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.
Geology Map – Sullivan Mine and PJX’s Dewdney Trail Target Areas (Estella Basin, Lewis Ridge, Tackle)
Dewdney Trail targets occur in a similar geological environment to the Sullivan Deposit. Jackleg fault is believed to be the eastern extension of the Kimberley fault that influenced the formation of the Sullivan deposit.
Photo A – Sample STM-23-7 (9.33% zinc, 2.48% lead, 14.62 g/t silver, 495 ppm or 0.05% copper)
Sullivan style and grade boulder in talus at the base of a mountain slope. Alternating dark and light coloured bands with sulphides (zinc, lead, iron) appear to be sulphide-rich beds that have broken apart possibly by slumping during deposition, or during later folding.
Photo B – Sample G23-669B (5.57% zinc, 0.94% lead, 4.41 g/t silver)
Reddish-brown coloured bands and beds of sphalerite (zinc sulphide) in sediments. Rock sample is from an outcrop at surface that is part of a large (approximately 10 metre) block of sediment in the fault chaotic breccia.
Photo C – Vent Breccia/Fragmental with pyrrhotite (iron sulphide) and chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) flooding, hole ND24-02.
Hole ND24-02 – Vent intersection is 29.87 m in core length with true width estimated at about 10 m. Table displays weighted averages.
Figure 1
Sedimentary Exhalative (Sedex) Deposit Model displays approximate location of surface sample (Photo B) and drill hole sample (Photo C). Typical mineralizing system has pyrrhotite (iron sulphide) and chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) within and above the hotter vent environment, with sphalerite (zinc sulphide) and galena (lead sulphide) in a cooler environment exhaled on the ocean floor or laterally beneath the ocean floor and peripheral to the vent area.
Figure 2
Photo looking northeast. Holes were drilled toward the west to test east dipping sediments for the source of Sullivan style and grade mineralization discovered in talus at the base of the mountain slope (Photo A location). Three preliminary target areas have been identified to test horizons on strike laterally from the vent, or above the vent (Photo C location).
Sample SMT-23-1 (6.71% zinc, 2.23% lead, 16.05 g/t silver, 1258.9 ppm or 0.12% copper)
Sphalerite (zinc sulphide), galena (lead sulphide), and iron sulphides (pyrite, pyrrhotite) occur in fragments that are locally banded or bedded in apearance as seen above. The mineralization also occurs in the groundmass of the rock.
Sample SMT-23-8 (3.55% zinc, 0.98% lead, 7.5 g/t silver, 442.1 ppm or 0.04% copper)
Although this sample is lower in grade it tells an important story. The individual massive sphalerite fragments are a possible indicator of higher grade zinc rich massive sulphides in bedrock possibly buried under the talus slope.
Sample SMT-23-7 (9.33% zinc, 2.48% lead, 14.62 g/t silver, 495 ppm or 0.04% copper)
Alternating dark and light coloured bands with sulphides (zinc, lead, iron) appear to be sulphide-rich beds that have been broken apart possibly by slumping during deposition on the ocean floor, or the beds may have broken apart during later folding.
PJX’s prospecting team discovered boulders with sulphide mineralization in an area about 50 metres (m) by 150 m at the base of a talus slope. Ten samples have been analyzed with grades shown in the table above.
Sample G23-669B (5.57% zinc, 0.94% lead, 4.41 g/t silver)
Outcrop sample of reddish-brown coloured bands and beds of sphalerite (zinc sulphide) in sediments.
Sample G23-669C (4.72% zinc, 1.28% lead, 6.07 g/t silver)
Outcrop sample of reddish-brown coloured bands and beds of sphalerite (zinc sulphide) in sediments.
Airborne Geophsycial Survey Magnetic Map With Location of Sediment Hosted Zinc-Lead-Silver in Boulders and Outcrop
• Semi-massive to massive sediment hosted sulphide boulders similar in style and grade to Sullivan deposit mineralization occur in talus at base of mountain slope.
