In the 4-J area, the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation is unconformably overlain by Lower Middle and Middle Jurassic rocks from the Betty Creek and Salmon River Formations, respectively, all part of the Hazelton Group.
The 4-J property hosts unusual, fine-grained stratiform mineralization in black sediments. Petrographic studies suggest the mineralization could be of a VMS nature. High-grade, silver rich boulders located in the same vicinity as the stratiform mineralization have yet to be traced to source.
The occurrence area is comprised of black argillite, conglomerate, greywacke, andesitic tuffs, and volcaniclastics. Bedding attitudes generally vary from north to northeast with steep to moderate western dips. The sediments and volcanics are intruded by two distinct phases of intrusive rocks. The intrusive, a chloritic feldspar porphyry occurs as plugs and sills, and is generally in contact with the volcanic rocks. The younger intrusives, light green, 1 to 3-metre-wide fine-grained hornblende- feldspar porphyry dykes, cut all the other rock types and exhibit a very consistent northwest trend.
A zone of alteration from 10 to 50 metres in width extends hundreds of metres intermittently in a north-south direction. The zone consists of volcaniclastics and feldspar porphyry hydrothermally altered to carbonate-quartz-sericite-pyrite-limonite. This type of hydrothermal action is represented in the argillites as abundant hair- line limonite-quartz-carbonate veins.
Mineralization occurs locally within the alteration zone and consists of: 1) Narrow 1 to 10 centimetre wide quartz veins with minor amounts of sphalerite, galena, and bournonite. 2) Narrow 10 to 50-centimetre-wide veins and shears of pyrite plus or minus arsenopyrite plus or minus sphalerite. 3) Disseminated pyrite in felsic tuffs and argillite. 4) Black argillite hosting stratiform mineralization in the form of very fine-grained laminar wisps of sphalerite and galena. Antimony minerals such as bournonite are present with galena. In addition, several types of mineralized float occur: 5) Vuggy quartz veins boulders with abundant galena and bournonite or bournonite and sphalerite. 6) Altered argillite cobbles with a) sphalerite, bournonite, and antimony, b) banded sphalerite and galena, c) native antimony. 7) Massive sphalerite-pyrite cobbles.
Stratiform mineralization (type 4) was discovered when a wallrock sample of apparently barren, black argillite assayed 21.4 per cent lead, 30.2 per cent zinc, 194.74 grams per tonne silver, and 1.30 grams per tonne gold over a sample width of 0.28 metre (Prospectus - Wedgewood Resources Ltd.)
Mineralized types 1, 2, and 3 do not contain appreciable amounts of precious and/or base metals. One sample of Type 3 contained a high of 1.6 grams per tonne gold. A sample of Type 1 material contained 0.86 per cent zinc, 0.37 per cent lead, 0.19 per cent arsenic, 0.18 per cent antimony, 6.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.44 gram per tonne gold. Samples of Type 5 (float) contained high silver and gold with one sample containing 1217 grams per tonne silver, 2.12 grams per tonne gold, 48.2 per cent lead, 0.02 per cent zinc, 0.04 per cent arsenic and 3.54 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 14386).
During the period August 20 to September 20, 2012 a total of 1359.74 meters of BTW diamond drilling was completed in 25 holes from 1 pad blasted into the hillside. Drilling utilized an underground drill capable of drilling low angle holes. Drilling was near the southeast end of an indicated airborne EM anomaly. Drill holes 2012-4J-1 to 25 tested an area of stratiform mineralization. Massive bournonite-sphalerite lenses are in a zone of intense quartz veining over widths of 7 to 8 metres.
The 2012 drilling tested the east end of a northwest-trending zone of stratiform copper-lead-zinc-silver-gold mineralization associated with strong graphite and quartz infusion. Where exposed, trenching in the past has shown massive mineralization consisting of bournonite (copper-lead-antimony sulphide), tetrahedrite (copper-antimony sulphide), sphalerite (zinc sulphide) and galena (lead sulphide) over six metres of width and 30 metres of length that is poorly exposed in glacial till. This mineralization is underlain by a strong coincident northwest-trending electromagnetic anomaly at least 700 metres long, indicated by several airborne electromagnetic surveys completed by previous operators on the property.
Float boulders carrying bournonite, sphalerite and galena associated with late-stage east-trending shears have been located along trend of the above electromagnetic anomaly for 300 metres before being covered by glacial ice. This is thought to indicate the potential for extension of this type of mineralization for at least 300 metres to the west of the 2012 drilling.
Highlight of the 2012 program included: 2.44 metres grading 1.29 grams per tonne gold, 140.5 grams per tonne silver, 3.23 per cent lead, 11.73 per cent zinc and 2.61 per cent antimony in DDH4J-2012-1, from 11.59 to 14.02 metres depth (New Release, Feb.14, 2013).
In 2016, Rotation Minerals Ltd. drilled two holes testing a geophysical anomaly. Quartz-breccia zones carrying sphalerite and bournonite were intersected in both holes. In addition, brecciated argillite contained coarse pyrite along fractures, along with local minor galena. Drill results were to be forthcoming.
