The Golden Spray occurrence is located in northwest British Columbia, approximately 98 kilometres northwest of Stewart.
The Golden Spray area is underlain by a sequence of folded and faulted upper Triassic andesitic volcanic and clastic sedimentary rock units of the Stuhini Group. The sequences of clastic layered rocks consist of volcanic wackes, andesitic flows, and argillite interbeds.
In the Golden Spray vicinity, rocks consist mainly of a basal sequence of greywacke with minor interbedded siltstone which is overlain by andesite agglomerate. The greywacke-siltstone unit shows pervasive weak to moderate chlorite alteration, hosts minor disseminated pyrite and locally, is silicified and strongly fractured. The andesite agglomerate is comprised of 1 centimetre long phenocrysts of plagioclase and hornblende set in an andesitic matrix. Minor hornblende-porphyry dikes, which are strongly magnetic and host pyrite and calcite, were observed crosscutting the stratigraphy.
The most significant mineralization found on the property is confined to a prominent northwest-southeast lineament which is in excess of 1.0 kilometre long and is referred to as the Main Creek. Auriferous quartz veining exposed in trenches in the Golden Spray zone strike 300 metres along this structure. A second parallel lineament lies 200 metres to the north and both of these structures are intersected by a north trending lineament which cuts the north end of the Golden Spray zone.
In 1987, five trenches were excavated along a 300 metre strike length of the Golden Spray zone. Trenches 1 and 2 host parallel quartz veining with massive pyrite, separated by up to 1.0 metre of fractured, chloritic greywacke. The zone trends 102 degrees with a vertical dip. The limonitic quartz veining is also associated with minor magnetite and galena.
A sample from Trench 87-1 of semi-massive pyrite in limonitic quartz veining assayed 11.28 grams per tonne gold, 69.1 grams per tonne silver, 0.37 per cent arsenic, 0.036 per cent copper, 0.16 per cent lead, 0.068 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 16678).
Trench 87-3 exposes the best mineralized part of the Golden Spray zone, the Golden Spray vein. This vein hosts massive pyrite with lesser sphalerite and magnetite in quartz veining up to thicknesses of 1.4 metres over a strike length of 13 metres. The zone trends 117 degrees with a vertical dip. (In 1987, two chip samples of massive pyrite and minor magnetite assayed 4.94 grams per tonne gold, 81.0 grams per tonne silver, 2.05 per cent arsenic over 1.3 metres and 5.35 grams per tonne gold, trace silver, 2.28 per cent arsenic over 1.4 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 16678)).
A series of limonitic quartz-pyrite veins occur along the Main Creek and trend about 135 degrees dipping 75 degrees northeast. Auriferous quartz veins occur mainly on the east side of Main Creek.
Work History
In 1986 Hector Resources lnc. acquired the Jazz claims, then known as the Sky and Spray claims, through an option agreement with Skyline Exploration Ltd. In 1987 Hector carried out a 140 man-day program including geological mapping, prospecting, and geochemical and geophysical surveys. The program led to trenching and a 15 hole, 610 meter diamond drill program to delineate an auriferous vein known as the Golden Spray Vein. During the 1987 field season these 15 holes tested trenches 87-1, 3, 4 and 5. The bulk of the drilling activity was centred on Trench 87-3 - the Golden Spray Vein - which on surface hosts the strongest mineralization. Eight diamond drill holes tested this zone and successfully intersected the vein to a depth of 35 metres and along strike for 30 metres. A 0.48 metre drill interval in DDH 87-5 assayed 74.74 grams per tonne gold and 7.06 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report (Assessment Report 16678).
Hector Resources conducted exploration on their adjacent Stu claims in 1988 (Assessment Report 18508). In 1990, Hector Resources conducted exploration on their Stu 4 and 5 and Sky 4 and 5 (which covered the Golden Spray occurrence) (Assessment Report 20656). Most of the work was directed to the nearby Timber, East and West showings. Some mapping occurred on the Golden Spray grid which indicated much of the area above 1000 metres to be covered by a sequence of volcanic derived sediments consisting of greywacke, siltstone and sandstone.
In 1996, the Jazz property covered the Golden Spray area and was held by Maple Mark International Inc and Royal Bay Gold Corp (Assessment Report 24727). No work was reported.
In 2014, Colorado Resources Ltd. took 4 rock samples around Golden Spray, with assay results returning up to 4.1 grams per tonne gold from narrow quartz-limonite veins (Assessment Report 35184).
