New Discovery of massive sulphide mineralization with zinc-lead-silver similar in type to the Sullivan Deposit
Location
The road accessible Dewdney Trail Property is located 30 km northeast of Cranbrook, British Columbia and covers more than 16,000 hectares (160 Km²) over a 15 km strike length of favourable geology with gold, copper, cobalt, zinc, lead and/or silver deposit potential.
History
In 1864, placer gold was discovered in Wildhorse Creek and started a gold rush to the Cranbrook area. Anecdotal information suggests at least 1.5 million ounces (46.7 million grams) of gold have been recovered from the creek; however, no corresponding lode gold deposits of any size have been discovered in the rock, suggesting the Wildhorse Creek Area has undeveloped potential for gold deposits. The Dewdney Trail Property is located upstream from placer deposits in Wildhorse Creek and may host the source of the placer gold.
Since 2010, PJX has consolidated 100% ownership of the mineral rights to claims comprising the Dewdney Trail Property.
In December 2010, RIT Minerals Corp. completed a 43-101 Technical Report (the “43-101”) on the Dewdney Trail Property for the PJX. A copy of the Technical Report was filed on SEDAR in 2011 and is available in the Company’s filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
PJX has since compiled historical data and infilled data gaps with prospecting, mapping, geochem soil, silt and rock sampling, geophysics, and targeted trenching and drilling to help identify the most promising areas to host potential gold and base metal (copper, cobalt, zinc, lead) deposits.
In 2021, PJX optioned the right to acquire a 100% interest in the historical Estella Mine from Imperial Metals over a 5-year period. The Estella Mine closed in the 1960s. The mine produced zinc, lead and silver in concentrate from a vein. The small Estella Mine Property (2.24 km²) is located within the outer boundary of PJX’s large Dewdney Trail Property.

Exploration Potential
Exploration has identified 3 target areas with the potential to host significant mineral deposits.
• Estella Basin target area with potential for multiple deposit types – Newly discovered Sullivan type sediment hosted (zinc, lead, silver) mineralization, and intrusion related gold-copper-silver-molybdenum mineralization.
• Lewis Ridge target area - Sullivan type sediment hosted (zinc, lead, silver), and/or Black Butte or Mt. Isa sediment hosted copper-cobalt deposit potential.
• Tackle Basin target area - Orogenic and/or intrusion related gold deposit potential.
Property map shows PJX’s target areas in the Sullivan Mining District and Vulcan Gold Belt, including Estella Basin, Lewis Ridge and Tackle Basin.
Dewdney Trail target areas all occur within the hinge and/or limb of a large regional north-south oriented overturned anticline fold structure.
Mineralization also occurs in sediments similar in age (Proterozoic) and/or type (turbidites, quartzites) to other deposits such as Telfer, and Sukoi-log.
Sediments have been intruded by felsic intrusives (syenite/alkalic porphyries) possibly similar in age (Cretaceous to possibly Eocene) to deposits such as Fort Knox in Alaska or the Butte mining district in Montana.
PJX contracted Expert Geophysics to fly an 895 km airborne survey with a tight flight-line spacing of 100m to be able to identify and define shallow and deep targets across the entire Dewdney Trail Property. The survey has helped identify numerous potential intrusive related and sediment hosted type deposit targets to test.
Estella Basin, Lewis Ridge, and Tackle Basin Target Areas
Estella Basin Target Area
Approximate size: 2.5 km x 3 km
This unique geological area has two separate mineralizing events defined by age and type of potential deposit. The first event is older Proterozoic age sediment-hosted zinc, lead, and silver mineralization. The second event is younger Cretaceous to possibly Eocene intrusion-related gold, copper, silver, and possible molybdenum mineralization.
Proterozoic Age Sediment-Hosted (Sedex) Zinc-Lead-Silver
New Discovery
In late 2023, prospecting discovered sediment-hosted massive to semi-massive sulphide mineralization, similar in style and grade to ore at the Sullivan Deposit. Mineralization includes zinc, lead, silver, copper, cadmium, cobalt, and critical metals like indium and germanium. Significant sediment-hosted zinc and lead mineralization was found in outcrop up-slope from the boulders.
