SICKLE-SOFIA PROPERTY

Exploration

In 2007 BCGold completed a $1.1 million geophysics and diamond drilling exploration program on the Sickle-Sofia Property. A total of 1,514 metres in 5 holes were drilled to test the core and fringe areas of a 5.5 square kilometre Induced Polarization (I.P.) geophysical anomaly and peripheral copper-gold-molybdenum soil anomalies. This chargeability high, referred to as the Sofia target is believed to represent a concealed “South Kemess-style” porphyry copper-gold mineralizing system.

The 2007 drill program resulted in a significant porphyry copper-gold discovery at the Sofia Zone. Drillhole BCG-07-01 was collared on the Sofia showing, just off the northeastern edge of the I.P. anomaly and intersected 47.0 metres averaging 0.13% copper and 0.08 g/t gold between 271.0 – 318.0 metres. Porphyry copper-gold mineralization and alteration occurs throughout the entire core interval of 318.3 metres.

Drill hole BCG07-03 was drilled 2.6 kilometres to the south along the southwestern flank of the same I.P. anomaly and intersected significant low-grade, high-sulphidation gold mineralization at the Alexandra Zone. The drillhole intersected porphyry-related geological units for the entire 259.15 metres drilled. The entire core interval contains low-grade copper-gold mineralization within an intensely high-sulphidation style altered volcanic rock, which had the highest grade at the end of of the interval. This suggests that mineralization may be caused by the presence of a large-scale underlying hydrothermal system, which could be genetically related to the monzonite porphyry intrusive discovered in drillhole BCG07-01 and present at the mineralized Sofia outcrop 2.6 kilometres to the north. Significant intercepts include 44.0 metres averaging 0.06% copper and 0.17 g/t gold from 77.0 metres to 121.0 metres and 20.0 metres averaging 0.08% copper and 0.43 g/t gold from 238.0 metres to 258.0 metres.Much of the Sofia I.P. target remains unexplored given an average drillhole spacing of 1 hole per 1 square kilometre. The Sofia and Alexandra discovery holes clearly indicate that the Sickle-Sofia property has potential for hosting significant porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold mineralization. 

2009 Exploration Plans

The Sofia porphyry copper-gold discovery was a significant achievement for BCGold at Sickle-Sofia, constituting the first new discovery of this type in the Toodoggone District for a number of years. BCGold has now earned 51% interest in the Sickle-Sofia Property and has exploration plans to earn an additional 9% interest by way of incurring at least $700,000 in exploration expenditures in 2009. 

Other Exploration Information

The Sickle-Sofia Property extends 9 km west from the confluence of Jock Creek and the Toodoggone River, and 13 km northwest along the Toodoggone River to just east of Toodoggone Lake. The Property is located in the Omineca Mining Division, UTM NAD83 Zone 9,centered at 6,356,900 m North and 632,400 m East on Map Sheets 094E 027,037,and 038. The Sickle-Sofia Property consists of 25 contiguous mineral claims containing covering 9,077.6 ha.

Exploration work is conducted out of Stealth Minerals Ltd.'s base camp at the junction of the Finlay and Firesteel Rivers. The camp is accessible by way of the all-weather Omineca Resource Road, 410 kilometres north of Windy Point, B.C. to the Kemess Mine turn-off and then approximately 22 kilometres northwest on a summer access road. Travel time via truck from Prince George, B.C. is approximately 10 hours, or 7 hours from Windy Point or Mackenzie, B.C. Prince George is the regional hub for north central B.C. Scheduled international air service, highway and rail transport as well as all supply and fuels are available in Prince George. Contractors such as helicopter, catering, fuel, telecommunication, and freight services are all available in Prince George. Fuel and minor supplies are available from Mackenzie, BC.

The Sickle-Sofia property was actively explored by several operators for its epithermal gold and silver potential following discovery and development of three gold-silver mines in the Toodoggone District (Baker, Lawyers, and Shasta).

Stealth Minerals Ltd.'s ("Stealth") interest in the area was based on an anomalous BC Government RGS silt sample (1997, 47 ppb Au). Stealth’s exploration efforts from 1999 to 2006 have shown that potential exists in the Toodoggone region for large tonnage copper-gold porphyry and transitional porphyry-epithermal deposits. 

A summary of Stealth’s work on this property includes:

1999

• Initial claims staked.
• Small scale geochemistry program completed.

2000

• Limited prospecting on JC 1-2 claims. Discovery of quartz and quartz-carbonate veins ranging from 0.5 - 50 centimetres in width with anomalous precious metals values and chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena mineralization.

2003

• Discovery of Sickle Creek, Griz and Quartz Lake veins.
• Multi-parameter helicopter-borne geophysical survey flown as part of a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) with the Geological Survey of Canada and the British Columbia Department of Mines and Energy.

2004

• Staking of additional claims.
• 27 square kilometre gridded soil survey defined the Alexandra copper-gold soil anomaly.
• Prospecting discovered the Sofia porphyry outcrop, the North Vein outcrop, and high-sulphidation silica-alunite alteration.
• 3,323 metres of diamond drilling completed in 24 holes, testing down dip and along strike of the Quartz Lake A to C veins and test the along strike projection of the Griz-Sickle vein set.

2005

• 21 line-km of 200 metre line-spaced I.P. and ground magnetic geophysical survey completed over the lower, covered portion of the Sofia copper-gold porphyry target. This survey outlined an 800 metre wide by 1,200 metre long +40 millisecond I.P. chargeability anomaly that was open to the north.

2006

• Expanded the I.P./ground magnetic survey by another 21 line-kilometres and expanded the chargeability anomaly a further 600 metrew north and 300 metres west. 

last updated: March 06, 2009