The Black occurrence is located on an east-west–trending ridge in the headwaters of an east-southeast–flowing tributary of Jock Creek, approximately 1.3 kilometres southwest of The Pillar and 8.75 kilometres northeast of the Shasta occurrence (MINFILE 094E 050).

Regionally, the area 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 Paleogene 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 Stuhini Group andesite flows and pyroclastic rocks, and marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Lower to Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group. These 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 calc-alkaline volcanics of the Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group).

The dominant structures in the area are steeply dipping faults that 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.

The occurrence area is underlain by andesitic flows and tuffs of the Toodoggone Formation. Generally, these volcanics are characterized by grey to grey-maroon feldspar porphyry andesitic to dacitic tuffs and flows, locally exhibiting bedding and flow banding. Finely disseminated specularite within the volcanics is common. These volcanics are intruded by porphyry dikes. Fracture-controlled propylitic and argillic alteration is common. The previous volcanics are surrounded by Toodoggone volcanics of the Metsantan member.

The occurrence consists of chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite mineralization, hosted in an argillic alteration zone on an east-trending ridge. An argillic-altered potassium feldspar-quartz-pyrite±epidote mineral assemblage was noted. Pyrite, as disseminations, ranges from 3 to 5 per cent. The hostrock of this alteration zone is maroon porphyritic andesite, containing local pink feldspar phenocrysts, epidote and quartz. Numerous quartz veins with limonite were sampled. These veins are randomly oriented and 2 to 4 centimetres wide.

In 1987, the previously documented Black showing was examined. Several samples were taken from along an east-trending ridge, roughly 600 to 750 metres to the east of the Black showing. The best results were from sample 6741 which assayed 3.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.022 gram per tonne gold. Several other samples assayed 1.8 and 1.9 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 17451).

Work History

In 1987, Skylark Resources Ltd. completed a program of rock and soil sampling and geological mapping on the area as the Pil and Lar claims.

During 2003 through 2006, Stealth Minerals Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping and rock, silt and soil sampling on the area as the JC claims of the Sickle-Sophia, Nub and Bee Gee properties.

During 2015 through 2018, Finlay Minerals Ltd. completed programs of prospecting; geological mapping; rock, silt and soil sampling; an 8.3 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 91.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the area as the Pil property.

Also, during 2016 through 2018, Amarc Resources Ltd. completed programs of soil and rock sampling, geological mapping, 115.0 line-kilometres of ground induced polarization surveying and 1940.0 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic surveying on the area as the Joy property.