Mineralized and fractured quartz outcrop (above)

"We speculate that the Bonaparte Deposit represents an upper level of a buried porphyry system" 

James M. Logan & Mitchell G. Mihalynuk

British Columbia, Geological Survey, Ministry of Mines & Natural Resources, BCGS_P2013-01

Geological Fieldwork 2012 - pages 71-80

Geological Fieldwork 2013 - Pages 59 - 65

The two slides below are from ARIS 35749. There appear to be two zones extending from near surface to more than 500m depth. For clarity and simplicity, the slides shown were interpreted at 300m depth. There are several graduating slides from surface to 500m depth within the report. If these areas turn out to be mineralized porphyry, things are going to get very exciting, very quickly.

The 1st slide depicts a small low-resistivity area (blue) directly below the known mineralization with a much larger structure indicated below line 3000N.

The next slide seen below depicts 2 high-chargeability zones (red) in the same areas also shown at the 300m depth level.

When you see both low-resistivity and high chargeability zones over the same areas, the chances of the zone being mineralized are high.

With the focus generally being for near surface high-grade gold, there also seemed to have been very little focus on coppe and most reports have very little mention about chalcopyrite/bornite or any other copper sulphides. I do recall a mention of chalcopyrite increasing near the contact areas of the older monzodiorite rocks in the Geological Fieldwork reports discussed and linked below. What I find interesting, is that of all the notable samples collected in two field trips to the property, all were predominately comprised of quartz, chalcopyrite & pyrite and although the free gold is ample, the bulk of it appears to be related to the chalcopyrite. This leads me to the thinking that if I can find copper (which can be deposited in very large proportions), I will find the gold.

The pictures below depict the result of a typical sample having been chipped off a larger sample of predominately quartz with approximately 5 - 10% sulphides, and weighing roughly 7 lbs. The sample was crushed, crudely panned (see the pictures below) dried and XRF'd. The retained heavies weighed 77 grams with average XRF values of >140 gpt Au and >20% Cu.

The gold and copper (chalco) both appear to be in very nice proportions.

BONAPARTE HISTORY

Location: Approximately 54 km northwest of Kamloops, British Columbia

Access: Paved roads from Kamloops; well-maintained gravel roads to property

Area: 2,969.58 Hectares (7,338 Acres)

Minerals: Gold in quartz diorite, copper, tellurium with Cu-Au Porphyry potential

Ownership: 100%

Status: Inquire

Bulk-tonnage Target with High Grades in Drilling, Trenching, Underground Exploration

First explored in the early 1980s, Bonaparte is a large property with many high-quality targets and much ground yet to be explored.

The property hosts a series of well-developed shear/fracture zones hosting near-surface quartz veins. The veins have produced high-grade intersections for gold in drilling, trenching and underground sampling. The zones average two to three meters in thickness and appear to be located 12 to 15 meters apart within a larger regional structure. Exploration to date indicates the zones are open to expansion in at least three directions, and a larger target zone, located east of the original Discovery Zone, was identified in the 2015 drill program.

2018 Drilling

In September 2018, an eight-hole drill program explored the target intended for a 2016-2017 bulk sample (which was not reached by decline).

Results from the 2018 Drilling

43-101 Technical Report completed in 2019

Results of the 2018 program will form part of the 2019 NI 43-101 Technical Report on Bonaparte and follow-up field program of exploration. The report will also be based on historical results, including ground mag and IP survey interpretations

A 2019 program would test the various geophysical signatures from the historical surveys and follow up on drill hole 2015-05 which intersected a new vein to the east of the Discovery Zone returning 7.88g/t Au and 38.4g/t Ag over 1.0m.

Exploration in 2015: Cooler Creek Zone

A seven-hole, 583.22-meter drill program was carried out in the fall of 2015. Highlights included the discovery of a new vein, 450 metres east of the Crow/Grey Jay/Owl veins of the Discovery Zone. This new vein discovery from DDH-15-05 (see November 16 News Release) lies within an anomalous IP resistivity, chargeability and Au/Cu geochemical trend which extends 1.2 km to the south-southeast and is open both northward and southward. The new zone, called the Cooler Creek Zone, was supposed to be the target of drilling planned for 2016.

Exploration in 2014: Discovery Zone Extended

The 2014 program further advanced and tested both the Discovery Zone and porphyry potential. The field program included mapping and prospecting, 3D IP and magnetic geophysical surveys and soil geochemistry.

The Volterra 3D IP and ground magnetic surveys substantially extended the strike length of the high-grade Discovery gold zone trend. The extent of the zone's chargeability and resistivity anomalies has now been traced 1.2 km from the Discovery Zone to the south-southeast, and the zone remains open. Several parallel features of similar chargeability and resistivity signatures have also been identified. These discoveries provide several attractive drill targets for the next phases of exploration.

Southwest of the Discovery Zone, the 2013 surveys discovered a large magnetic anomaly comprised of extreme highs and lows with coincident IP chargeability responses under a younger basalt cap. These results suggested the potential for a multi-phase intrusive. Additional Volterra 3D IP and magnetic surveys conducted in 2014 expanded this target zone a further 800 meters to the south. Several chargeability anomalies within this zone present drill targets for the 2015 exploration program.

Bulk Sampling

In 1994 a 3,700 metric ton bulk sample of mineralized vein material from surface trenching with an average grade of 25.4 g/t Au produced 3,160 ounces of gold. In 2009 a 3m X 3m decline was collared on the Raven vein and the underground development program was designed to evaluate the vein system at depth. A total of 161m of underground development was completed.

Diamond drilling beneath the bulk sample pits produced several high-grade intersections including:

See the Technical Report for more information and detailed drill results.

Second, (Smaller) Bulk Sample in 2010

In 2010 a small bulk sample from the Crow Vein was shipped to the Kinross Mill in Republic, Washington. The 364-ton sample assayed 16.3 g/t Au (0.475 oz/t Au), yielding 161.95 troy ounces of gold.

ADDITIONAL INFO

In 2009 a 161m of underground development was completed to evaluate the vein system at depth.  A bulk sample in 2010 of 330 tonnes assayed 16.3 gpt Au (Encore Renaissance Release March 9, 2012).

In 2016 / 2017 an underground bulk sample attempt was eventually terminated for multiple reasons of which most are explained in the 2019 43-101 Report. Poor results, breakdowns and cost overruns appear to be the predominate factors.

In 2021, the previous owner announced they were postponing a planned 10-hole drill program because of a local forest fire threat. I cannot find anything officially announcing this program prior to the (July 29th, 2021 news release) and it was never mentioned again. The company issued only 2 news releases in the 2021 calendar year.