The Burton area is underlain by Devonian to Permian marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Stikine Assemblage which are overlain by marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. Regionally, Lower Jurassic rock of the Hazelton groups overly the Stuhini rock. The stratigraphy is intruded by Late Triassic dioritic rock and Eocene rocks of the Coast Plutonic Complex.
Lower Tertiary feldspar porphyry stock (related to the Coast Plutonic Complex) intrudes the Paleozoic rocks. The intrusives are exposed along the west shores of the Craig River and more monzonitic or granodioritic stocks are exposed to the south along the east side of the Jekill River.
On the property, the most abundant package of rocks consists of metamorphosed Pennsylvanian to Permian sediments and volcanics which occupy the western half of the claims. Massive dark green andesitic flows are interbedded with limestones, rusty argillites, tuff, phyllites and quartzite. The andesites or greenstones are resistant weathering, host abundant chlorite and are peppered with disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite. Overlying these units is a white crystalline Permian limestone which is exposed on the northern part of Brunt Mountain and north of the claims (refer to Craig River, 104B 005).
Deformation of the rock units results from folding along a northwest-southeast axial trace with warping and shearing along a northeast direction.
Mineralization occurs within quartz veins associated with pyritic siliceous zones in the tuffs or sediments. In "B" Creek, mineralization occurs along a sediment-andesite contact. Sulphide mineralogy includes pyrite, galena, sphalerite and magnetite within a quartz vein that averages 5 metres in width and 35 metres in length. The vein follows the contact zone. In 1980, a mineralized sample from this vein assayed 4.05 grams per tonne gold, 72.34 grams per tonne silver, 1.16 per cent lead, 0.01 per cent zinc and 0.004 per cent copper (Assessment Report 9190).
To the east, within another small creek valley, a calcite vein within the andesite hosts pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena and magnetite. Sample 6448 from this vein assayed 0.309 gram per tonne gold, 14.40 grams per tonne silver, 0.02 per cent lead, 0.03 per cent zinc and 1.86 per cent copper (Assessment Report 9190).
Work History
There is no record of any mineral exploration in the vicinity prior to 1980, at which time a brief reconnaissance program was carried out by DuPont of Canada Exploration Limited, mainly south of the HAG Claims on the Burton and Cumming claims (Assessment Report 9190). In addition to the mapping a total of 8 rock samples and 16 stream sediment samples were obtained by DuPont.
In 1983, Energex Minerals Ltd. staked a large block of ground including what was later covered by the HAG claims. A very limited exploration program managed to substantiate DuPont's efforts, but most of the work was in areas other than the HAG claims (Assessment Report 11342). The claim group consisted of the Star 1-10 claims. During the program 44 silt samples, 26 heavy concentrate samples and 31 rock samples were collected.
In 1987, Cove Energy Corporation completed an exploration program on the Hag 2, 4 and 8 claim including the collection of 1347 soil, 142 silt, 86 rock and 24 heavy mineral samples (Assessment Report 16894). Some stream sediment sampling was done in the area just northeast of the Burton (104B 307) and Star (104B 309) showings, on streams which pass through those showing areas.
In 1987 to 1988, orthophotographic maps were prepared at a scale of 1:10,000 to cover the Hag 1, 3, 5-7 claims and a structural and geological interpretation completed. An airborne geophysical survey was also conducted in 1987 and 1988 totalling 99 kilometres of EM (VLF) and magnetics on the Hag 1, 3, 5-7 claims which contained the Burton (104B 307) and Star (104B 308) showings. Four bedrock conductors were outlined by the airborne program on the claims. Field checks were recommended at the time.
