The Thorn Project hosts a district scale Paleocene-Cretaceous-Triassic-Jurassic, volcano-plutonic complex and related sedimentary units with several styles of mineralization related to porphyry and epithermal environments.
THORN GOLD-COPPER-SILVER PROJECT
Geology at the Thorn Property is defined by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Stikine tectonostratigraphic terrane intruded by Late Cretaceous to Eocene volcanoplutonic rocks. In this area the Stikine arc is composed of the Stuhini and Laberge Groups. The Stuhini Group is a Late Triassic island arc sequence comprised of massive submarine andesite and pillow basalts overlain by the Sinwa Formation, which are deep submarine clastic sedimentary rocks that shallow upwards, with increasing occurrences of limestone beds upwards. The Laberge Group is Early to Middle Jurassic in age and unconformably overlies the Stuhini Group. It is composed of 3-5 km of calcareous clastic sediments, including sandstone, conglomerate and shale. Multiple stages of subduction-related magmatism were emplaced at the Thorn Property from the to Palocene-Eocene; Cretaceous, Triassic and Jurassic. At the Outlaw Zone Jurassic aged rhyodacite dykes are related to gold mineralized. The Golden Bear Mine gold mineralization was Jurassic in age. However, mineralization at Camp Creek is Cretaceous in age.
The new Thorn Project shows significant copper-gold porphyry potential property-wide, with historic and recent geochemistry outlining 12-18 target areas.
Exploration Targets
- Mineralization at the Camp Creek is within a 2km by 1km area has been the main focus of drilling by Brixton Metals thus far. However, it was only in 2019 that drilling was deep enough to test the blind porphyry. Deeper drilling in 2019 and 2020 encountered porphyry-style veining beginning at depths of roughly 300m-500m. THN20-181 returned 439m of mineralized porphyry Cu-Au-Ag-Mo. Further drilling is needed to determine the extent of this mineralization. The 2021 plan is to drill test the Camp Creek porphyry in several locations, starting with extending hole 181 to greater depths.
- The Oban zone is a porphyry-related diatreme breccia where polymetallic (Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn) mineralization is hosted in the breccia matrix. Subrounded clasts are composed mostly of quartz diorite porphyry, some of which contain mineralized porphyry-style veining. Hole 150 drill tested the diatreme to 829m depth where 554m was ~2 g/t AuEq.
- The Glenfiddich zone consist of high-sulphidation veins and silica-flooded breccia hosting high Cu-Ag-Au. Intense silicification with vuggy texture is exposed on several outcrops at surface and is host to pyrite, tetrahedrite and enargite. Hole 121 drilled 10.6% Cu, 583 g/t Ag, 2.5 /gt Au over a true width of 1.1m
- The Talisker zone is defined by a northeast striking high sulphidation vein corridor. It has strike length of 600 m and is open to the northeast. Disseminated and vein-hosted pyrite and sulphosalts with strong sericite alteration yield significant Au-Cu-Ag values. The best Talisker hole returned 49m of 2.2 g/t AuEq.
The Outlaw Zone is composed of sediment-hosted (siltstone-greywacke-argillite-carbonates) Au-Ag related to pyrite and pyrrhotite veins and stratiform disseminated to semi-massive py-po. Mineralized horizons may be related to the Jurassic aged felsic dykes, suggesting the mineralization is intrusion-related. Gold-in-soil anomaly is greater than 4 km, with a gold horizon in the central part of the target that extends an east west trend for 600m through drilling. Hole 128 drilled in the Central Outlaw returned 60m of 1.1 g/t Au. Surface rocks samples have returned up to 22.9 g/t Au from East Outlaw and 68.8 g/t Au from West Outlaw. The goal for 2021 is to extend the Central Zone to the East Zone for a 2 kilometre strike through channel sampling and drilling.
Geology at Trapper is predominantly volcanics and volcaniclastic rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini group, which are intruded by feldspar-phyric diorite sills thought to be part of the Thorn Magmatic Suite. Porphyritic dykes crosscut both rock groups. These porphyritic dykes are often elevated in Au-Cu-Ag mineralization. Gold mineralization is associated with structurally-controlled quartz-carbonate stockwork and epithermal veins that host sulphides (pyrite, galena, sphalerite) and in rare cases visible gold. As of 2011, 42 diamond drillholes have been drilled in the Trapper area and TG11-11 returned 34m of 1.7 g/t Au including 0.4m of 93 g/t Au. Rock samples obtained in 2020 returned up to 47.0 g/t Au, 41.6 g/t Au, 31.9 g/t Au highlights a new gold target to be drilled, highest values for copper were 5.2% Cu and for silver it was 1,490 g/t Ag.
Metla is a new 20km copper-gold porphyry anomaly within the Thorn Project. Major rock units at Metla include sedimentary and mafic to ultramafic intrusive rocks of the Stikine assemblage, volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Stuhini Group, Late Cretaceous to Paleocene felsic intrusive rocks, and hydrothermal breccia dykes that cross cut all of the previous units. Several distinct styles of mineralization occur in the Metla area. Massive pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite are hosted in the hydrothermal breccia and porphyry with bornite, chalcopyrite and Chalcocite. Rock samples collected have returned up to 67 g/t Au and 4.5% Cu. A 1989 trench by Cominco returned 9m of 4.6 g/t Au. A satellite camp is planned for Metla to further define drill targets through additional geochemistry, mapping and geophysical surveys within this area.
The East Target is a 10km by 10km area where geology is dominated by Middle to Late Triassic quartz diorite and granodiorite intrusive rocks with windows of Stuhini Group volcanic rocks. There are anomalous copper values throughout the area that is often vein-hosted, including a 600 m trend on surface. Previous drilling in the area has azimuths directed east, away from the most anomalous samples. Surface rock samples have returned up to 5.2% Cu and 145 g/t Ag.
The West target is s primary copper target. Geology at the West Target is composed of volcanic rocks of the Stuhini Group and an argillite and conglomerate unit of the Laberge Group cut by granitic intrusions, migmatitic metamorphic rocks and volcaniclastic rocks. Mineralization is vein-hosted and disseminated, with porphyry-style quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins in the intrusive and volcanic rocks. Rock sampling in 2020 returned up to 4.3% Cu and 10.1 g/t Au.
The Central Target geology is mostly intrusive rocks, with Middle to Late Triassic quartz diorite intruded by granitic intrusive rocks of the Sloko Suite. At surface there is stockwork quartz-molybdenite-chalcopyrite veins as well as several historic drillholes, follow up work is planned. Sheeted east-west trending sheeted veins up to 1.5m thick containing Mo and in some cases massive molybdenum.
Geology at the South Target includes greenstone rock of the Whitewater Metamorphic Complex, coarse clastic sedimentary rocks of the Stikine Assemblage and Late Triassic quartz diorite intrusive rocks. Mineralization includes vein-hosted chalcopyrite and disseminate pyrite and chalcopyrite. Further geochemical surveys, prospecting a mapping are planned.
The Goldbee Targets is the southern extension of the Golden Bear Mine trend. Gold mineralization is structurally control and hosted within sediments. Geochemical surveys and prospecting is planned.
