This Tuff occurrence is underlain mainly by basalts and andesites of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. These are intercalated with black chert, grey ribbon chert and limestone. Immediately northeast of the area of interest is a large stock of granodiorite which has intruded the volcanics in the Early Jurassic. Bedding exhibits an east trending strike with a variable but prominent steep (greater than 60 degrees) south dip. Several post mineralization diorite dikes up to 20 metres wide intrude the country rock wiith a general north-northwest strike. The Early Jurassic stock is the Limpoke pluton of the Texas Creek plutonic suite (189-195 Ma), consisting of monzodioritic to gabbroic intrusive rock.
Within the extensive gossanous zone, across the northeast corner of the TUFF 1 claim (in 1981), up to 5 pyrite and pyrrhotite occur in disseminated from trace to 2 pyrite and pyrrhotite are hosted occasionally by the chert horizons Trace iron sulphides also occur as disseminations within the andesitic basaltic volcanics. Basalts host gold bearing massive sulphide showings These sweat like pods although widespread are limited in size.
The grey ribbon chert is well bedded with individual beds up to 15 centimetres wide. It contains minor pyrite and pyrrhotite as disseminations and fracture fillings. The grey limestone generally occurs as a less than 2 metre wide band within the basalt, but to the north of the occurrence it forms a bluff with a 40 metre thickness. It is barren of mineralization. The black chert is commonly dark grey to black in colour, in part argillaceous, intensely sheared and slaty and contains trace disseminated pyrite and up to 2 per cent pyrrhotite. Locally the unit exhibits a rusty weathered surface. The unit may be as much as 90 metres wide but is commonly between 10 and 20 metres wide. One sample of black chert with 2 per cent pyrrhotite ran 3.6 grams per tonne gold, 3.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.40 per cent copper (Sample 8774D, page 5, Assessment Report 10475).
Massive sulphide pods have been encountered in the volcanics over an area of about 1200 by 1200 metres. These pods average less than 10 centimetres in width and are from 1 to 20 metres long. They occur oblique to bedding and are associated with carbonate (-quartz) and are composed of pyrite with lesser arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. In most instances high gold concentrations are associated
The highest gold samples were collected near the Tuff occurrence from intense red and yellow coloured quartz veins with massive arsenopyrite. The sample assayed 26 grams per tonne gold, 10.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.1 per cent copper (Assessment Report 36930). The second highest gold sample, taken just over a hundred metres east of the highest gold sample, ran 24.0 grams per tonne gold, 5.02 grams per tonne silver and 0.75 per cent copper (Assessment Report 36930). This last sample was collected from a 10 centimetre outcrop (subcrop?) of massive sulphides near the bottom of a creek.
Work History
The area was originally explored by Teck Explorations and Dupont in the early 1980’s, with work centering on the Tuff and New Limpoke occurrences (MINFILE 104G 024). A grab sample from a sulphide pod from the West Grid (104G 210) returned 122.4 grams per tonne gold, 25.03 grams per tonne silver and 0.41 per cent copper. Another fifteen samples contained values greater than 27.43 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 10475). Such pod occurrences are restricted in size averaging less than 10 centimetres in width and 1 to 20 metres in length.
Between 1988 and 1992, Integrated Resources explored the area under the Goat and IR claims and completed programs of geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, geological mapping and a diamond drill hole, totalling 110 metres. Seven of eleven grab samples returned values ranging from 3.6 to 103.8 grams per tonne gold and 4.4 to 28.4 grams per tonne silver. Copper averages 0.13 per cent within gold-bearing samples (Assessment Report 18486). In 2002, Newcastle Resources and Viceroy Resources staked the area as part of the Target 1-4 claims and completed a prospecting program.
In 2014, Divitiae Resources spent 2 weeks on its Big Red property which covered 18 MINFILE occurrences. Divitiae collected 12 rock samples in the southern portion of the property. Selective samples ran above 1 per cent copper (Assessment Report 35466). Seven rock samples were taken along a Cave Creek tributary, just east of the Tuff occurrence. The assays were not significant.
By 2017, Divitiae had expanded their Big Red claim group extending it 5 kilometres more to the west, covering the Poker (104G 149) occurrence. Divitiae changed the property name from Big Red to River of Gold and undertook an airborne magnetic and radiometric survey in late September that covered all of the River of Gold claims totalling 536 line-kilometres. In October of 2017, preliminary prospecting was completed on high probability anomalies generated by previous ASTER analysis, and the new airborne geophysics. At this time 64 rock samples were collected. Work on the northern portion of the property failed to find any samples to be assayed. The complete airborne geophysical survey report is attached as an appendix within Assessment Report 36930. About 14 rock samples were taken at or near the West (Grid) showing area (104G 210).
See New Limpoke (104G 024) and West (104G 210) for detailed work history and for 2017 ASTER results.
In 2019 and 2020, Libero Copper and Gold Corp. completed programs of geological mapping; geochemical (rock, soil and talus fines) sampling; a 549 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic (ZTEM) survey; three diamond drill holes, totalling 610.0 metres, and 24 reverse-circulation drill holes, totalling 3527.5 metres, on the area as the Big Red property.
