The Telena showing is underlain by Upper Paleozoic marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Stikine Assemblage. The Burgundy Ridge trend, including the Telena, 72 (Dirk), Telena, and Burgundy Ridge prospect, is underlain by metamorphosed Permian limestone (marble); green, silicified fine-grained rocks; a variety of orthoclase porphyries and mega-porphyries (syenites); and late orthoclase dikes, often exhibiting retrograde epidote and chlorite alteration. Also present are skarn breccia bodies that seem to have formed between blocks of limestone country rock and some orthoclase porphyries.
The Telena showing occurs a within a syenite intrusive suite of cross-cutting dikes, with small zones and float trains of intrusive breccias noted. Limestone rafts are intensely altered and mineralized within the zone, and copper mineralization in country rocks is seen as fine, stockworking veinlets of bornite and fine chalcopyrite disseminations within the potassium feldspar megacrystic dikes. In limestone rafts, locally thick hematite and manganese oxide coatings on weathered surface is associated with pods of clotty and veining chalcopyrite with silica and carbonate alteration showing replacement and infill textures. The Telena prospect was reported to show greater size and depth potential than the main Dirk showing as mineralization was seen within the syenite intrusive units and is not limited to the extent of the limestone rafts.
Mineralization along the Burgundy Ridge trend (Burgundy Ridge zone (104B 325), Telena (104B 428) and 72 (Dirk 104B 114)) contains concentrated veinlets, clotty masses, and disseminations of chalcopyrite, bornite, and tenorite sulphides near the contacts of marble and various orthoclase-porphyritic syenite intrusions. Northeast trending swarms of orthoclase-porphyritic syenites cut or control mineralization in the area, often exhibiting megacrystic, trachytic, and/or crowded textures. Biotite syenite dikes and plugs are also present in the 72 Zone area and at Burgundy Ridge (formerly Ridge).
The best chip sample taken by Romios Gold in 2009 was 5.69 per cent copper 2.20 grams per tonne gold and 20.7 grams per tonne silver over 1 metre (Sample H138207, Assessment Report 31250).
In 2014, porphyritic syenite dikes and other potassic porphyritic dikes were identified and sampled. A 10.5-metre chip-line sample averaged 1.17 per cent copper and 0.384 grams per tonne gold (Romios Gold Resources Inc., News Release, September 23, 2014).
Work History
No reporting on the Telena zone is found in earlier documentation, though the Telena area was mapped by Newmont in 1972.
Over the 2009 Season, Romios Gold Resources completed exploration on the Dirk claim group as part of a larger exploration program on the Newmont Lake and Trek properties. Exploration work consisted of geological mapping and geochemical rock sampling over the Dirk and Telena showings. In total, 32 rock samples were taken from bornite and chalcopyrite bearing copper-gold mineralization on the claims. Of the 32 rock samples taken, 16 chip and 1 grab samples were collected from the Telena.
In 2010, mapping, prospecting and geochemical rock sampling were completed over the Dirk, Ridge and Telena showings. In total, 62 grab and chip samples of bornite and chalcopyrite bearing copper-gold mineralization were collected (Assessment Report 32050).
In 2011, Romios completed four diamond drill holes on the Dirk property totalling 743 metres (Press Release, Romios Gold Resources Inc, Sept. 9 and Oct. 19, 2011). Drilling at both the 72 zone (3 holes) and Telena zone (1 hole totalling 103 metres) encountered copper, gold and silver-bearing sulphides near surface in all the drill holes within breccias and intrusions that appear to be genetically related to syenitic intrusions.
In 2012, 15 holes in total tested the 72 (Dirk) (104B 114), Ken (104B 027) and Northwest (104B 281) zones (Assessment Report 33620). During July and August of 2012, Romios drilled six holes at the Ken zone, which totalled 804.5 metres in length. Seven holes were drilled on the 72 zone. The 72 (Dirk) zone is about 1.5 kilometres northeast of Telena and of related genesis. One hole was drilled on the Northwest and one on the Jazzman (104B 182).
Earthprobe down-hole geophysical profiling utilizing historic drill hole TEL11-01 was completed at the Telena zone. This survey discovered two areas of anomalously-low resistivity: one at 20-35 metres depth, and the second at 40-55 meters depth. Both zones are coincident with vein-mineralization (Assessment Report 33620).
In 2013, Geotech Ltd. carried out a helicopter-borne electromagnetic (ZTEM) and aeromagnetic geophysical survey for Romios Gold Resources Inc over the Newmont Lake Block, comprising parts of the Newmont Lake property (Geophysics Report, Assessment Report 35016, Appendix VI). Twenty-one mineral occurrences were covered by this survey including the Telena prospect. The largest total field magnetic RTP anomaly (Fig. 5a) is centred directly over a large syenitic pluton and surrounding limestones that host the 72, Telena, Burgundy Ridge and Birthday Jim showings to the northwest (Fig. 5a, Assessment Report 35016).
In 2014, Romios Gold Resources Inc. conducted a prospecting and sampling program that included the evaluation of various showings and mineralized occurrences on the Newmont Lake and Trek Properties. A total of 314 rock chip samples and reconnaissance rock samples were taken, and 26 stream silt samples were also collected. At the Telena zone, porphyritic syenite dikes and other potassic porphyritic dikes were identified and sampled. Of note, a 10.5-metre chip-line sample averaged 1.17 per cent copper and 0.384 gram per tonne gold (Romios Gold Resources Inc. News Release, September 23, 2014).
In 2015, Romios Gold reported that a program of additional prospecting and sampling was carried out on the Burgundy Ridge discovery (Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 2015, page 135)
No work is reported for 2016 or 2017.
In January and February 2018, Geotech Ltd. carried out a helicopter-borne Versatile Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) and aeromagnetic geophysical survey on behalf of Romios Gold Resources Inc. The survey covered three claim blocks: DIRK, KEN and NORTHWEST comprising parts of the Newmont Lake property and covered a total of 714 line-kilometres (Assessment Report 37492, containing Geotech Ltd Geophysical Report (Appendix Two)). TheTelena prospect is located on the Dirk Block as are the Burgundy Ridge (104B 325) and 72 (Dirk) (104B 114) all which occur along a 3 kilometre long oval magnetic high where scattered outcrops are exposed. None of the known showings along the ridge were detected by the VTEM survey which was thought to be due to the disseminated, poddy and vein-like nature of the sulphide mineralization.
The Dirk block covers nearby Burgundy Ridge (104B 325) and 72 (Dirk) (104B 114) and Telena (104B 428). These three occurences are located on or near high magnetic centres with 72 being the most significant in area.
In December 2018, Crystal Lake Mining announced that it had acquired a 100 per cent interest in the 436 square kilometre Newmont Lake Project from Romios Gold.
In 2019, Crystal Lake conducted a drill program, on the Burgundy Ridge prospect area (104B 325) and the Northwest deposit. They also conducted extensive grassroots exploration.
See the nearby Burgundy Ridge (104B 325) and 72 (Dirk) (104B 114) zones for related geological information and history. Refer to Northwest (104B 181) for details on the Newmont Lake property history of which Telena, 72 and Burgundy Ridge are a part of.
