The Gin barite occurrence is located on a high mountain ridge, north of Pesika Creek and west of the Ospika River.
The area is underlain by Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group talcose phyllites and calcareous mudstones, unconformably overlain by a succession of Ordovician to Devonian Road River Group siltstones, shales, limestone and dolomites, and Ordovician Ospika Formation volcanics. This succession is overlain by Lower Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group sediments, the largest being the Lower Devonian Gunsteel Formation grey-black pyritic shales.
Locally, a 3-metre-wide bed of massive barite occurs in the silvery grey–weathering, carbonaceous and siliceous shales of the Upper Devonian Gunsteel Formation (Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group). The barite horizon trends northwest and dips forty degrees southwest. Quartz-carbonate veins are present in the underlying Ordovician to Devonian Road River Group siltstones.
Another barite occurrence is reported on the same ridge approximately 900 metres to the south-southeast and comprises nodular and laminar barite hosted in finely laminated dark-grey to black siliceous shale in the upper part of the Gunsteel Formation. The nodules are up to 2 millimetres in diameter, slightly elongated and occupy approximately 1 per cent of the hostrock over a thickness of 0.5 metre. The laminar barite is approximately 0.5 centimetre thick parallel to bedding. Minor barite is also reported approximately 100 metres southeast of the previous zone.
Work History
In 1980, Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation carried out a soil sampling program, collecting 2850 samples along grid lines over exposed horizons of the Gunsteel Formation. In 1983, geological mapping from ground traverses was completed over bedrock exposures on the property. Emphasis was directed at the barite horizon and host Gunsteel Formation. Cyprus Anvil evaluated the economic potential of the land covered by the GIN claims and outlined one primary area of interest. A northwest-trending barite horizon and associated sulphide mineralization southeast along strike were identified in the northern portion of the GIN Property.
In 2007, Rio Grande Mining Corp. conducted a program of geochemical sampling, gravity geophysical surveys, prospecting and geological mapping on the area as part of the Kechika property. The following year, Rio Grande completed an airborne magnetic survey on the area.
In 2010, AsiaBaseMetals Inc. conducted a Fugro airborne DIGHEM geophysical survey consisting of 233.8 line-kilometres over the entire Gnome property to better define the extent of mineralization. The Gnome property held the Gin, Gnome (MINFILE 094F 016) and Aki (MINFILE 094F 027) occurrences. The Gin and Aki were on that part of the Gnome property called the Southern area.
In 2012, follow-up soil geochemical sampling and geological mapping was completed on the Gnome property on behalf of AsiaBaseMetals Inc. to supplement previous soil sampling results. Areas of interest were visited, and infill sampling, mapping and minimal prospecting was conducted. Additionally, the mapped gossans were visited in characterize their source, type, mineralogy and geochemistry. The targeted areas of interest were previously defined by historical work on the property as Areas A, B and C. Within these areas, soil sampling, rock sampling and geological mapping was conducted and structural settings were identified. The Southern area in the vicinity of the Gin and Aki showings were also sampled.
Refer to Gnome (MINFILE 094F 016) for related details of Gnome property, which the Gin occurrence was part of during 2008 through 2014.
In 2018, AsiaBaseMetals Inc. completed a program of soil and rock sampling on the area as the Gnome property. The following year, a program of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a single diamond drill hole, totalling 140 metres, was completed.
