The Atlas East occurrence area is almost entirely underlain by andesitic volcanics belonging to the Lower Jurassic Toodoggone Formation. The Atlas East zone is a low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver exploration target that consists of a large, 500 by 200 metre east-west trending gossan, in which the talus, soil, and some outcrops are marked by jarosite-hematite staining as well as multiphase silicification, quartz veining, and minor amethyst, together with widespread clay-pyrite alteration.

Mineralization occurs in silicified zones, quartz stockwork veining, and breccia associated with a prominent gossan hosted by pyritic andesite. Sporadic amounts of chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite are present, together with possible acanthite (argentite), electrum, and native gold and minor sulfosalts such as pyargyrite.

In 1991, a grab sample (AH3) assayed 3.870 grams per tonne gold and greater than 200 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 22248).

In 2003, grab samples (RB03PN16) of porphyritic andesite hosting disseminated pyrite over 10 metres yielded 0.348 gram per tonne gold and 15.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 27310).

In 2004, samples of large-mineralized boulders at the base of a steep gossanous zone yielded up to 3.22 grams per tonne gold and 80.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 27602).

In 2005, drilling yielded intercepts of up to 5.71 grams per tonne gold and 46.7 grams per tonne silver over 0.8 metre of breccia in hole AE05-01 and 4.5 and 17.3 grams per tonne silver over 43.6 and 9.85 metres, respectively, in hole AE05-02 (Assessment Report 28083). Also at this time, bedrock samples grading up to 33 grams per tonne gold and 482 grams per tonne silver and quartz vein float grading up to 72.5 grams per tonne gold and 2187 grams per tonne silver were collected (Assessment Report 28083).

In 2006, brecciated and silicified bedrock yielded 489 grams per tonne gold and 6514 grams per tonne silver and quartz vein float grading to 72.5 grams per tonne gold and 2187 grams per tonne silver have been discovered (Assessment Report 28083). Mineralized float is considered to be very near the bedrock source.

In 2006, drillhole A06-05 was the first drill discovery on the Atlas East zone. This hole, located 40 metres east (along strike) of high-grade bedrock sample RM06-A07B, which assayed 489.7 grams per tonne gold and 6514 grams per tonne silver, was drilled perpendicular to the interpreted east-northeast mineralized trend. Silicified and quartz-pyrite stockwork veined andesite was intersected between 108.6 and 162.35 metres. The most intense silicification and quartz-pyrite veining occurs from 121.9 to 136.0 metres and 140.0 to 142.0 metres coinciding with the gold-silver intersections. An 8.4-metre interval from 124.05 to 132.45 metres assayed 2.18 grams per tonne gold and 28.4 grams per tonne silver, including 13.35 grams per tonne gold and 158.0 grams per tonne silver over 1.05 metre and a separate intersection of 4.59 grams per tonne gold and 60.0 grams per tonne silver over 2.00 metres (Assessment Report 28984). Later in the season a drill access road cut through this area and exposed a greater than 25 metre length of variably silicified and brecciated andesite. Although the very high-grade material was not exposed, a road cut sample (KL06-54) collected within 5 metres of the high-grade discovery returned 4.32 grams per tonne gold and 43 grams per tonne silver across 2.1 metres (Assessment Report 28984).

Two other drillholes (A06-12 and -10), located approximately 250 metres to the northeast of hole A06-05, intersected a potentially steep north-dipping, silicified and quartz stockwork-veined andesite hosting visible gold, electrum and acanthite (argentite) yielded interceptions of 2.12 and 1.50 grams per tonne gold with 113.5 and 38.8 grams per tonne silver over 5.95 and 7.10 metres, respectively in hole A06-12 and 1.55 grams per tonne gold with 35.3 grams per tonne silver over 6.95 metres, including 14.18 grams per tonne gold with 272.7 grams per tonne silver over 0.80 metre in hole A06-10 (Assessment Report 28984). Mineralized structures intersected in A06-12 suggest the possibility that these are the uppermost part of a higher-grade epithermal system at depth.

Also at this time, a bedrock sample (RM06-13) of silicified andesite with quartz veinlets, taken on a high ridge approximately 200 metres south of the previous drillholes, yielded 1.94 grams per tonne gold and 258 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 28984). This sample is the most southerly and highest in elevation taken from the Atlas East zone and indicated mineralized zones parallel to the Atlas East zone.

Exploration since 2005 by Finlay Minerals has traced mineralization over an area of 550 metres east-west by over 200 metres north-south.

In late 2006 stream sampling further east of the exploration area yielded gold concentrations much greater than that found downstream of Atlas East. This discovery expands the east-west potential to nearly two kilometres. The 2004 Toodoggone airborne survey indicates the Atlas East zone to coincide with the north boundary of a very large thorium/potassium anomaly nearly three kilometres across.

Work History

In 1980 and 1981, SEREM Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, trenching and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Atlas and Hercules claims. In 1985, SEREM Ltd. completed a further program of prospecting, geological mapping and a ground electromagnetic survey on the Atlas and Hercules claims.

In 1986, the Toodoggone Syndicate completed a 75 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Daniel, Anna and Michel claims.

See Atlas West (094E 213) for details of the Pil property that contains numerous zones and showings worked on mostly in the 1990s and 2000s.