The AK prospect is within the Inel property, approximately 700 metres north of INEL (Minfile 104B 113) and 8 kilometres south of Iskut River, Northwest B.C.

The AK zone of the Inel property is primarily underlain by marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. Lower Jurassic andesitic volcanics of the Hazeleton Group overlie the Stuhini rocks and Early Jurassic feldspar porphyritic rock and monzodioritic to gabbroic rock intrude the strata.

The lowest exposed rocks on the property are felsic pyroclastic rocks that are overlain by clastic sediments and interbedded tuffaceous rocks. The sediments are overlain by flows and tuffs of basaltic composition. The coarser clastics appear to be more common toward the south end of the property and are presumed to grade both to the north and stratigraphically upward into black, finely-laminated argillites. These argillites are the host of the gold-bearing intrusive breccia at the AK showing.

The AK zone was the most significant zone discovered to the year 2000 and is distinctive because mineralization is associated with an intrusive breccia that cross-cuts the enclosing sediments and closely follows a megacrystic syenite dike (potassium feldspar porphyry).

The AK zone was discovered in 1988 and drilled from surface and underground in 1989 and 1990. The zone is 600 metres north of the Discovery zone (MINFILE 104B 113) and 400 metres north-northwest of the Inel Ridge zone (104B 258). In 1990, 367 metres of underground drifting were completed preparatory to an underground drilling program. The AK zone contains an intrusive breccia dyke that is accompanied by and contains clasts of a megacrystic syenite dike. Mineralization consists of gold in association with pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite and is hosted by a syenitic intrusive breccia. The breccia contains fragments of syenite, argillite and some basalt.

The mineralized intrusive breccia was traced over a strike length of 240 metres; a drill intersection of 9.2 metres grading 18.1 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 21157). The highest gold values seem to be concentrated along one horizon at about the 1690 metre level. This zone may extend or repeat into other areas of known mineralization, the Inel Ridge zone to the southeast and the Discovery South zone to the south.

In the AK drift a light olive green to grey rock with stockwork type mineralization has been identified. It is composed of veinlets, stringers and concentrations of sphalerite, pyrrhotite and pyrite, with minor galena. This mineralized structure appears to be associated with a felsic to intermediate dike system.

Another of the better drill intercepts include 12.5 metres grading 13.17 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 22026).

In 2017, Colorado Resources completed 5 diamond drill holes on the “Upper AK” area. Gold in soil geochemistry had defined a 200 metre by 500 metre area and new zinc mineralization downdip of AK adit. As a result, the 5 drillholes were sited above the AK Zone to test soil geochemical anomalies north of Inel Ridge. Drill results included 0.96 grams per tonne gold and 21.38 per cent zinc over 10 metres (Colorado Resources, News Release, November 6, 2017).

Work History

The showings were reportedly discovered by Cominco Ltd in 1965 and staked as the Inel group in 1969.

A 90 per cent interest in the Inel 7-60 claims was acquired by Skyline Explorations Ltd. through a January 1970 agreement with Robert Gifford. Trenching and sampling was carried out in 1971. During 1972 Texas Gulf, Inc, as operator, restaked the property and carried out geological mapping and resampling.

In June 1973 Skyline optioned the property (Inel 7-72) to Ecstall Mining Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Texasgulf Inc. (Texas Gulf, Inc, in 1973. Work by Ecstall during 1973 and 1974 included a geochemical silt survey (19 samples), a magnetometer survey over 8 line-miles, a vertical-loop electromagnetic survey over 5 line-miles, and trenching on Inel 43, and 45.

Skyline restaked the ground in 1980 as the Inel 1-4 claims (80 units). Work by Skyline from 1980 to 1985 included geological mapping, electromagnetic surveys, trenching, sampling and drilling. In 1984, 22 holes were drilled totaling 1630 metres.

Inel Resources Ltd. was incorporated in 1987 and acquired ownership of the Inel claims. In 1987, Inel completed 183 metres of underground development on the Discovery zone. In 1988, a further 570 metres of underground development and 4258 meters in 54 holes were completed on the Discovery zone. The AK zone was discovered in 1987.

In 1989, Inel Resources and Gulf International Minerals Ltd amalgamated and Gulf completed 5454 metres of drilling in 46 holes on the Discovery zone and 3060 meters in 31 holes on the AK zone. In 1991 Gulf conducted mapping, road construction and underground sampling, trenching and 1 drillhole (33 meters) on the AK zone and underground sampling on the Discovery zone.

In 2000, Gulf International conducted traverses the area of the AK Zone and the extent of mineralization was traced as far as snow conditions allowed. A total of five samples was collected in the area and plotted on existing geology maps.

In 2016, Colorado’s exploration program on its KSP property included sampling (990 soil, 511 rock), geological mapping (50 square kilometres), ground geophysics (IP, 10-line kilometres; ground mag, 47-line kilometres) an airborne VTEM survey (126 line kilometres) and 8,862 metres of diamond drilling in 59 holes. Drilling (53 holes) focused around the former Inel underground workings (104B 113).

In 2017, Colorado Resources drilled a total of 11,824 metres in 24 holes at the KSP property. In 2017, 5 diamond drill holes were completed on the “Upper AK” area, holes 074 to 078 (Assessment Report 37604).

In 2018 Colorado Resources drilled 4 holes in the BRDZ (Inel Ridge) area and 4 holes in the Upper AK area. The drilling in the Inel area continued to return encouraging results. Similar to previous Inel area holes, these are dominated by thick intersections of barren interbedded siltstones, sandstones and wackes, with subordinate volcaniclastics, breccias and encountering minor thin monzonite. Inel appears to have multiple styles of mineralization and a complex geological picture (Assessment Report 38707). Colorado Resources Ltd. announced its name change to QuestEx Gold & Copper Ltd. on September 16, 2020.

See Inel (Discovery zone MINFILE 104B 113) for related details.