The Surprise Creek occurrence is located just east of Surprise Creek, about 32 kilometres northeast of Stewart.
Regionally, the area is underlain by a sequence of Jurassic clastic and volcanic rocks of the Hazelton Group which trend north to northwest and are intruded by felsic stocks and dikes and/or sills to the west. The area is dominated by a major anticline, which displays eastern vergence. Reddish to maroon andesitic volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks of the Betty Creek Formation are located close to the anticline’s axial plane. To the west and east of the anticline’s axis there are felsic rocks of the Mount Dilworth Formation(?). They form a horizon, 70-200 metres wide, composed of apple green, light grey or white coloured felsic volcanic rocks which include flows, intrusions and pyroclastic rocks. Large gossans are related to sericite alteration and subsequent infusion of quartz and sulphide mineralization and it is speculated that the alteration is associated with the abundant intrusive rocks in the area. In these sericitic zones it is very difficult to differentiate between altered intrusive and felsic volcanic rocks.
At the Surprise Creek showing, a grab sample (CK-05-8) from an old trench that exposes a molybdenite-bearing quartz vein in altered limestone analyzed 0.69 gram per tonne gold, 128.0 grams per tonne silver, less than 0.001 per cent molybdenum and 0.019 per cent copper. About 500 metres north of this sample site, a chip sample (A05-99) across a quartz vein 0.4 metre wide with 5-10 per cent pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor chalcopyrite assayed 0.17 gram per tonne gold, 1.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.101 per cent copper; the vein strikes 220 degrees with steep eastern dips. Nearby, a grab sample (A05-102) from mudstone with 10-15 per cent of extremely fine disseminated sulphides yielded 0.59 gram per tonne gold, 1.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.08 per cent copper (Assessment Report 27981).
About 460 metres north of samples A05-99 and 102, a grab sample (CK-05-3) from a rusty pod with quartz stockwork and pyrrhotite, pyrite and sphalerite(?) analyzed 4.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.118 per cent copper (Assessment Report 27981).
In the 1970s and 1980s, the area underwent prospecting and some trenching was conducted but there are no records for the work done. In 1989, the Surp claims were acquired by Teuton Resources Corp. The following year, Teuton Resources conducted soil, silt and rock sampling. In 1994 and 1996, Teuton Resources conducted an exploration program consisting of reconnaissance geochemical rock and silt sampling in conjunction with prospecting and reconnaissance geological mapping. In 2003, Pinnacle Mines Ltd. collected a total of 78 rock samples from outcrop and float as well as 23 silt samples during an exploration program. In 2004, Pinnacle Mines continued reconnaissance geochemical rock and silt sampling of the property. A total of 220 rock samples both from outcrop and float as well as 19 silt samples were collected during the exploration program. In 2005, Pinnacle Mines continued exploration on the Surprise Creek property and collected a total of 279 rock and 8 silt samples. In 2006, Pinnacle Mines focused on the area immediately west of Short, Long, Grunwald, Jagiello, Ataman and Sarmatia glaciers. This area features a very intense zone of pervasive K-feldspar alteration which stretches out for at least 10 kilometres in the north-south and 4-5 kilometres in the east-west direction. The extent of this alteration zone was determined by K-feldspar staining of a few dozen samples collected from the area. A total of 58 rock samples were collected during the 2006 exploration program. In 2007, an exploration program by Pinnacle Mines consisted of four diamond-drill holes totalling 1995 metres of NQ core.
