The Shan occurrence is on a ridge bordering the east side of Snippaker Creek, approximately 6 kilometres southeast of its confluence with Iskut River.

The Shan area is underlain by a sequence of marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Upper Stuhini Group. The stratigraphy has been intruded by monzodioritic to gabbroic rock of the Early Jurassic Lehto Batholith.

Locally, the claims are underlain by a succession of limestone, volcanics and related sediments. The oldest rocks appear to belong to a thick sequence of andesitic volcanic breccia which also contains minor tuff and argillite beds. A thick unit of light grey, banded, fossiliferous (crinoidal) limestone is intercalated with the andesitic breccias.

These units are intruded syenodiorite porphyry and later granodiorite. The syenodiorite is characterized by 1.0 to 1.5 centimetre hornblende phenocrysts. The main body strikes northeast across the property and locally, occurs both as sills and dikes within the layered rocks. The granodiorite occurs as near vertical dikes within the syeno-diorite porphyry. It is characterized by a fine-grained matrix with 1 to 3 millimetre biotite grains. The youngest rocks appear to be narrow, fine-grained gabbro dikes which also strike northeast across the property.

Rock alteration consists of propylitization, silicification, serpentinization and contact metasomatism. The contact metasomatism has resulted in the formation of actinolite-epidote skarns within the limestone and calcareous volcanics near the syeno-diorite porphyry. Serpentinization is minor and is observed on faults which crosscut the limestone and may be related to the late gabbroic intrusions. Zones of silicification are observed within the finer grained volcanics and appear to be related to the intensity of late stage quartz veining. Propylitic alteration is widespread and is characterized by quartz veining with epidote and the alteration of mafic minerals to epidote and chlorite in all rocks.

Mineral occurrences on the property can be classified into three categories, namely skarns, weak quartz stockworks and late quartz veins (refer to Josh, 104B 290 and Josh 3, 104B 291). Mineralization related to skarns is best developed with the limestone and calcareous volcanic units along the northern margin of the syeno-diorite porphyry. Zinc and copper mineralization occur over a strike length of 610 metres and a width of about 152 metres. In 1983, old trenches were resampled.

Trench 1 hosted massive pyrite, chalcopyrite and magnetite mineralization in a strong actinolite-epidote skarn within calcareous volcanics. The exposed, massive lens averaged 7.0 metres in length and 0.8 metres in width. In 1983, a 0.7 metre sample of this mineralization from Trench 1 assayed 4.19 per cent copper, 0.01 per cent lead, 0.12 per cent zinc, 30.5 grams per tonne silver and 0.1 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11306).

Trenches 2 and 3 hosted irregular, discontinuous lenses of light brown, crystalline sphalerite with actinolite-epidote-garnet skarn. The maximum thickness averaged about 1.0 metre. Minor chalcopyrite and magnetite occur with the sphalerite. In 1983, a 0.9 metre sample from Trench 2 assayed 24.8 per cent zinc, 0.03 per cent copper, 0.01 per cent galena, 22.97 grams per tonne silver and trace gold (Assessment Report 11306).

A well weathered actinolite-epidote-garnet skarn exposed in Trench 4 is characterized by 0.3 metre pods of massive chalcopyrite associated with magnetite and vuggy crystalline quartz.

The mineralized skarns can be found in most exposures of the limestone and calcareous volcanics which have been intruded by the syenodiorite. Massive sphalerite, chalcopyrite and magnetite mineralization is found and is characterized by low silver values with traces of lead and gold. Rare galena and tetrahedrite were reported in actinolite-magnetite-garnet skarn zones.

Shan showings consist of Cu-Zn skarn mineral assemblages with anomalous bismuth and tellurium in a gangue of magnetite-epidote-actinolite-quartz-garnet. Bismuth tellurides present on the Shan skarn suggest that there is potential for epithermal bonanza ore, and there is considerable zonation of copper and zinc.

Work History

In 1963, Newmont Mining Corp. of Canada Ltd. performs an aeromagnetic survey over the Shan showings. A very strong (2000 to 4000 gamma) increase in total field anomaly is recognized in the vicinity of a west-northwest trending ridge crest along the axis of the Shan showings (Assessment Report 570).

From 1969 to 1972, Skyline Explorations Ltd carried out geological mapping, linecutting, soil sampling, and hand trenching (Assessment Report 4140). Copper values up to 3.2 per cent across 3 metres and zinc values up to 9.63 per cent across 3 metres were obtained from the trenching. Higher grades of copper and zinc were obtained from actinolite-epidote-garnet skarn with magnetite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and/or galena mineralization.

In 1983, Gulf International Minerals options Josh claims to Anaconda Canada Exploration Ltd., and Placer Development Ltd. Dighem Ltd. performs an airborne EM, resistivity, and total field magnetometer survey over the claims. Total field magnetics identified 100 by 200 metre (1,000 to 3,000 nT) highs associated with the Shan and Unnamed skarn showings. Similar size and strength magnetic highs are associated with the west, middle, and east ridge areas of the Kirk showings. Several northwest trending EM conductors were located northwest of the Shan showings and are interpreted to be massive to semi-massive sulphide bearing zones. A 200 by 500 metre area (300 to 600 ohmmetre) resistivity high was located near the Iskut River valley floor in the northeast portion of the claims. Field crews perform geological mapping, prospecting, and stream sediment geochemistry. Important showings located in this program include; Unnamed showing, quartz vein grab in andesite, 8.3 grams per tonne gold and 118.6 parts per million Ag; Kirk showing, 2.0 metre wide quartz vein in altered granodiorite, 2.4 grams per tonne gold and 23.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 11306).