Work History
From 1980 to 1982, the Catspaw claim (southeast of 4J's) was staked by Elan Exploration Ltd and optioned to E & B Exploration. E & B undertook minor prospecting, sampling and geological mapping before returning the property to Elan. Several of the streams draining the Catspaw and Jim claims were noted to carry gold colours when panned by prospectors.
In 1983, the Catspaw claim was optioned to Teuton Resources Corp. Thee property was enlarged by staking the Four-J's claims and the Gamma claim. A stratiform lead-zinc-antimony (gold-silver) occurrence and a boulder train of argentiferous quartz sulfide mineralization was discovered on the John claim. This latter work was undertaken by Billikin Resources under option (the option was relinquished the following year).
In 1984, the Four-J's claims were optioned to Canadian United Minerals Inc. An airborne EM and Mag survey disclosed two EM anomalies under ice cover proximate to the stratiform mineralization noted on the John claim.
In 1985, Noranda Exploration Company sub-optioned the Four-J's from Canadian United. The crew was unable to find the Main Zone due to snow cover. A short program consisting of prospecting, sampling and geophysical surveys was carried out on exposed portions of the property identifying several types of mineralization. Noranda returned the property to Teuton/Canadian United before the start of the second year of the option.
In 1987, the property was optioned by Teuton to Wedgewood Resources. Field program concentrated on prospecting, trenching, sampling and geochemical surveys on the Four-J's and surrounding claims.
In 1988, Wedgewood carried out further rock sampling and mapping on the Four J's, Catspaw and Gamma claims before discontinuing the option.
In 1989, Maple Resource Corporation Exploration entered into an agreement with Teuton to earn a 60 per cent interest in the Four-J's claim. A field program was carried out by Maple concentrating on the Main (4J (104B 128)), Centre, South (104B 124 area) and North Zones (new occurrence). The primary target areas were defined as: the sedimentary exhalative style lead-zinc-silver mineralization in the Main and North Zones and a zone of highly anomalous soil samples collected along contours northeast of the grid area. The Centre zone is located several hundred metres south of the Main 4J zone.
In 1990, Maple drilled 334.06 metres to test a strong gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly in the FM Zone (north of the Main Zone on the 4J claim). The first two holes intersected significant gold mineralization in an argillite/siltstone unit: Hole MA-90-1 assayed 2.67 grams per tonne gold over 9.84 metres and Hole MA-90-2 assayed 2.37 grams per tonne gold over 7.16 meters (as reported in Assessment Report 28381). Two gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies were identified elsewhere on the property.
In 1992, Maple was unable to obtain financing for further work and dropped the option. Teuton carried out a two-day program of sampling and trenching in the largely overburden-covered Main Zone area. This work defined additional small outcrops of laminated sulfides such as were originally discovered in 1983.
In 1990 Big I Developments Ltd. optioned both the Haida #1 and Catspaw mineral claims and performed some geological mapping, limited VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys, rock trenching and a drilled a short diamond drill hole. The exploration program confirmed that number of occurrences of structurally controlled quartz fissure (breccia) zones containing significant gold and silver values. All the known precious metal-bearing showings examined appear to be related to east-west faults and/or contacts. Gold values were as high as 39.77 grams per tonne and silver as high as 4526 grams per tonne (Assessment Report 21212). A diamond drill and rock trenching program were undertaken by Big I Developments in 1991 on the Haida/Catspaw claims. Of the two zones drilled only one (Site 1 - DDH 91-2) encountered anomalous gold silver. While the values encountered were low; 0.38 gram per tonne gold and 27.09 gram per tonne silver over an 11-metre section, the zone may have east-west and down-dip potential (Assessment Report 22124).
In 1998, Teuton carried out a one-day program of sampling and trenching which extended the known strike length of the laminated sulphide mineralization in the Main zone to the north under talus cover. A new exposure yielded a weighted average grade of 7.4 per cent lead, 11.7 per cent zinc and 209.14 grams per tonne silver across a width of 3.0 (Assessment Report 26111).
In 2006, a 427-line kilometre airborne electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical survey was successful in outlining several target areas worthy of further exploration. Principal among these was 4-J, a complex EM anomaly situated under thin ice cover approximately 100 to 200 metres west of the eastern edge of the Smalles icefield. Other significant geophysical anomalies indicated were the EM conductors detected southeast of the 4J anomaly on the Catspaw claim and the discrete, oval-shaped Mag-EM anomaly detected near the southeast corner of the gossan covered by the Tennyson 1-4 claims.
In 2011, the property was optioned to Rotation Minerals who can earn a 50 per cent interest in the property by incurring specific exploration expenditures over 4 years. During the period August 16 to November 30, 2011 a total of 13 rock samples; both outcrop and float were collected on the 4-J.
In 2012, Rotation Minerals Ltd. drilled 1,345 metres of drilling in 17 holes on the 4-J property.
In 2016, Rotation Minerals Ltd. drilled two holes at the 4-J property. Quartz breccia zones carrying sphalerite and bournonite were intersected in both holes.
