Capsule Geology

The dominant lithology cored at Skukum Creek is coarse-grained and equigranular biotite-hornblende granodiorite of middle Cretaceous. Fresh granodiorite is very magnetic whereas close to and within the shear zones, alteration of sericite and chlorite is pervasive, and the rock is weakly magnetic to non-magnetic. Dykes of andesite and rhyolite are very common within the shear zones. The dykes commonly experienced alterations of chlorite and sericite. Strong shear fabrics to brecciation are common in these dykes. Dykes are in lenticular shape on strike and downdip, with width normally in the range of a few metres and occasionally more than ten metres. Associated with the dykes are mineralized quartz sulphide veins and breccias. The most important structure is the altered shear zones which hosts mineralization. The width of the hosting structure of the Rainbow Zone is normally about 10 to 30 metres wide, consisting of cleaved and altered rocks of granodiorite, andesite and rhyolite dykes, breccia zones and quartz sulphide veins. The overall strike of the shear structure is about 60 degrees and dipping southeast at 80 degrees.

The mineralization style at the Polaris Zone is similar to the Kuhn Zone and other zones at Skukum Creek and consists of quartz sulphide veins with width from less than one metre to a few metres. Within the rhyolite dykes, narrow and braided quartz sulphide veinlets are common. The veins contain high grade of gold and silver as well as minor amount of base metals. Sulphide minerals in the quartz sulphide vein include arsenopyrite, pyrite, and lesser amounts of sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, stibnite and tetrahedrite. The total content of sulphide is about 10 to 20%.