The Thorn Project hosts a district-scale, Triassic to Eocene, 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 Triassic to Eocene volcanoplutonic rocks. In this region, 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 during the Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Eocene. At the Outlaw Zone, Jurassic-aged rhyodacite dykes are related to gold mineralization. The Golden Bear Mine gold mineralization is also Jurassic in age. The Camp Creek and Trapper mineralizing systems are Cretaceous in age, whereas new age dates at Metla indicate a Triassic-aged system.
Geological and geochemical work completed on the Thorn Project to date, has outlined several significant copper-gold porphyry targets across the property, in addition to epithermal mineralization and intrusion-related mineralization.
Exploration Targets
- Copper-gold-silver-molybdenum porphyry mineralization at the Camp Creek Target has been the focus of drilling by Brixton Metals since acquisition in 2009. The target area is approximately 1km by 2km, and covers several different mineralized zones, including Oban, Talisker and Glenfiddich. The porphyry is blind and it wasn’t until 2019 that drilling was deep enough to connect with the veining system, starting at approximately 300m depth. Through the 2020 and 2021 exploration season, drill testing has pushed holes beyond 1,000m depths and Camp Creek is now encountering Cu-Au-Ag-Mo porphyry mineralization over 100’s of meters, including 821.25m of 0.40 CuEq in THN21-184, ending in 14m of 1.04% CuEq. The aim of the 2022 exploration program will be to test the extents of this porphyry system, at depth and towards the northwest.
- 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 THN19-150 drill tested the diatreme to 829m depth, intersecting 0.57g/t Au, 0.24% Cu, 43.18g/t Ag, 0.55% Zn and 0.28% Pb over 554.7m (97.00-651.70m).
- The Glenfiddich zone consists 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 THN13-121 drilled 10.6% Cu, 583 g/t Ag, 2.5 g/t 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, THN11-51, returned 48.78m of 1.42 g/t Au, 19.2 g/t Ag, and 0.25% Cu.
Geology at Trapper is predominantly volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Upper Triassic Stuhini group, which are intruded by Cretaceous quartz diorite, interpreted as part of the Thorn Magmatic Suite. The quartz diorite is associated with high-grade gold mineralization at Trapper, including a broad low-grade gold zoning that extends into the Stuhini volcanic rocks. Late porphyritic dykes crosscut both rock groups and add Au-Cu-Ag mineralization to the system. Gold mineralization is observed within structurally controlled quartz-carbonate stockworks and epithermal veins that host sulphides (pyrite, galena, sphalerite), and rare occurrences of visible gold. At surface, soil and rock geochemistry outline a 4 kilometer north-northwest gold trend, with 2021 grab samples assaying up to 135.5 g/t Au. Locally, gold mineralization is associated with copper and silver with values up to 5.2% Cu and 1,490 ppm Ag.
To date, 57 holes have been drilled at the Trapper target, including a dozen holes where visible gold has been observed. High-grade intercepts include 276 g/t Au over 0.46m and 160 g/t Au over 0.50m in THN21-186, part of a broader low-grade interval of 1.6 g/t Au over 187.51m. Trapper will be another primary target for the 2022 season.
Metla is a copper-gold porphyry anomaly within the Thorn Project, 20 km southeast of Camp Creek. The target area claims were acquired in 2020. 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 crosscut all of the previous units. Recent age dating indicates that the Au-Cu bearing granodiorite is Triassic in age, 220 +/- 3.1 Ma. Several distinct styles of mineralization occur in the Metla area. Massive pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite are hosted in the hydrothermal breccia and porphyry, along with bornite and chalcocite. Rock samples collected have returned up to 62.7 g/t Au and 4.7% Cu. A 1989 trench by Cominco returned 9m of 4.6 g/t Au. A satellite camp is planned for Metla to define drill targets through additional geochemistry, mapping and geophysical surveys.
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 THN14-128, drilled in the Central Outlaw area, returned 59.65m of 1.15 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 kilometer strike through channel sampling and drilling.
The Tat Au-Cu Target is 4km east of Trapper Lake, 11km east-southeast of the Trapper Target. Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic rocks are unconformably overlain by Jurassic Laberge Group sedimentary rocks. Quartz monzonites are also observed but of unknown age. The Tat Target was first worked in 1991 following the anomalous gold results reported from the BC Regional Geochemical Survey. Prospecting in the last 10 years have outlined a handful of chalcopyrite-pyrite showings with one sample assaying 3.03% Cu, 1.02 g/t Au and 41.6 g/t Ag, and another assaying 2.09% Cu, 1.8 g/t Au and 164 g/t Ag. A small diamond drill program was completed in 2018-2019 targeting porphyritic alteration, although no significant mineralization was intersected.
