. 04, 2024).
Work History
The area has been historically explored in conjunction with the nearby Park (MINFILE 094E 028) occurrence. The earliest record of work in the area dates to 1976, when Cominco Ltd. undertook stream sediment sampling as part of a base-metals exploration program.
In 1980, Du Pont of Canada Exploration Limited staked the Park 1-3 claims and conducted a program of prospecting, rock and silt sampling and geological mapping. Several gossans were recognized, mainly associated with the intrusive contact between granodiorite and chert. The following year, Du Pont expanded their Park property, filled in gaps in their silt coverage, and took reconnaissance soil samples over the entire property. In 1982, Du Pont conducted geological mapping and a program of rock, silt and soil sampling. In 1983, Du Pont extended the magnetics/VLF survey. With this program, Du Pont’s option was vested and they formed a 50:50 joint venture on the Bill property with Cominco.
In 1987, Pacific Comox Resources Ltd. and Skylark Resources Ltd. completed a program of rock and soil sampling and a 2.1 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic (VLF) survey on the area as the Chuc 1-4 claims.
In 1995, AGC Americas Gold Corp. conducted a program soil sampling over a 900- by 1000-metre grid and minor rock sampling on the area as the Arc 1-4 claims. This survey showed the gold-copper soil geochemical anomaly to be much larger than previously known, covering an area of 500 by 900 metres and open to the east and west. This enlarged geochemical anomaly and accompanying mineralization and geophysical anomalies is referred to in this report as the GIC prospect. In 1997, AGC Americas and Antares Mining and Exploration Corporation participated in a joint Geological Survey of Canada–industry airborne magnetic survey over the entire Toodoggone area, including the GIC prospect.
In 2001, Rimfire Minerals Corporation acquired the Bill property and carried out a program of prospecting, rock, silt and soil sampling; core resampling and geological mapping on the area as the BT 1-3 claims. Stikine Gold Corporation optioned the Williams property from Rimfire in 2002 and carried out limited prospecting through 2003.
In 2005, Rimfire carried out geochemical sampling and geological mapping on the GIC prospect and two outlying geochemical silt anomalies, followed by 17 kilometres of pole-dipole IP surveying on the GIC prospect. The IP survey revealed a 600- by 1800-metre chargeability/resistivity anomaly under overburden between the GIC soil geochemical anomaly and the copper-molybdenum–bearing outcrop in GIC Creek. The 1500-metre long IP zone is coincident with a copper-molybdenum-gold soil anomaly and associated porphyry mineralization.
In 2006, Arcus Development Group Inc optioned the Williams property from Rimfire and drilled five holes, totaling 881.2 metres, on the GIC prospect, cutting strong silica-sericite–altered and pyritized Takla (Stuhini) Group rocks consistent with porphyry style mineralization. In 2007, Equity Engineering Ltd was contracted by Rimfire to carry out a program of geological mapping, prospecting and rock, soil and silt sampling on the Williams property.
In 2014, Kiska Metals Corp. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock and soil sampling on the area. International Samuel Exploration conducted a small soil, rock and silt sampling program over the GIC and Bill areas in 2020, with a rock sample from the Bill area assaying 55.6 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 39378). In 2021, Volatus Capital Corp. conducted a 1445 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey over the Williams property, while in the same year CopAur Minerals Inc. achieved 718 line kilometres of airborne magnetic and electromagnetic (VTEM) surveys, an induced polarization survey, mapping, silt, soil and rock sampling and 3150.6 metres of diamond drilling in 7 holes at the T-Bill prospect (094E 092), 3 kilometres south of GIC.
In 2022, CopAur drilled holes at the GIC prospect (Assessment Report 42418). In 2024, Omega Pacific Resources Inc. optioned the Williams property, conducted a project overview, and commenced a diamond drilling program in the GIC area. The program, totaling 1714 metres in three new holes, plus an extension of CopAur's WM22-02 drill hole (Press Releases, Omega Pacific Nov. 12, Dec. 04, 2024).
