Blackwater: new gold mineralization style for BC

Dirk Tempelman-Kluit, VP Exploration Richfield Ventures Corp.

The Blackwater Project in the Nechako Plateau is accessible by road and some 165 km south-southwest of
Vanderhoof by road. The property is about 1600 m elevation near tree line on the gently north sloping flank
of Mount Davidson a local eminence. It has only one outcrop and exposure is generally poor because of
extensive glacial cover.
Blackwater was discovered in 1973 through a stream sediment geochemical survey. Follow-up geophysical
and geochemical surveys led to drilling and between 1985 and in 1992, 36 diamond and 34 reverse
circulation were drilled on the property. In 1992 and 1994, a further 10 holes were drilled, and geochemical
and geophysical surveys conducted. Silver Quest Resources drilled 7 more holes in 2005-6.
Richfield Ventures Corp. optioned the Blackwater prospect from Silver Quest Resources in March 2009
and the Dave and Jarrit Claims, south of the Silver Quest option, from private individuals. Mineralization
straddles the property boundary.
Richfield drilled the property during August and October 2009. Altogether 18 holes totaling about 3400
metres were completed. During 2010 Richfield drilled a further 21,400 metres in 57 holes. Total diamond
drilling to date is just above 30km.
Host rocks to mineralization are massive, chaotically intercalated lapilli tuff and andesite-dacite. Rock
types are laterally discontinuous and can only rarely be connected even between holes spaced at 50 metres.
Layering is absent and no evidence of reworking is seen.
Blackwater volcanic rocks are inferred to date to 67 Ma from a dyke sampled from a historic drill hole and
from two K-Ar ages of 70.2 and 68.1 Ma. The ages may represent the age of felsic magmatism and
precious metal mineralization. This age falls within the 74-66 Ma bracket for the Capoose prospect and
may represent mineralization associated with the waning stages of Bulkley suite magmatism, Quanchus
Intrusive or Kasalka Group.
Blackwater mineralization is mostly hosted in pervasively and repeatedly hydrofractured siliceous breccia
and microbreccia and in silica-sericite altered lapilli tuff. The breccia is interpreted to represent the altered
lapilli tuff and andesite-dacite. Alteration mineralogy is simple and consists overwhelmingly of silica,
sericite-illite and pyrite. Chlorite-pyrite alteration is widespread and may postdate silicification. As with
lithology alteration rarely connects from hole to hole to form simple zones. Instead rock types are
discontinuous, lensy and poddy and in no discerned order or sequence.
Sulphide minerals, mainly pyrite and sphalerite, but including pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite and less
chalcopyrite occur throughout the silicified quartz-sericite breccia. (pyrite + sphalerite > pyrrhotite >
chalcopyrite > aresonopyrite > tetrahedrite)They generally make up 2 to 5 percent by volume. Sulphides
are fine- to very fine-grained and widely disseminated within silicified zones. They also occur in fractures
and cracks between hydrofrac breccia fragments. Gold and silver are thought to have accompanied
silicification and brecciation and the introduction of sulphides.
Gold is rarely seen in drill core, but under the microscope free gold is seen as grains to 25 or 50 microns
associated with the sulphide and silicified rocks.
Assay results from modern and historic holes demonstrate continuity of gold mineralization over intervals
of tens or hundreds of metres, with fairly consistent tenor commonly from the bedrock surface to depths of
450 metres locally. Gold mineralization does not correlate closely with lithologic or alteration types. Gold
also does not relate consistently to the distribution of silver or other metals. Gold is richer in certain areas;
silver is richer elsewhere and zinc elsewhere again. Gold pathfinder elements are not recognized. Arsenic,
antimony, tellurium, thallium, bismuth, copper and mercury contents are generally low.

The mineralized zone has been drilled for a kilometer east-west and 300 to 500 metres north-south. As with
lithology and alteration mineralization connects irregularly and chaotically from hole to hole.
The rocks are generally massive without primary or other layering. Beside being hydrofractured on micro
and macro scales and cemented by silica the rocks are commonly broken. Such broken zones are not
silicified and the rocks resemble fault gouge over zones many metres wide. Strain ratios are generally 1:1
implying insignificant differential displacement. Like the lithology and alteration the broken zones are
irregularly shaped and difficult to connect from hole to hole.
What is known about the deposit is from drill core, because outcrop is lacking. Because drilling to date is
confined to the mineralized system the relations of the mineralized rocks to their surroundings are
speculative. West of the deposit and the drilling is a north trending steep dipping fault. It drops the Ootsa
Lake Group down beside the mineralized system. North of the deposit and drilling is a similar, northeast
trending steep dipping fault. It too is inferred to place Ootsa Lake Group feldspar porphyry extrusive rocks
next the mineralization. About 1500 metres south of the mineralized zone one drill hole intersected a thick
conglomerate and shale beneath the host rocks. These sedimentary rocks are correlated with the Bowser
Lake Group. The deposit is therefore inferred to occupy a structurally preserved and structurally limited
remnant of a Late Cretaceous rhyolite dome complex. The dome complex may have been emplaced as
siliceous subaerial volcanic dome or domes inside or around caldera(s?)
The mineralized, brecciated siliceous volcanic rocks are thought to represent a cap developed in a rhyolite
breccia-tuff dome built on a Jurassic basement of Hazelton and Bowser Lake Group strata during latest
Cretaceous time. Gold and related metals were emplaced in the volcanic rocks during hydrofracturing and
silica flooding.