The East Target is located 25km east of Metla and 17km north-northeast of the Golden Bear Mine. The geology is dominated by Middle to Late Triassic quartz diorite and granodiorite intrusive rocks, with windows of Stuhini Group volcanic rocks. There are two main copper showings on either side of the Samotua River. The Ant showing is to the west and includes a 2km x 800m gossan with associated copper soil anomaly. Copper values in rocks reach up to 3.62% Cu and have not yet been drill tested. The Bing showing is on the east side of the river and includes widespread copper +/- molybdenum mineralization, as disseminations and within veining stockworks. Historic drilling did not target the area hosting the most anomalous samples. Surface rock samples have returned up to 5.15% Cu and 145 g/t Ag.
The West target is primarily a copper target, located 5km west-southwest of the Camp Creek Target. Geology at the West Target is comprised of Triassic volcanic rocks of the Stuhini Group, and Jurassic argillite and conglomerate of the Laberge Group. These Mesozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks are cut by an Eocene granodiorite (54.2 +/- 0.8Ma) and alkali feldspar granite batholith of the Sloko-Hyder Plutonic suite, some of which has been locally metamorphosed and migmatites are observed. Mineralization is vein-hosted and disseminated, with porphyry-style quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins in the Eocene intrusive and Stuhini volcanic rocks. A float sample collected in 2020 assayed 4.27% Cu.
The Central Target is located 7km southwest of Metla. Similarly, the Central Target geology is dominated by plutonic rocks, with Middle to Late Triassic quartz-diorite intruded by granitic intrusive rocks of the Sloko-Hyder Plutonic Suite. At surface there are stockwork quartz-molybdenite-pyrite veins, as well as several historic drillholes. East-west trending sheeted veins, up to 1.5m thick, contain molybdenite, which is locally massive and contain grades up to 1.45% Mo.
The Plum Target is located 8 km east of the Metla Target, immediately west of Tatsamenie Lake. The geology is dominated by Mississippian volcanic rocks of the Stikine assemblage, with local Lower Permian limestone. The aforementioned rocks are intruded by Triassic and Jurassic diorites and Eocene mafic dykes. Copper mineralization is vein-hosted with chalcopyrite and pyrite, including local chalcocite. This mineralization is found within broader zones of silica and pyrite alteration. Grab samples collected in 2020 found multiple occurrences with greater than 1% Cu, including one assay of 3.32% Cu.
Val is a copper exploration target that was identified and explored in the 80’s, two kilometers south of the Triassic-Jurassic Red Line, 28 km east of the Trapper Target. This prospect is underlain by Triassic granodiorite, intruded by felsic Sloko Group dykes. Only two small rock and soil sampling programs have been conducted at this location, and no work has been documented since 1987. Rock sampling in 1980 identified a bornite-chalcocite bearing 20cm quartz vein, assaying 35% Cu and 228 g/t Ag. A nearby 9m chip sample supported this discovery with 1.18% Cu, 0.96 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag. Interestingly, the follow-up prospecting program in 1987 collected several samples with bornite but these samples were only assayed for gold and silver.
Terr is located along the western slopes of the Sheslay River, 30 km east of the Trapper Target. The area is mapped as predominantly Jurassic sedimentary rocks with Triassic and Cretaceous intrusions. There have only been two small-scale exploration programs reported at Terr, focused on mapping and prospecting. Mapping outlined widespread alteration within the sedimentary and intrusive rocks, associated with mineralized quartz vein samples and assays up to 11 g/t Au.
The South Target is located approximately 35 km south of the Trapper Target. Geology includes greenstones of the Whitewater Metamorphic Complex, coarse clastic sedimentary rocks of the Stikine Assemblage and Late Triassic quartz diorite intrusive rocks. Known mineralization includes vein-hosted chalcopyrite and disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite, although only reconnaissance geochemistry surveys have been completed in the target area to date. The target includes one of the highest-grade gold samples in silts from the BC Regional Geochemical Survey, with 990.7 ppb Au and elevated Cu-Ag-As. The area around this sample has not yet been tested and geochemical surveys, prospecting and mapping are planned.
The North Target covers the region 6 to 12 km north of Brixton’s Thorn Camp, northwest of the Sutlahine River. The area is underlain by Jurassic aged volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Labegre Group, intruded by Cretaceous and Eocene quartz feldspar porphyry dykes and sills. Anomalous Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn has been sampled across this large area, associated with skarn, porphyry, polymetallic veining and sedimentary-hosted mineralization settings. A 20cm chip sample collected in 2004 assayed 13.35 g/t Au and 324 g/t Ag. The North target area has not yet been drill tested.
The GoldBee Target is the southern extension of the Golden Bear Mine trend. Gold mineralization is structurally controlled and hosted within Upper Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Geochemical surveys and prospecting are planned.
Mr. Gary R. Thompson, P.Geo., Chairman, President and CEO of Brixton, is the QP who approved the scientific and technical information on this website.
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