The Big Bowl zone of the Inel property occurs in an area that 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 stratigraphy is also cut by Early Jurassic alaskite (quartz-feldspar porphyry).
The Big Bowl zone lies above Bronson Glacier and extends about 1600 metres (in a north-northwest trend) across the Inel 1 claim and part of the Inel 3 claim. It is part of a broad alteration zone.
The host rocks consist of volcanic conglomerates and breccias which have been complexly intruded and altered to feldspathic, pyritic material in which sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena are disseminated. The rocks are deeply weathered, forming bright gossan areas along the lower slopes. The alaskite intrusive is strongly altered and contains disseminated pyrite but has resisted oxidation. These rocks have all been cut by narrow diorite dykes and northeast trending faults. A sample taken from the south fork of Big Bowl Creek assayed 0.04 per cent copper, 1.08 per cent lead, 2.607 per cent zinc, 36.68 grams per tonne silver and 5.76 grams per tonne gold. Another sample taken from the adjacent upper Zinc Creek assayed 0.16 per cent copper, 0.327 per cent lead, 3.90 per cent zinc, 16.46 grams per tonne silver and 2.74 grams per tonne gold (Grove, 1987 (Property File)).
In 1987, Grove reported that because of the extensive overburden in the Big Bowl area, this large 1600 metres long zone had received only cursory attention.
In 1991 Geological mapping and prospecting was carried out by Gulf International in what they called the Western Slopes. In the southern section of this zone an irregular shaped felsic breccia was identified in contact with black argillites and an Alaskite (Quartz Monzonite) intrusive. The breccia has 1 to 15 per cent disseminated pyrite with traces of chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Some breccia fragments contain fine grained disseminated pyrite up to 30 per cent. Few narrow (0.5 to 20.0 centimetres) pyrite veinlets cut the breccia and a 15 centimetre wide massive lens of chalcopyrite was found in an altered intrusive (alaskite) proximal to the breccia. Sample 52478 assayed 0.82 gram per tonne gold, 37.37 grams per tonne silver, 4.02 per cent copper, 0.01 per cent lead and 0.05 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 22026).
Work History
The Inel 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.. Work by Ecstall during 1973 and 1974 included a geochemical silt survey (19 samples), a magnetometer survey over 12 line-kilometres, a vertical-loop electromagnetic survey over 8 line-kilometres, 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 metres 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 metres in 31 holes on the AK zone. In 1991 Gulf conducted mapping, road construction and underground sampling, trenching and 1 drill hole (33 metres) on the AK zone and underground sampling on the Discovery zone.
In 2000, Gulf International conducted traverses in 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.
Refer to Inel (MINFILE 104B 113) for additional and ongoing details of the Inel property work history.
