Documents

Mouse Mountain NI 43-101 Technical Report [PDF | 9.2MB].
Bedrock Geology and Mineral Potential [PDF | 5.6MB].

Location

Quesnel, the city, is immediately west of the project area. Prince George, Quesnel and local smaller centers provide experienced manpower, equipment, logistical support and services. Prince George, 120 km north of Quesnel is a major regional center, with regularly scheduled air services to Vancouver and Kamloops. Helicopters and small fixed wing aircraft are readily available for charter.

Aerial view looking east over Fraser River and Quesnel to Mouse Mountain. Note the low rolling hills which make up the Interior Plateau. The higher mountains on the horizon are in Barkerville Terrane.

Mouse Mountain drilling

Deposit Type

Mouse Mountain, one of the two main targets in the western project area, is considered an alkalic porphyry copper-gold occurrence. Mouse Mountain is immediately next to, or above, small, high level, subvolcanic, magnetic, alkalic, quartz-poor, intrusive bodies that invade Nicola volcanic rocks. This setting closely resembles that of alkalic porphyry copper-gold-PGE deposits found in the Quesnel Trough in central BC. The following description of the deposit type is taken from Panteleyev (1995) and from his description of deposit type L03 in www.mapplace.ca.

The deposits consist of stockworks, veinlets and disseminations of pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite and magnetite occur in large zones of economically bulkmineable mineralization in or adjoining porphyritic intrusions of diorite to syenite composition. The mineralization is spatially, temporally and genetically associated with hydrothermal alteration of the intrusive bodies and host rocks.

They occur in orogenic belts at convergent plate boundaries, commonly oceanic volcanic island arcs overlying oceanic crust. Chemically distinct magmatism with alkalic intrusions varying in composition from gabbro, diorite and monzonite to nepheline syenite intrusions and coeval shoshonitic volcanic rocks, takes place at certain times in segments of some island arcs. The magmas are introduced along the axis of the arc or in cross-arc structures that coincide with deep-seated faults. The alkalic magmas appear to form where there is slow subduction in steeply dipping tectonically thickened lithospheric slabs, possibly when polarity reversals (or 'flips')
take place in the subduction zones. In British Columbia all known deposits are found in Quesnellia and Stikinia terranes.

The environment of deposition is in high level (epizonal) stock emplacement levels in magmatic arcs, commonly oceanic volcanic island arcs with alkalic (shoshonitic) basic flows to intermediate and felsic pyroclastic rocks. Commonly the high-level stocks and related dikes intrude their coeval and cogenetic volcanic piles. Deposits in the Canadian Cordillera are restricted to the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic (215-180 Ma) with seemingly two clusters around 205-200 and ~ 185 Ma. In southwest Pacific island arcs, deposits are Tertiary to Quaternary in age.

Intrusions range from fine through coarse-grained, equigranular to coarsely porphyritic and, locally, pegmatitic high-level stocks and dike complexes. Commonly there is multiple emplacement of successive intrusive phases and a wide variety of breccias. Compositions range from (alkalic) gabbro to syenite. The syenitic rocks vary from silica- undersaturated to saturated compositions. The most undersaturated nepheline normative rocks contain modal nepheline and, more commonly, pseudoleucite. The silica-undersaturated suites are referred to as nepheline alkalic whereas rocks with silica near-saturation, or slight silica over saturation, are termed quartz alkalic (Lang et al., 1993). Coeval volcanic rocks are basic to intermediate alkalic varieties of the high-K basalt and shoshonite series and rarely phonolites. Deposit boundaries are generally determined by economic factors that outline ore zones within larger areas of low-grade, laterally zoned mineralization.

Deposit boundaries are generally determined by economic factors that outline ore zones within larger areas of low-grade, laterally zoned mineralization.

The principal ore minerals are chalcopyrite, pyrite and magnetite. Bornite, chalcocite and rarely galena, sphalerite, tellurides, tetrahderite, gold and silver are subordinate. Pyrite is less abundant than chalcopyrite in ore zones.

Alteration minerals include biotite, K-feldspar, sericite, anhydrite/gypsum, magnetite, hematite, actinolite, chlorite, epidote and carbonate. Some alkalic systems contain abundant garnet including the Ti-rich andradite variety - melanite, diopside, plagioclase, scapolite, prehnite, pseudoleucite and apatite; rare barite, fluorite, sodalite, rutile and late-stage quartz. Central and early formed potassic zones, with Kfeldspar and generally abundant secondary biotite and anhydrite, commonly coincide with ore. These rocks can contain zones with relatively high-temperature calcsilicate minerals diopside and garnet. Outward there can be flanking zones in basic volcanic rocks with abundant biotite that grades into extensive, marginal propylitic zones. The older alteration assemblages can be overprinted by phyllic sericite-pyrite and, less commonly, sericite-clay-carbonate-pyrite alteration. In some deposits, generally at depth in silica-saturated types, there can be either extensive or local central zones of sodic alteration containing characteristic albite with epidote, pyrite, diopside, actinolite and rarer scapolite and prehnite.

