The Perfect Structural Storm on Treaty Creek
July 2, 2020
[[ Unfortunately this isn't up yet on the website. The email that I got has a number of good graphics. call Kelvin Burton @ (403) 752-4040 and request a link ]]
The Perfect Structural Storm (PS2) is another potential mega deposit on Treaty Creek. It’s not just a great name for a deposit, it really is the perfect structural storm. In fact, last summer (2019) I was on Treaty Creek and Ken Konkin (V.P. Project Development for our JV partner Tudor Gold) was using that phrase when describing the geology of that area of Treaty Creek. In this case the geological description happened to make a great name as well.
Konkin, who was responsible for the development of the Brucejack Mine (Pretium Resources) just a few kilometers south of Treaty Creek, is an expert in both large scale systems and geology in the Golden Triangle. He has often spoken of the importance of the “frequency for occurrence”, “frequency for distribution”, and “structural traps” of world class hydrothermal systems that create a predictable “rhythm”.
He’s stated that the Sulphurets Hydrothermal System (SHS) is a perfect example and refers to its many deposits as a “string of pearls……just really big pearls!” Below is an image showing existing and potential “pearls” in this system.
Please click on the image to make it larger.
(this image does not show all the deposits or the Brucejack mine)
The Kerr, Sulphurets, Mitchell, and Iron Cap deposits are part of the KSM system owned by Seabridge Gold. These deposits constitute the largest undeveloped gold deposit in the world by reserves; containing proven-probable reserves of some 38.8 million ounces of gold, 183 million ounces of silver, 10.2 billion pounds of copper and 207 million pounds of molybdenum. The Treaty Creek mineral claims boundary is just above the Iron Cap deposit in these images. The Goldstorm (GS) is currently being developed, the PS2 is the subject of this document and the GS2 is another potential deposit to be discussed later.
Please click on the image to make it larger
The image above is rotated to NNW
This string of pearls is within the SHS and share:
The same bedrock geology (Hazelton volcanic formation)
The Sulphurets Thrust Fault (STF) which is responsible for the known deposits
The Kyba “Line of Discovery” where most major deposits in the Golden Triangle have been located
Magnetotelluric (MT) and Magnetic (mag) geophysical anomalies that have aided in the discovery and development of most of the SHS known reserves & resources
A rhythm of major deposits approximately every 2.5km running SW to NE
Enter the Perfect Structural Storm
About 2.5km north of Iron Cap and 2.5km south of Goldstorm is the PS2; right where it should be based on the rhythm of the SHS. As noted above it has the right bedrock geology, is located along the STF and Kyba Line, and has massive MT and Mag anomalies associated with it. There are also a number of mineralized surface expressions on it including the SW, AW, and NW zones with the Konkin zone just to the north of it.
Geophysics don’t indicate exactly what’s in the ground, but the MT survey has been incredibly valuable in the discovery of deposits within the SHS. A combination of a MT and a mag anomaly is also a good (but not necessary) indicator of mineralization.
Below is a west looking image showing the MT survey on Treaty Creek. The lines in the background are 1km square. The yellow area indicates rock with the impedance that appears to carry mineralization. Usually an “anomaly” is the exception to the background, but in this case it’s so big that it IS the (yellow) background. The MT survey shows potential for mineralization for over 7km extending north from the claim boundary with the KSM!
Goldstorm is directly under the “Goldstorm” label in the image below (850m long) and shows the three most northly drill holes. The yellow sections are the enriched rock but the lighter red areas still contain mineralization. The 300 zone can be seen as the yellow enriched area close to surface which is believed to carry about 1 g/t gold down about 300m. The deepest hole to date is just under 1,200m but as you can see it appears that the system could go kilometers deep.
PS2 is also shown south (left) of the Goldstorm and indicates a massive area with the right impedance.
Please click on the image to make it larger
The image below shows the string of pearls with the KSM on the left and Treaty Creek on the right. The colours on the KSM indicate grade while the red colour on Treaty indicates a mag anomaly. The MT anomaly (yellow enriched area) is indicated with a yellow dotted line. This to-scale image shows how massive the PS2 mag anomaly overlapping the MT anomaly is.
Please click on the image to make it larger
In Tudor’s June 22nd press release they state:
“…we will be drill testing the Perfect Structural Storm (PS2), a new geophysical and geological target located mid-way between our Goldstorm system and Seabridge's Iron Cap deposit. The first holes at PS2 will be located within a cluster of surface samples that have returned anomalous gold values."
No deep drill holes have been done on this area of Treaty Creek before. We are excited about Tudor drilling this area in the near future. Based on the geology and geophysics Konkin was correct in naming this new area the Perfect Structural Storm! Perhaps it may become the newest “pearl…just a really big pearl” in this world class geological system.
Kelvin Burton
