The Oxidental occurrence lies east of Salmon River Glacier, on the west slope of Mount Dilworth. Host rocks consist of volcanic breccia and andesite tuff, with interbedded siltstone, argillite and conglomerate of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation, Hazelton Group. The area lies within the Portland Canal dike swarm, which consists generally of granodiorite/quartz diorite dikes, cutting the volcaniclastics and mineralized veins.

The mineralization occurs in calcite-quartz-sericite-pyrite rich andesite tuffs. Quartz-pyrite, quartz chlorite, and pyrite-carbonaceous veining is extensive. The Oxidental occurrence is a 1.0 metre thick chert-limestone layer or vein which strikes 110 degrees and dips 55 degrees southwest. A drift follows this layer for 30 metres. The layer contains semi-massive to disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, polybasite, argentite, pyrargyrite, and native silver. To the south are quartz-pyrite-carbon rich rocks containing bands of pyrite-sphalerite-galena up to 20 centimetres thick.

The Oxidental was drilled in 2008 targeting high grade surface chip sampling from 2007 (9.0 metres of 15.4 grams per tonne gold and 766 grams per tonne silver). Mineralization is hosted in a rusty kaolinite-rich fault zone striking northeast southwest, dipping steeply to the northwest. The fault zone was intersected in both drill holes. Insignificant gold was present in drill core. One 2.0 metres sample ran 7.89 grams per tonne gold in HL0827; but it was not related to the main zone on surface (Assessment Report 31000).

In 2007, Ascot Resources reported that the Oxidental area was very steep, and the locations of the surface showings made drilling awkward and difficult. Drill core intersections consisted of grey propylitic altered basalt and some mineralization as small galena and sphalerite-rich irregular quartz calcite veins. The veins cut other features and appear to be one of the youngest generations of veins seen on the property. No significant gold or silver was intersected in the core and it was thought likely that the surface showings were likely not intersected from the available pad location. The orientation of this high-grade structure is unknown, but it does lie near the Below Helen vein and the possibility was surmised by Ascot Resources that it may be an extension of it, faulted and offset a few metres to the west by a structure running east-west down the main gully separating the two areas.

The nearby Below Helen showing was discovered in 2007 as a gossan and veining on the steep north side of the main east-west running gully in this area. It yielded the highest grade surface samples found on the property to 2007. Drilling was focused on the main Below Helen vein, and its extensions to the northwest, as well as the main fault structure running east-west just south of the main Below Helen vein. Holes HL0716 – HL0722 were drilled as a fan to target the main high-grade Below Helen vein. These holes intersected several silicified altered zones. Holes HL0722, 23, 25,26,27,28, 32 and 33 were drilled to test the northwest extension of these mineralized zones. Results did not reflect the high grades found on surface, but gold-silver zones were intersected. Drilling at Below Helen intersected 8.5 metres grading of 0.9 gram per tonne gold and 1 metre of 31.5 grams per tonne gold, and 2 metres of 15.1 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 29918). A grab from the Below Helen vein contains 227.26 grams per tonne gold and 1000 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 29918).

Work History

The Yellowstone group was prospected from about 1911 by owners D. Lindeborg and associates. In 1914 the claims were under option to the Canadian Mining and Exploration Company, Limited and surface exploration was done in shallow shafts and trenches; the option was subsequently dropped. In 1917 the property consisted of the Yellowstone, Butte, and Old Timer claims, owned by Bill Murphy and the Stevenson Estate, of Hyder, Alaska. Mr. Murphy carried on assessment work for several years; an adit was begun in 1923 but its final length is unknown. A survey of the Forty Nine group showed much of the open cutting and stripping by the owners of the Yellowstone group was done on Forty Nine ground. The Yellowstone claim (Lot 4031) was Crown-granted to Laura McEwan & associates in 1925.