The main ore controls are igneous contacts between intrusive phases and with wallrocks, cupolas and the uppermost, bifurcating parts of stocks, dike swarms and volcanic vents. Breccias, mainly early formed intrusive and hydrothermal types are an important ore control. Zones of most intensely developed fracturing give rise to oregrade vein stockworks.

Porphyry deposits are subdivided on arbitrary economic criteria, mainly ratios between Cu, Au and Mo. Differences in composition between the host rock alkalic and calcalkalic intrusions and subtle, but significant, differences in alteration mineralogy and zoning patterns provide fundamental geologically based contrasts between deposit model types.

Mineralization

The Mouse Mountain Property is a well developed target area with excellent data reporting on a long work history. The property has four known mineral occurrences spread along a 1500 meter long, north northwest trending zone on the northeast side of Mouse Mountain (Figure 14). The most significant prospect, the Valentine Zone, was drilled with 14 percussion holes by Bethlehem Copper in 1970. Quesnel Mines Ltd. stripped a part of the prospect in 1987 and sampled trenches. Teck Corporation completed the most substantive work at Mouse Mountain immediately after this. They focused on targets developed by Quesnel Mines, Placer Dome and others. Their work includes diamond drilling the "high grade" and Valentine zones and other targets and extensive ground geophysical work on three grids.

Mouse Mountain known mineral showings define a 1.5 km long mineralized corridor along the northeast flank of Mouse Mountain. The locations of the Teck geophysical grids (North 1991, South 1991 and Beaver 1991) and the Placer Dome 1989 geophysical and soil geochemical grid are outlined in blue. The topographic contour interval is 20 m and the UTM grid interval is 1 km. Barkerville highway (26) runs east through the middle of the map view.

Geology

Mouse Mountain geology is difficult; the rocks are fairly well exposed on the mountain, but they are fine grained and altered and hence ambiguous and difficult. The volcanic rocks are dominantly fragmental, but textures are obscure on fresh surfaces and saussuritization pervasive. Broadly Mouse Mountain is underlain by Late Triassic volcanic rocks with augite basalt at the base (?) and volcanic breccia above. Augite basalt is dark green, massive and fine grained but is distinguished by its stubby subhedral black augite phenocrysts to 5cm across. Volcanic breccia is massive dark green grey and purplish on fresh surfaces and immature. Angular fragments of a range of mafic to intermediate volcanic rocks and up to several cm across predominate. The matrix is of the same material but finer grained. Mostly the clasts are matrix supported.

The basalt -- breccia contact trends northwest, the general trend of layering in the region. Greywacke and slate are interlayered with the breccia locally as lenses of several metres. The greywacke is generally massive and very immature with angular grit sized volcanic debris in a dark volcanic matrix. Layering is seen rarely in the slate and greywacke; as these rocks occur only locally no general trend is seen. The thickness of the assemblage is unknown; it may be no more than two or three thousand metres.

Slate, like that intercalated with the volcanic rocks, occurs extensively east of Mouse Mountain. Its relationship to the volcanic-intrusive unit is not exposed. Most likely the slate and volcanic-intrusive assemblages are coeval and laterally equivalent; part of the eastern slate may predate the volcanic-intrusive rocks.

A plug of undersaturated very fine grained intrusive rock, under the high part of Mouse Mountain, intrudes the volcanic assemblate. It is thought to be Early Jurassic and broadly coeval with the Nicola Group.

Deformation is limited; the slate and greywacke are not folded where layering is observed. Observed faults are also minor and presumably of slight displacement. On the whole the rocks are competent and only fractured and jointed. Alteration is pervasive; volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks are strongly saussuritized. In many places, including near showings, rusty weathering iron carbonate alteration is seen as a late overprint of the rocks. The alteration is seen in the fragmental and intrusive rocks but not in the augite porphyry or greywacke.

Three generations of geological map are available for the property and all three are given here for comparison (Figure 11, 12, and 13). The first is from Sanguinetti (1989), the next from Donkersloot (1991, 92) and the most recent from this summer's work by Jonnes (2006). The three maps differ markedly illustrating the difficulty of mapping this area. The three generations of maps agree on the basalt-fragmental division and the location of the contact between these two groups, but they disagree markedly on the location and extent of the intrusive rocks and its phases. Also different are the interpretations of the fragmental rocks, their origin and relations.

Geology of Mouse Mountain according to Sanguinetti. This map portrays the geology as mapped by Placer Dome geologists and reported by Sanguinetti,(1989). The known showings are hosted in intrusive rocks according to this interpretation.

