The Mess Creek porphyry is an alkalic porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum system located along the margin of the Loon Lake Stock, a Late Triassic monzonite porphyry intruding Upper Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Stuhini Group rocks are exposed along the margins of the Loon Lake stock and consist largely of massive mafic tuffs and flows with intercalated plagioclase-phyric subvolcanic dikes and sills.
The Mess Creek system is part of a large carbonate alteration zone that extends for 15 kilometres along the western contact of the Loon Lake Stock. Paget Resource has documented copper-molybdenum-gold mineralization over a 5 kilometres strike length along this structure, with better mineralization being concentrated in three zones over a 3.8 kilometres strike length. Chalcopyrite occurs as interstitial clots in monomictic and polymictic breccias, in quartz-albite-magnetite/hematite-carbonate veins, and less commonly as disseminations in albite-K-feldspar-magnetite/hematite-carbonate altered porphyry. Breccias are widespread, and zones of contact skarn and breccia contain strong magnetite or hematite alteration.
In 2007, at Mess Creek, Paget Resources drilled three drill holes from two separate drill platforms. Drill hole MC07-01 targeted mineralization exposed in an old trench 65 metres to the east and intersected in historical drill hole RG-1. Drill holes MC07-02 and -03 targeted a gap of 720 metres between previous drill holes where significant copper mineralization was exposed in a creek canyon to the east and west. Broad intervals of low-grade mineralization were intersected. Hole MC07-01 yielded 124.97 metres grading 0.113 gram per tonne gold, 0.114 per cent copper, 0.009 per cent molybdenum and 0.9 gram per tonne silver (Assessment Report 29568).
Work History
Coin Canyon Mines Ltd. staked the 68 claims Run group in 1970 and optioned 18 adjoining claims in the Tia Maria and Hot Punch groups from Northern Valley Mines Ltd. A soil geochemical survey carried out on the Run group in 1970 gave indications of a significant copper anomalous area 2438 metres long and up to 914 metres wide.
Coin Canyon amalgamated with Niseka Mining Ltd. in August 1971 to form Coseka Resources Limited. Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada Limited optioned the property in September 1971. Work during 1971-72 included a geochemical survey (176 samples), a reconnaissance induced potential survey, trenching, and 563 metres of diamond drilling in 4 holes on Run 10, 21, and 41. The best drill intersection reported was 37 metres averaging 0.583 per cent copper and 0.107 per cent molybdenite (National Mineral Inventory 104 G/7 Cu1).
Coseka Resources in February 1973 transferred all of its mineral properties to a wholly owned subsidiary, French Explorations Limited. In April 1973 French amalgamated with Wharf Resources Ltd. under the latter name, giving Coseka a 77 per cent interest in Wharf.
The property was restaked in 1973 as the Mix 1-72 claims. Further exploration work mas carried out by Phelps Dodge and Wharf Resources as a joint-venture, in which Wharf had a 21.5 per cent interest. The 1973 program included an induced potential survey over 12.6 line-miles, and a reconnaissance geochemical soil survey (73 samples) over 3.9 kilometres.
Further mapping, sampling, IP and drilling (13 NQ holes, 1576 metres) was carried out in this area by Utah Mines Ltd. in 1976-1982. In 1986, Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. optioned the property from Utah Mines and carried out a limited program of rock and soil sampling and resampling of old core for gold (Assessment Report 15603).
Paget Minerals Corp conducted work on the Ball Creek property from 2005 to 2011. The Mess Creek porphyry is encompassed by the Ball Creek property. See Mary (104G 018) for further details and common work history elements. See also Run (104G 040) and Run North (104G 041) for related local details.
