The Paydirt property is largely underlain by andesitic pyroclastics of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group which have been intruded by Early Jurassic rocks of the Texas Creek Plutonic Suite consisting of hornblende diorite and amphibolite and younger monzonite, diorite and granodiorite bodies.
The Paydirt deposit, located several kilometres southwest of the main Galore Creek syenite body, is underlain by Stuhini Group volcanics. Coarse andesitic ash tuffs are exposed along a creek below the 860 metre elevation level. At 860 metres elevation a diorite dike marks a lithologic change above which the rocks are composed of altered lapilli, crystal lapilli and ash tuffs. This altered zone hosts the main gold-bearing zone and ceases at the 880 metre elevation level. Similar but unaltered rocks occur above this level. Thin unaltered feldspar porphyry dikes cut the gold zone.
The gold bearing horizon occupies the lower half of the two-part alteration zone. Alteration in the lower zone consists of silicification, sericitization and pyritization, with the gold occurring in the more intensely silicified portion. The upper half of the alteration zone exhibits weaker silicification and stronger sericitization. Only minor quartz veining, locally containing up to 1 per cent chalcopyrite was noted in the wall rocks of the alteration zones.
The gold-bearing zone has a surficial strike length of 100 metres and a width of 25 metres. Drilling has confirmed a downdip extension of 70 metres. Small amounts of very fine native gold can be seen in outcrop and drill core. The post-alteration diorite dike generally marks the footwall of the gold-bearing and alteration zones. Gold mineralization found above the dyke is not associated with chalcopyrite, while gold found below the dike is.
Drill indicated geological reserves are 181,420 tonnes grading at 3.8 grams per tonne gold (Consolidated Silver Standard Annual Report 1988).
Work History
Julian Mining Company staked the property in 1963 and conducted a mapping, I.P. survey, trenching and 7,000 foot diamond drilling program on the copper occurrences, in the area of Split #1 and Split #2 Creeks. Results of this work indicated widespread low grade copper values. The claims were then allowed to lapse in 1969.
Silver Standard Mines restaked the property in 1969 and held it for two years however no work was recorded during this period.
In 1974 the ground was restaked by Great Plains Development Co. who conducted further geochemical surveys and mapping programs over the copper porphyry area.
Teck Explorations Ltd restaked the copper zone in 1981 and conducted a program of line cutting, silt, soil and rock sampling, magnetic surveys, trenching and Winkie drilling. This work was undertaken to follow up and delineate the source of a gold anomaly in stream sediment samples from Discovery Creek, collected approximately 1 kilometre up Split Creek from the copper showing. The source was determined to be a strongly siliceous and pyritic shear zone (Paydirt deposit) with abundant limonite and clay alteration which on surface returned an average grade of 5.48 grams per tonne gold over 16 metres (Assessment Report 21410).
In 1985 the property was acquired by Consolidated Silver Standard Mines Ltd. who undertook a mapping, soil sampling, trenching and 760 metre diamond drilling program. The drilling was concentrated on the Paydirt gold zone in Discovery Creek.
Consolidated Silver Standard continued work on the property in 1986 with additional rock and soil sampling, mapping and trenching in the area between Split #2 and Split #3 Creeks. This work was designed to evaluate other siliceous, pyritic and sericitic occurrences southwest of the main gold zone.
The property was optioned by Longreach Resources Ltd. in 1987, and 55 metres of exploration adit was driven to test the Paydirt gold zone underground. Due to a lack of funding the adit never reached the target zone. Four underground holes were drilled from the adit, totalling 38 metres, with no anomalous gold values encountered.
The 1990 work program on behalf of Pacific Century Explorations and Ticker Tape Resources consisted of geological mapping at a scale of 1:5,000, prospecting, silt sample traverses, line cutting, soil and rock geochemistry and geophysics. A total of 124 rock, 53 silt and 553 soil samples were collected. An IP survey was done over 4.3 kilometres and a VLF and ground magnetic surveying was completed over 12.8 kilometres. Several areas of significant mineralization were located and examined on the property during the field program. Only limited time was spent on the Main Paydirt zone in this area during the 1990. Most work was done on the Scotsimpson Vein, a series of sulphide bearing diabase dikes, strongly anomalous gold in silt samples northeast of Discovery Creek, and coincident gold and copper soil anomalies within the grid area. Also examined was the northern extension of the Deluxe Zone, which occurs immediately south of the property on the adjoining ground. The geophysical surveys outlined magnetic, electromagnetic and I.P. anomalies within the grid areas, with the magnetic and IP anomalies partially coincident with geochemical anomalies.
