The San Diego occurrence is located approximately 7 kilometres north of Alice Arm, and 55 kilometres southeast of Stewart.
The region is underlain by an assemblage of volcanics and sediments comprising the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group and the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group. This assemblage has been folded into a north-northwest trending anticline (Mount McGuire anticline) and regionally metamorphosed to greenschist facies. Dioritic intrusions may be a subvolcanic equivalent of the Jurassic andesitic volcanics.
The prominent gossanous cliffs between Chanterelle and Shiitake creeks (San Diego Cliffs) consist of yellow jarositic sericite-pyrite-carbonate altered diorite in contact with sandstone and argillite. The diorite contains abundant pyrite and locally up to 2 per cent chalcopyrite that yielded up to 0.32 per cent copper with 0.09 gram per tonne gold, and separately, 1070 parts per billion gold in 2003 sampling (Assessment Report 27308). Secondary copper mineralization consisting of malachite and copper oxides are also present in this area.
The San Diego showing located along the base of these cliffs and now covered by talus, was tested by drillholes in 1916 and 1917. The showing is hosted in tuffaceous sandstones and argillites of the Hazelton Group crosscut by narrow dikes. The showing consists of pyritic sandstone, with irregularly distributed chalcopyrite, interbedded with barren argillite. A sample from drillhole Number 2 assayed 2.40 grams per tonne gold and 1.9 per cent copper between 3.66 and 7.32 metres (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1916, page 69). A 12 metre chip sample taken 7.6 metres below where the drillholes were collared assayed 1.99 grams per tonne gold and 0.7 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1916, page 70). In 2008, four drillholes totalling 1186.6 metres were drilled in a radial pattern from a single pad to test an extensive copper and gold-in-soils anomaly associated with a diorite intrusion. The best result was from drillhole 08SD-01 where a 41.02-metre interval from 49.93 to 90.95 metres assayed 0.11 per cent copper, 0.12 gram per tonne gold and 1.85 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 30581).
The Raspberry showings extend north from the San Diego Cliffs and are comprised of strongly sericite-carbonate±silica altered diorite with chalcopyrite along fractures and as coarse blebs with coarse calcite±epidote veinlets, and less commonly in association with magnetite. Secondary copper mineralization, including malachite, chalcocite and covellite on fractures, has also been noted. These showings extend along a strike length of approximately 250 metres and have yielded values of 0.31 per cent copper and 0.45 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 27308).
The Knoll showing lies approximately 150 metres north of the Raspberry showings and consists of a 20 metre high by 20 metre long outcrop of chlorite-calcite altered diorite with chalcopyrite, pyrite, magnetite, malachite, and azurite. Test pitting of soil anomalies in this area has defined a mineralized strike length exceeding 100 metres with rock samples up to 0.38 per cent copper and 0.75 gram per tonne gold ((Assessment Report 27308).
The first prospecting in the Alice Arm area was carried out in the early 1900s resulting in the discovery of polymetallic lead-zinc-silver-gold veins and porphyry copper-gold mineralization. The San Diego occurrence was tested by two drillholes in 1916. A second phase of exploration activity commenced in the 1960s for porphyry copper and molybdenum mineralization. In 1965 and 1966, Northlodge Copper Mines Ltd. carried out limited trenching, grid soil sampling and a photogeological survey over the Red Bluff area. Kennco Exploration Ltd. carried out reconnaissance geological mapping and grid soil sampling over the Red Bluff area and across the Dak River onto the current FH 2 claim in 1968. Amax Exploration Ltd. carried out further geological mapping, stream sediment sampling, and rock and soil sample traverses of the Red Bluff area in 1980. Hemlo Gold Mines Ltd. examined the Red Bluff area in 1990 and established reconnaissance soil sample traverse lines. In 1991, Great Northern Resources Corp. sampled five contour soil sample lines at 50-metre sample intervals on the north and south sides of the Dak River. Hemlo Gold Mines Ltd. opted to earn an interest in the claims covering the current FH claims from Great Northern Resources Corp. and Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. conducted the 1992 and 1993 exploration programs on Hemlo’s behalf. Hemlo established a grid from the Red Bluff area south to the current FH 2 claim. Hemlo collected 261 samples every 50 metres. In addition, a total of 80 rock samples were collected to accompany geological mapping. In 1993, Hemlo extended this grid and infilled portions, collecting a total of 134 soil samples. A total of 32 rock and three silt samples were also collected.
After Great Northern Resources Corp’s claims were allowed to lapse, F.Onucki staked the current FH claims in 1996. Atna Resources Ltd. examined the property and collected 13 samples from a reconnaissance soil line and 10 rock samples. Goldzone Exploration Inc. optioned the FH claims in 1997 and carried out grid soil sampling south of the Dak River in 1997 and 1998, collecting 254 soil samples and 17 rock samples over the two years. Goldzone returned to the property in 1999 and collected an additional 16 rock samples.
The 2003 Energulf Resources Inc. exploration program was comprised of geological mapping, prospecting, and grid soil geochemical sampling. A total of 335 soil and 84 rock samples were collected. Soil sampling on the FH property has defined a 1350 by 500 metre copper-gold-molybdenumn-silver soil anomaly that is directly related to a mineralized porphyritic diorite intrusion. Mapping and prospecting have delineated copper-gold mineralization over a 1000 by 300 metre corridor within this soil anomaly.
A helicopter-borne electromagnetic, magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometer survey was originally flown in August-September 2011 over the Kinskuch Property of Bravo Gold Corporation. Bravo Gold changed its corporation name to Homestake Resource Corporation in April 2012, subsequently acquired the FH Property which lays inside the original Kinskuch survey, and which is completely covered by that dataset. The FH Property is covered by about 81.1 line-kilometres of data acquired on a grid pattern of 100 metre-spaced traverses oriented east-west, controlled by 1000 metre-spaced tie lines flown north-south. Products obtained from this survey include the total magnetic intensity, (magnetic) first vertical derivative, derived coplanar apparent resistivity grids, and gamma-ray spectrometry grids of total counts, potassium, thorium and uranium. A geosoft and ascii database of the profile data, as well as the auto-pick airborne electromagnetic (AEM) anomalies, was also provided. Enhanced derivative grids of the magnetics were generated and imaged as part of this interpretation; a texture and phase analysis of the magnetics was also undertaken in order to identify and map possible zones of structural complexity which may in turn indicate zones of favourable mineralization. A profile by profile review of all AEM anomalies was carried out preparatory to identifying high-priority areas of interest and zones for further investigation and ground follow-up.
