The Fred occurrence, discovered in 1973, is situated approximately 10 kilometres southeast of the confluence of Chukachida and Stikine rivers, about 268 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.

The 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.

Devonian-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. Takla volcanics have been intruded by the granodiorite to quartz monzonite Black Lake Suite of Early Jurassic age 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.

The Fred showing is exposed on a north-trending ridge underlain by Upper Triassic Stuhini Group andesites and basalts. To the south these volcanics are in fault contact with and intruded by quartz-phyric dacite volcanics and subvolcanics of the Adoogacho Member of the Lower Jurassic Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group).

The Fred showing consists of a series of southerly dipping quartz-carbonate-(barite) veins (up to 30 centimetres wide) striking 120 degrees and mineralized with varying amounts of chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, pyrite and galena. The veins are hosted within a 10 by 1.5 metre zone of argillic and siliceous altered brecciated augite porphyry andesites.

In 1973, a grab sample of the mineralization assayed 10.26 grams per tonne gold, 2.42 per cent lead, 0.49 per cent zinc and 0.24 per cent copper (Sample 71503, Assessment Report 4643). A chip sample of this material assayed 28 grams per tonne silver and contained 1 per cent chalcopyrite (Sample DM-83, Assessment Report 18465).

At least three other zones of mineralization have been identified on the Fred claims. The 2S-2E zone, located on the Fred 3 claim approximately 700 metres east of the main zone, comprises a basaltic dike with chalcopyrite and malachite in fractures cutting hornblende andesite and trachytic andesite. The 2S-3E zone, located on the eastern bank of a creek on the Fred 2 claim, comprises a feldspar andesite cut by a basaltic dike hosting chalcopyrite and malachite associated with carbonate. The 16W-10S zone, located on a steep ridge near the southwestern edge of the Fred 4 claim, comprises minor amounts of chalcopyrite and malachite in a 0.75-metre wide zone that strikes east-west and dips near vertically.

In 1973, samples (71501 and 71504) from the 2S-2E and 16W-10S zones yielded 2.55 and 0.18 per cent copper with 32.8 and 9.9 grams per tonne silver, respectively, whereas copper values from the 2S-2E zone were estimated at 1 to 2 per cent (Assessment Report 4643).

Work History

The earliest documented exploration within the showing area was conducted in 1973 by Sumac Mines Ltd. This exploration led to the discovery of the Fred showing as a result of follow-up work on anomalous copper/silver values in a regional stream sediment geochemical program conducted a year earlier. The Fred 1 to 8 claims were acquired, and geological mapping and systematic soil sampling were completed as part of the 1973 exploration program.

In 1986, Prolific Resources Ltd. completed a reconnaissance stream silt sampling program on the Stik 5 and Fred 1 claim. A brief reconnaissance geological mapping and prospecting program was carried out on these claims in 1987. The 1987 prospecting program on the Fred 1 claim uncovered a quartz vein system approximately 5 metres wide, traced for 20 metres (Assessment Report 18465).

In 1988, on behalf of Prolific Resources Ltd., a field exploration program was completed on their 'Toodoggone' properties, comprising the Stik, Fred, Adoog, Doog, Jim and Mike claims. The objective of the program was to locate and evaluate the gold potential of epithermal quartz breccia systems on the claims. Exploration consisted of extensive prospecting, geological mapping, lithogeochemical sampling (355 rock), hand trenching (1 trench, 19 metres), and soil sampling (722).