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Great Northern Zone
Taranis has drilled a total of 13
holes in the GNZ, all of which identified intercepts of sulphide
mineralization highly enriched in base and precious metals. Thor-58 is
the last drill hole to be reported from the GNZ which remains open at
depth and along strike to the north and south. The GNZ is thought to have
particular importance at Thor owing to a progressive widening of the
mineralized zones and increasing abundance of volcanic rocks at depth.
Section 330m South
Drill Hole Thor-58 (-51 degrees) was drilled down-dip of
drill holes Thor-50 through 54 (see News Release dated November 5, 2007)
and intersected a zone of massive sulphide mineralization that was
separated from an interval below by an interval of lost core. The upper
zone corresponds with CMU-1 and the lower zone with up-dip portion of the
CMU-2 found in drill holes Thor-59 and Thor-60.
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Thor-58
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From (m)
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To (m)
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Au (g/t)
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Ag (g/t)
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Cu (%)
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Pb (%)
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Zn (%)
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Thickness (m)
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77.48
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78.49
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1.09
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284.60
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0.17
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3.57
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12.32
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1.01
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and
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83.15
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84.19
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0..41
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337.70
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0..12
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2..96
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3..36
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1.04
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Geological Setting of Precious and Base Metal Mineralization
at Thor
Taranis has assembled overwhelming geological data which
supports the observation by Chris Von Hessert (1984) that Thor is a
volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposit. More
specifically, Taranis' recent geologic work has further defined Thor as a
"structurally deformed (overturned) VMS deposit with many affinities
to Besshi-type VMS deposits". Both the Goldstream and the J&L
Deposits located around Revelstoke are other examples of VMS deposits
hosted in similar age rocks.
Some of the important geological characteristics of
base/precious metal mineralization at Thor are listed below.
● Precious and base metals are confined to a tabular,
stratigraphic horizon termed the CMU that is over 1,800 m in strike
length (of unknown dip-extent) that is conformable to the enclosing host
rocks. Ore-bearing zones within the CMU have been drag-folded and
sheared, indicating that the ore-bearing zones pre-date folding and
deformation of the rocks at Thor, and the ore-bearing zones have not been
injected along "fissures or veins".
● The presence of consistently high levels of Au with
Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag documented at Thor is characteristic of many VMS deposits,
and is inconsistent with vein/fissure-type deposits found in Southeastern
British Columbia.
● The CMU and the associated base/precious metal
mineralization is associated with three rock types. In order of
importance these include massive sulphide, quartz-sulphide breccia and
massive ankerite (carbonate) zones. The latter two zones are deformed
equivalents of the cherty and carbonate-exhalative facies commonly found
in VMS deposits.
● Millimeter-scale banding seen in the TFZ and Blue
Bell massive sulphide ore at Thor is characteristic of Besshi-type VMS
deposits. In other portions of the CMU, similar sulphide bands have been
deformed and subjected to recrystallization, indicating structural
deformation.
● Taranis has also been able to document large-scale
metal zonation in the CMU with the comprehensive UG chip sampling and
drilling that has been completed in 2006 - 2007. The south end of the CMU
is Cu-dominated, the central portion is Zn-Pb-Ag dominated, and the
northern end is Au-Ag dominated.
● The stratigraphic succession at Thor shows a
consistent pattern and moves upwards through carbonaceous sediments
(phyllites), tuffaceous sedimentary rocks (felsic volcanics), massive
sulphide, cherty/carbonate exhalite, a graphitic marker horizon, and
finally ending in purely sedimentary rocks (phyllites) that are
weakly-carbonaceous. This sequence is found throughout the CMU, and is
typical of many VMS deposits.
● Dr. Eva Schandl (GeoConsult) has undertaken
petrographic/microprobe analysis of both the ore-bearing and host rocks
found at Thor. While most of the host rocks are fine-grained sedimentary
rocks ("phyllites"), the structural hanging-wall of the CMU is
dominated by tuffaceous sediments described as a crystal tuff unit which
are "most likely derived from felsic volcanic rocks or felsic
intrusives". These rocks have been subjected to intense hydrothermal
alteration (sericitization) that pre-dates the deformation and shearing
of the hosts rocks - consistent with a VMS origin for Thor.
● While there are no sub-volcanic intrusive bodies
found at Thor, the presence of a large, low amplitude magnetic feature
("50-0-50" anomaly) discovered in 2007 suggests that such a
feature is likely present under the GNZ, and will become a top priority
for exploration in 2008.
● Structural deformation of the CMU has impacted the
current configuration of the zones found at Thor. In the GNZ,
drag-folding of the CMU has been documented, and the down-dip portion of
the True Fissure Mine has been sheared and faulted. In the 2007
exploration program, evidence was found that suggests that the TFZ has
been dislocated laterally from the lower portion of the GNZ along a
graphitic fault that is post mineralization in age.
Analytical work was completed by the
AccurAssay Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario that is accredited to
Standards Council of Canada, Scope of Accreditation 434 (conforms with
requirements of CAN−P−4D (ISO/IEC 17025), and CAN−P−1579).
Drill core is logged on-site and is sawed in half for analysis.� One half is retained for geologic
records and further assay verification if required.� Exploration activities on the Thor
property were overseen by John Gardiner (P. Geol.) and Jim Helgeson (P.
Geo.), both Qualified Persons under the meaning of Canadian National
Instrument 43-101.
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