In 1985, Pamicon Developments Ltd. performs geological mapping, trenching, and soil geochemistry on behalf of Gulf International Minerals Ltd. A chip sample from the Kirk showings (DR-13) across 1.2 metres, assayed 4.20 per cent copper, 3.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 13321).

In 1987, Redwood Resources Inc. options the property from Gulf International Minerals Ltd. geological mapping and rock chip sampling is performed. Sample # 6707 from the Kirk showings assayed 11.19 per cent copper, 186.52 grams per tonne silver and 3.94 grams per tonne gold across an interval 15 metres (Assessment Report 16855).

In 1988, Orequest Consultants Ltd, on behalf of Redwood Resources performed trenching and rock chip sampling. Trench #3 yielded a value of 6.51 grams per tonne gold across 0.25 metre (Assessment Report 18077).

A limited trenching and chip sampling program, and soil geochemistry survey were completed on the Josh claim group of Redwood Resources Inc in 1989 (Assessment Report (19410).

A field exploration program by Yuma Gold Mines in 1990 comprised geological mapping, prospecting, trenching and rock, soil, and stream geochemical sampling on the Josh 1-4 property (Assessment Report 20647). They investigated three previously unexplored areas on the property and completed: 4.135 line kilometres of survey line; collected: 144 soil samples, 9 silt samples and 29 rock samples; drilled, blasted and mucked three trenches f or a total volume of 15.8 cubic meters; and mapped and prospected related work areas.

In 1990, the British Columbia Geological Survey performed geological mapping and rock chip sampling on the Shan, Kirk, and Unnamed showings. Eight samples were taken from these showings (Fieldwork 1990).

In 1994, on behalf of Guardian Resources Corp, Ashworth Explorations Ltd performed geological mapping and rock chip sampling (91 samples), stream sediment (38 samples) sampling and magnetometer geophysics (8.3 kilometres) (Assessment Report 23636). Samples from the southwest zone gave elevated Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au values in stream sediment samples which came from a 200 by 750 metre area at 1430 metre elevation, located about 1 kilometre south of the Kirk West Ridge and 0.8 kilometre north of the Unnamed showing. Magnetometer surveys reveal very strong positive anomalies on Shan and weak-moderate positive anomalies on the Kirk showings. Rock sampling occurred on the Shan, Kirk, and Unnamed showings.

In 1995, Cominco geologists examine the Middle Ridge showings with the one sample assaying 1.48 per cent copper, 0.19 per cent lead, 2.39 per cent zinc, 23.5 grams per tonne silver and 1.96 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24437).

In 1995, Grids were established at the West Ridge, SW Zone, and Middle Ridge showings. A total 0.8 kilometre line grid on the West Ridge-southwest Zone and 1 kilometer line grid on the Middle Ridge was surveyed. The grid was used for geological mapping IP, HLEM, VLF-EM, and Mag geophysics. Kirk West Ridge and Middle Ridge (Mag, VLF and HLEM), Kirk SW (VLF and HLEM) and Shan (VLF). The IP survey consisted of seven lines carried out over the West Ridge Grid and the South West Zone Grid for a total survey length of 3105 meters. It revealed 11 anomalies (Assessment Report 24437).

Quartz breccia veins and skarn are two types of mineralization present on the Wolf claims which contain significant Cu-Ag-Au values. En echelon, northeast trending faults traced for 2 kilometres have localized concentrations of gold and silver bearing pyrite, chalcopyrite (with minor sphalerite, galena, pyrrhotite, bornite) in direct association with quartz or syenite veins/dikes.

In 2002, work was conducted on the Josh 3 showing area (104B 291) by Parkside 2000 Resource Corp whose BX 1-10 claims covered much of Guardian's former Wolf claim area (Assessment Report 27193). A total of 10 rock samples and 1 stream sediment sample were collected in 2002 by Parkside 2000. Parkside 2000 conducted most of its 2002 work on the Black Bluff (104B 392) and Unnamed showings to the south.

In 2006 and 2007, Hathor Exploration Ltd. completed a 7228.7 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Snip claims of the Iskut project. In 2008, Max Minerals Ltd. examined the property.

During 2009 through 2011, Skyline Gold Corp. completed programs of prospecting, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, trenching, airborne and ground geophysical surveys and 23 diamond drill holes, totalling 5676 metres, on the area as the Iskut property.

In 2016, Colorado Resources Ltd. collected 69 rock and 38 soil samples from the SHAN (Josh) area. Zinc, lead, and silver mineralization occurs in a window where mafic tuffs, limestones and bedded siltstone are in contact with intrusive rocks. Mineralization is associated with quartz-carbonate-sphalerite ±pyrite ±chalcopyrite ±magnetite veins or as massive to disseminated sphalerite pods, often along contacts between units and in chloritized sediments and mafic tuffs (Assessment Report 36761).