• Sediment hosted zinc-lead-silver in outcrop located up slope supports the boulders being close to a bedrock source.
• Strongly magnetic boulders in talus are downslope from a large (500m diameter) strong magnetic geophysical anomaly (pink to red area) that may reflect the source of the boulders.
• Zinc-lead-silver sulphide mineralization in outcrop is only weakly magnetic and is associated with a less magnetic trend (orange to red coulours) that occurs for about 1.6 km along strike on the magnetic survey map.
• The different styles of mineralization with varying magnetic signatures supports the potential for a vertically or laterally zoned deposit, similar to the Sullivan Deposit.
Cross Section A-A’ (interpreted from surface mapping and limited underground data from historical Estella Mine)
• Sullivan deposit style and grade semi-massive to massive sediment hosted sulphide boulders occur downslope of potential bedrock source. Boulders are strongly magnetic. Target area defined by strong magnetic geophysical anomaly.
• Syenite Porphyry Dyke appears parallel to the mountain slope and masks potential deposit below the dyke.
• Sediment hosted zinc-lead-silver in outcrop located about 100 metres north of the section and up slope of the boulders supports the boulders being close to a bedrock source. Outcrop is visible because part of the dyke has been eroded away.
Zinc in Soils plotted on Geology Map
• Sullivan deposit style and grade boulders and zinc-lead-silver in outcrop occur in an area with anomalous zinc in soils.
• Two lines of soil samples were taken along topographic contours prior to discovery of the boulders and outcrop.
• Both contour lines occur upslope and mostly to the north of the boulders and in vicinity of the outcrop.
• Both lines have highly anomalous zinc, lead, silver, gold, and copper in soil along the soil line sampling lengths of about 500 to 600 metres.
• Large zinc in soil anomaly also occurs to the north of the new discovery and supports additional Sullivan deposit type potential at PJX’s Lewis Ridge Target Area that covers 3 to 4 km of strike length.
Airborne Magnetic Map
Strongly magnetic Sullivan deposit style and grade semi-massive to massive sulphide boulders occur downslope from a strong magnetic anomaly (pink to red colours) that may be the source location of the boulders. Significant zinc-lead-silver sulphide mineralization has been discovered in outcrop upslope of the boulders and on the north edge of the strong magnetic anomaly. The outcrop mineralization is only very weakly magnetic. This supports the potential for a vertically or laterally zoned deposit with varying magnetic signatures. The outcrop mineralization appears to be associated with a less magnetic trend (red to orange coulours) in the airborne magnetic survey that occurs for about 1.6 km along strike.
Zinc in Soil plotted on Airborne Magnetic Map
Massive sulphide boulders occur in an area with anomalous zinc in soils.
Lead in Soil plotted on Airborne Magnetic Map
Massive sulphide boulders occur in an area with anomalous lead in soils.
Donut shaped Magnetic Anomaly
Donut shape is a signature anomaly shape for gold-copper porphyry type deposits. If a porphyry deposit is present, the top would be at depth.
Gold analyses of rock grab samples from alkalic (syenite) intrusions. Mapping suggests the “Cliff” intrusion may be a dyke dipping subparallel to the slope of the topography.
Estella Basin – Rock grab sample analyses of syenite intrusions/dykes with quartz veins
Photo A – Rock grab sample of intrusive phase similar to MS22-57
Vancouver Petrographic’s assessment indicates that pyrite (iron sulphide), chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) blebs and hematite (iron oxide) are scattered in the groundmass. The rock is a micro-fractured porphyritic quartz-bearing syenite dominated by fine to very coarse, subhedral to euhedral K-feldspar phenocrysts (in places, replaced by calcite), intergrown with accessory plagioclase phenocrysts and quartz, floating within a groundmass that is dominated by K-feldspar, intergrown with plagioclase, quartz, muscovite flakes, plus minor apatite and scattered calcite spar. Discontinuous veinlets, crosscutting phenocrysts and groundmass are filled with calcite and quartz. A separate rock grab sample (numbered MS22-57) of this phase of porphyry with quartz veins analyzed 6.9 g/t gold, 447 g/t silver, 1.1% copper.
