The Chris area is underlain by Upper Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic, volcaniclastic and sedimentary rocks and an intrusive diorite phase of the Stikine Plutonic Suite. The Stuhini Group volcanic rocks comprise massive andesite, andesite ash, crystal, lithic and lapilli tuff and augite-phyric basalt. Epiclastic rocks include limestone, cherty siltstone and fine-grained arkosic sandstone. All rock units have been moderately chloritized.
The Chris and Anne showings consist of diopside magnetite skarn with fine bands of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. Banding within the zone is commonly parallel to the South Unuk shear and is interpreted as a structurally induced fabric. More massive zones comprised of magnetite occur uphill and away from the shear. The skarn is hosted within hornfelsed and talc-silicate altered sandstones and siltstones. Minor white-sucrosic marble was mapped in the footwall of the zone. In total the zone was traced over a 1.6 km strike with widths attaining 0.5 to 7 metres.
Four types of mineralizations were noted in 1990 on the upper part of the property. 1) Extensive limonitic gossans, associated with hornfelsing, are common around the diorite intrusive contact. Generally, 2 to 5 per cent fine grained pyrite is pervasive and disseminated. Local massive pyrite veins occur in fractures. Only trace amounts of base metal (Cu) were identified. 2) Chloritic shears with sparse malachite, chalcopyrite and pyrite are common. Local quartz veining (0.2 metres) is apparent near these zones. 3 Ankeritic shear zones hosting mineralized quartz-carbonate veins are also common. Galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite in small amounts were noted and sampled. 4) Quartz vein breccias were located within and near the intrusive contact. Malachite and trace chalcopyrite were noted and sampled. Widths did not exceed 0.3 m and strikes were less than 10 metres.
A 1988 rock sample (character unknown) assayed 249 grams per tonne silver. Other rock samples contained as much as 0.37 grams per tonne gold. Stream samples up to 10 grams per tonne gold were also obtained (Personal Communication, Terry Heinrich).
Work History
In 1981, Tsolum Resource Ltd held the Chris 1 and Anne claims. In 1981 Tsolum conducted geological mapping, sampling and geophysical surveys (Assessment Report 9723). Skarn mineralization was discovered and traced.
In 1988 a program of geological mapping, rock and stream silt sampling was undertaken by South Unuk Gold Corp. This program yielded numerous anomalous (>85 ppb) gold values located in streams directly below the Chris and Anne showings (Assessment Report 18801). During June 1988, a geochemical rock and silt program was initiated on the claims to evaluate the gold silver potential. A total of 139 rock and silt samples were collected on the property and analysed for gold, silver and copper.
In 1990, South Unuk Gold Corp collected a total of 251 soil samples collected from the property primarily along the eastern edge of the claims. The property consisted of the Lisa 1, Mikey 1, Jade 1, Jumbo 1 and Ralphus claim. Mapping and sampling on the South Unuk Gold property focused primarily on the stratigraphy above the Chris and Anne skarn showings. It was interpreted that the Banded Sulphide Showing south of the Chris and Anne showings is a southerly extension of this zone.
In 2006 and 2007, Hathor Exploration Ltd. completed a 7228.7 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Sun claims of the Iskut project. In 2008, Max Minerals Ltd. examined the property.
In 2009, (owner) Halthor Exploration and (operator) Max Minerals Ltd conducted wide ranging exploration program on their Pac (104B 310) , Delta, Griz and New claim blocks. Work was done on the Max deposit, Rock and Roll prospect, Fairweaterh (104B 168), Delta Northeast (104B 289), Gracey Creek area (104B 117), Collagh (104B 352) and the Divelbliss Creek area (surveys (Assessment Report 31162). In total, 287 rocks, 28 silt and 997 soil samples were collected. Mapping and sampling in 2009 has shown that copper plus/minus cobalt is present at the Chris and Har showings and also identified new magnetite-calc-silicate skarn mineralization with anomalous copper values. All such occurrences identified to date are arrayed about the diorite intrusion, are marked by anomalous soil geochemistry and respond well to airborne and ground geophysical surveying.
In 2010 soil sampling in the Max deposit area by Max Minerals Ltd (later known as Standard Exploration) area was focused on further delineating mineralization on the Max, Har and Chris grids and to allow for correlation with any anomalies found on the magnetometer surveys (Assessment Report 31747). The Chris grid incorporates the Chris iron plus/minus copper skarn outcrops, which were associated with a weak copper anomaly.