Highlights:
- Over 60 boulders with zinc, lead, and silver sulphide mineralization were discovered in an area approximately 50 m by 150 m at the base of a talus slope.
- Ten samples were analyzed with grades shown in the table below.
- Some sulphide boulders display layering and breccia textures with grades of zinc-lead-silver mineralization similar to ore at the Sullivan deposit.
- Sulphide boulders with zinc (sphalerite mineral), lead (galena), and iron (pyrite and pyrrhotite) occur downslope from a magnetic anomaly that trends along strike for kilometers.
- Significant sediment-hosted zinc and lead mineralization was discovered in outcrop up-slope from the boulders.
- Soil samples in this area are anomalous in zinc, lead, copper, gold, silver, arsenic, bismuth, and molybdenum.
PJX has been informed by experts in the Sullivan Mining District that this is the first time this style of high-grade mineralization has been discovered outside the Sullivan Mine basin, located approximately 25 km west.
Preliminary drilling in 2024 confirmed the geological environment is capable of hosting a Sedex-type deposit similar to the Sullivan.
The Sullivan Deposit: This 160-million-tonne deposit produced ore containing approximately 17 million tonnes of zinc and lead metal and more than 285 million ounces of silver during 90 years of operation before closing in 2001.
Cretaceous to Possible Eocene Intrusion-Related Gold-Copper-Silver
- Gold, silver, and copper mineralization occur in multi-phased, variably altered, and veined syenitic/alkalic porphyritic intrusions.
- Geophysical airborne survey identified a donut-shaped magnetic anomaly, commonly associated with porphyry copper-gold type deposits.
- Mapping suggests the intrusion could be at a depth of approximately 400m.
Drilling is required to test mineralization in mapped intrusions, breccias, and magnetic anomalies near surface and at depth.
Lewis Ridge Target Area
Approximate size: 3 km x 2 km
Potential for sediment-hosted massive sulphide mineralization, including copper-cobalt-silver and/or zinc-lead-silver. Four holes were drilled in late 2022 to test airborne Mobile-MT (EM) and magnetic anomalies.
- Hole LR22-02 intersected massive sulphide mineralization consisting of fine to coarse-grained pyrite, displaying a net-textured appearance.
- The 1.42 m wide zone analyzed 644 ppm Co, 819 ppm Cu, 144 ppm Ni, and 2.66 ppm Ag.
Further drilling is required to test near-surface and deeper targets along the anticline fold.
Video 1 and Video 2 showing the Lewis Ridge location can be found on PJX’s website.
Tackle Basin Target Area
Approximate size: 2 km x 2 km
Potential for orogenic and/or intrusive-related gold deposits.
- Gold is the dominant element in soils in the Tackle Basin area.
- The basin is located in the headwaters of Wildhorse Placer Gold Creek, with placer gold found in the creeks draining the basin.
- Gold occurs in quartz veins, stockwork zones, and silica-sericite-carbonate alteration in sedimentary units.
Drilling and further exploration are required to assess the basin's potential fully.
Summary and Next Steps
Prospecting has discovered massive to semi-massive sulphide boulders that are similar in style of mineralization and grades to ore at the world-class Sullivan deposit, located about 25 km west of the Dewdney Trail Property.
In July 2024, PJX received a five-year extension for the Dewdney Trail Property exploration permit from the Government of British Columbia.
Preliminary drilling during the latter half of 2024 encountered a geological environment similar to the Sullivan basin hosting the Sullivan deposit. Key features include:
- Stacked bedding conformable sulphides.
- Syn-sedimentary faults defined by large blocks of sediments locally containing zinc mineralization in a chaotic breccia.
- A cross-cutting vent that can act as a conduit to transport metals for the formation of deposits.
Next steps will include additional compilation of drill results with geophysics and geological data from mapping to refine targets, with plans to drill when the snow melts in May or June.