Regional Geology Map with Sullivan and Butte Mining Districts.
Sullivan and Butte Mining Districts both occur where continental scale structures intersect. The Rocky Mountain Trench Fault intersects the Vulcan tectonic zone in the Sullivan District and the Great Falls tectonic zone in the Butte District. These large intersecting structures penetrate deep in the Earth’s crust. The intersections provide pathways for intrusions and fluids to follow and create sediment-hosted deposits like the Sullivan and intrusion related deposits in Butte.
Lewis Ridge Target – drill hole LR22-02 Massive sulphide (pyrite) with anomalous cobalt, copper, nickel and silver mineralization in a quartz-dolomite gangue (white mineralization). On the right is an enlarged photo of the massive sulphide to display the fine to coarse pyrite texture.
• 1.42 m wide (drill width) zone with 60% massive sulphide intersected from 125.87m to 127.29 m down hole, analyzed 644 ppm (0.06%) Cobalt, 819 ppm (0.08%) Copper, 144 ppm Nickel and 2.66 ppm (2.6 g/t) silver.
• Possible sediment hosted mineralization similar to the Black Butte copper-cobalt deposit that also occurs with anomalous nickel and silver in quartz-dolomite gangue.
Dewdney Trail Geology map draped on topography. Lewis Ridge (cobalt-copper) and Estella Basin (gold-copper-silver) target areas occur along the same anticline fold axis as the historical Estella and Kootenay King Mines. The Lewis Ridge target occurs at or near a geological horizon that is equivalent in depositional time to the Sullivan Deposit located about 25 km to the west. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of the Kimberley Fault that influenced the formation of the Sullivan deposit.
Apparent Conductivity Map draped on topography. Conductive Anomaly defines a large area, over 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. Massive sulphide (pyrite with anomalous cobalt and copper) and locally graphitic/calcareous sediments intersected in hole LR22-02 are conductive. The large Magnetic anomaly at depth may represent an area with greater sulphide content containing copper and cobalt that has been folded along the east limb of the wide overturned anticline fold.
2-Dimensional modelling of six of the 30 flight lines over the Lewis Ridge Target display a potentially more conductive area at depth (400 to 800m) that appears to correlate with the magnetic anomaly defined by 3 Dimensional modelling. Conductive and magnetic anomalies support the potential for sulphide mineralization. Sulphide zone intersected in LR22-02 and the magnetic anomaly at depth will be a focus of future drilling.
Belt-Purcell basin geology map. Lewis Ridge target and Black Butte deposit both occur on the east side of the basin and were formed in shallower water environments and in similar age rock.
Sullivan Mining District geology map with Dewdney Trail Property target areas. The Kimberley Fault influenced formation of the Sullivan Deposit. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of Kimberley fault.
Gold in Soil Samples
Copper in Soil Samples
Zinc in Soil Samples
Lead in Soil Samples
Bismuth in Soil Samples
Molybdenum in Soil Samples
Arsenic in Soil Samples
Silver in Soil Samples
Placer Gold Tackle Basin Area
Typical vein morphology and spacing within quartzite. Bedding is horizontal in photograph, most veins are perpendicular to bedding. Note the close spacing (Cdn penny for scale) of veins, and vein widths from millimeter to centimetre scales.
Gold Bearing Rock Comparison
View southeast at quartzite forming the headwall of Lewis Creek. Intense sericite-quartz-pyrite-Fe-carbonate alteration imparts orange weathering color. Rock and soil samples are anomalous in gold.
Anticline Fold Dewdney Trail
Dewdney Trail Property map with Estella Crown Grants and road/trail access