The Dickens and Dawson claims, later part of the Forty nine group, were under bond to the Pacific Coast Exploration Company, Limited in 1910. Exploration work consisted of open cuts and 7.6 metres of tunnel. The Forty Nine group was owned by Dan and Andy Lindeborg in 1917. The Forty Nine Mining Company Limited, formed in 1919, purchased 9 claims from the Lindeborgs, including the Forty Nine, Oxidental, Fellowstone Fraction, Dickens, Darwin, Dumas, Chicago, Boston, and Million Dollar Fraction (Lots 4023-4030 and 4034). Work 3y the company included driving two adits. The main adit consists of some 85.3 metres of drifts and crosscuts. The adit on the Oxidental claim was driven on the vein for 29 metres. This work failed to develop any ore of importance. No further work was done until 1922 when the Oxidental adit was extended to a total length of 35 metres.

The Premier Gold Mining Company, Limited did considerable diamond drilling on the Forty Nine, Chicago, and Oxidental c1aims in 1925 but details of this work are lacking. The Northland Mining Company, Limited after relinquishing its bond In the Troy group in 1926 took over the Bank group of 9 claims, lying between the Troy and the Forty Nine properties, and promoted it under the name Forty Nine Extension. No work was reported on this property.

In 2005, a total of 48 samples were taken from various outcroppings and showings on tenure 410699 (Dickens claim) and 407410 (Helen claim) on behalf of owners Rick Kasum and Julia Wang (Assessment Report 28261). A total of ten 1 metre chip samples were taken from new showings found during the summer program with promising assay results. The Dilworth claim group included Helen (407410), Montana (512200), Dickens (410699), Honda (507105), Kicker (504666), Zip 2 (507144), Zap (507141), Zip (507143), Overlay (518592), Dilworth North Extension (517869)

The 2007 exploration program of Ascot Resources Ltd included aggressive surface sampling and a diamond drill program on the Dilworth property which includes the Kasum option worked in 2005 and claims optioned from Boliden Ltd 250767 (Lindgren), 252193 (Chicago Fraction), 255400 (49), 255401 (Oxidental), 255402 (Chicago), 255403 (Yellowstone), (Assessment Report 29918). Drilling consisted of 36 BQ sized holes totaling 4854.96 metres. The areas drilled include the Chicago, Hammer, 49, Below Helen and Oxidental. Overall drilling results did not yield the same moderate to high grade gold numbers as found on surface; however, wide low-grade zones and some high-grade zones were intersected.

The 2008 exploration program of Ascot Resources Ltd included diamond drilling, Surface rock sampling, geological mapping, a 428.2-kilometre airborne Mag/EM survey and airborne radiometric survey, geochemical sampling including contour sampling, a soil grid and stream sediment sampling of all streams on the west and east sides of the property. Diamond-drilling in 2008 totalled 10885.1 metres in 63 holes.

Ascot Resources Ltd conducted exploration on the Dilworth Property in 2007 and 2008 and subsequently acquired the Premier Gold Property from Boliden Ltd under the terms of a June 12, 2009 option agreement. During 2009 all exploration activity was conducted on the Premier and Big Missouri Properties.

In 2010, the Premier Gold Project comprised of the Silbak-Premier, Big Missouri and Dilworth Properties. The Silbak-Premier and Big Missouri Properties are comprised of 37 mineral tenures, 3 mining leases and 170 crown granted mineral claims covering a gross area of 7442.63 hectares. All claims are owned by Boliden Ltd. Ascot Resources Ltd acquired its interest in the Premier Property from Boliden Limited under the terms of an option agreement dated June 12, 2009. Ascot must also exercise its option to purchase the mineral claims of the Dilworth Property under the 2007 option agreement.

See also Yellowstone (104B 039), Premier (104B 054) and Big Missouri (104B 046) for related details of the Premier-Dilworth project held as a single entity in the 2000s by Bolden and Ascot Resources. Oxidental is contained in the Dilworth zone (or deposit) for which Ascot Resource has estimated resources in the indicated and inferred categories. See Yellowstone for these details.