Geology of Mouse Mountain according to Donkersloot (1992). Known showings are restricted to the volcaniclastic rocks of the Nicola Group. Areas around the Valentine and Rainbow zones are altered over a considerable area as shown. The late volcanic or post-volcanic syenite to monzonite is exposed around the "high grade" showing.

Geological map of the same area as in the previous two figures showing the geology as mapped by Jonnes (2006). Note the agreement between the three authors on the augite basalt-fragmental volcanic contact and the general agreement on the intrusive rocks between Jonnes and Sanguinetti.

Historic Drilling

Mouse Mountain has been explored with 19 percussion and 16 diamond drill holes. Most of the drilling focused on the Valentine Zone, but 5 holes were drilled near the Rainbow Breccia. Holes are each roughly 100 m deep; the RC holes are vertical but most of the diamond drill holes are inclined. The location and distribution of the holes at Mouse Mountain is given below:

Map to show historic drilling of Mouse Mountain. Dupont drilled five percussion holes north of the Rainbow zone in 1975.Each hole was about 300 feet deep. One averaged just higher than 0.1%Cu over 170 feet. Bethlehem focused on the Valentine zone in 1970 with 14 vertical RC holes. Teck diamond drill holes date from 1991 and 1992 and are shown in blue. Details of the depth and intersections of the holes are given in tables2, 3 and 4. The background of the map is the geology as mapped by Jonnes and given in figure 13.

Soil Geochemistry

Mouse Mountain has been extensively soil sampled; the overburden is thin and the geochemistry is thought to reflect the bedrock chemistry better than in areas with thick glaciofluvial cover. The main soil geochemistry was done by Placer Dome Inc and by Teck
Exploration Ltd. Earlier work was done by First Nuclear Corp and is reported by Stewart 1982 and 1984 and by Climie, 1985. Figure 16 is a summary map of the copper soil geochemistry over Mouse Mountain defined by the surveys reported by Sanguinetti (1989), Fox (1989) and replotted for this report.

The map shows that the anomalies follow north-northwest trending zones. One zone, about 1.5 km long, includes the known showings. The other zones, to the northeast and southwest parallel the main zone, but lack known showings. This general north-northwest trend of the geochemically responsive zones conforms to the trend of the geology and ground and airborne total field magnetics.

Mouse Mountain soil geochemical results for copper. Here the copper soil geochemical anomalies from 1989 Placer Dome Inc (PDI) are shown as the coloured surface and individual sample localities are coloured to reflect the copper results. Anomalous copper threshold is about 100 ppm. These data are reported by Fox (1989) Sanguinetti (1989). Note that the geochemical soil response is good at Valentine and Rainbow but less so at the High Grade.

The figure above shows that the copper results from the Placer Dome survey define an anomalous zone at the southeast of the grid. This zone was explored by Richfield during the summer of 2006 when the grid was extended southeastward. The copper results of the combined survey, given in the figure below, show that the anomalous zone does not extend southeast. The new data do outline a fresh high copper response zone east of the PDI grid.

Map of the combined results of the historic PDI soil geochemistry and 2006 resultsrom the Richfield extension to the grid. Note the different sample density. The anomalous zone at the SE of the PDI grid does not extend southeastward but the new data define a new zone of copper response east of Mouse Mountain.

The figure below is a map of the combined results of gold in soils from the historic PDI survey and the new RVC survey.

This map shows the gold soil geochemistry from the combined PDI and RVC surveys over Mouse Mountain. Note that the known showings are not reflected in the gold soil geochemistry, but that the high gold responses follow the same mineralized corridor defined by the showings and the copper geochemistry.

As noted iron carbonate alteration, consisting of ankerite and/or ferrodolomite with associated minor quartz stringers that resembles listwanite alteration of ultramafic rocks, is seen commonly at Mouse Mountain. This alteration is later than the youngest rocks, namely the syeno-monzonite and may represent a late or post diagenetic event. In places it is spatially associated with minor faults that cut the rocks. It forms irregular zones overprinted on the country rocks. The zones are roughly equant, do not follow Lithology as far as that can be determined and have gradational nebulous boundaries. The alteration is not strictly confined to the mineralized showings but it is common there. At least locally the iron carbonate alteration is later than copper mineralization. To determine if the altered zones are reflected in the soil geochemistry plots of Ca times Fe were made from the historic and new geochemical results. A map of these plots, given in the figure below, shows that the geochemistry does indeed reflect the altered zones and that the zones so defined coincide with the known showings. The map shows several high Ca by Fe zones where no showings are known. These areas need to be followed up.

Map of the geochemical results for iron and calcium multiplied for the PDI and RVC soil surveys. The aim is to outline iron carbonate altered zones. Known showings are at Ca by Fe highs and note that several such highs lack known showings. Also note the northwest trending zones defined by the geochemically responsive zones. These correspond closely with the mineralized corridor and also with the high copper and high gold response zones.