Babine Copper Projects

Durango’s copper claims are in the Babine copper-gold porphyry district of the north central region of British Columbia. The entirety of the Babine project now consists of 4 claim blocks totaling 4,635 hectares, including 2,303 hectares directly west and adjoining the western claim boundary of American Eagle’s NAK project (TSXV-AE) who encountered significant drill intervals of high-grade gold and copper mineralization. Notably, drill hole 23-17 returned 302m @ 1.09% CuEq on the western portion of the NAK property less than 2km from the eastern border of Durango’s Babine West Property.

The Babine Copper Projects are in the Omineca Mining Division of British Columbia, approximately 80 kilometres north of Smithers. The Babine Region is one of BC’s most prolific porphyry copper gold belts and includes past producing mines such as the Bell and Granisle as well as the Morrison copper gold deposit, American Eagle’s NAK project, and Amarc Resources’ Duke project. Infrastructure in the region consists of all-season roads, highway 16 and railway. Claims maps of the Company’s Babine project relative to neighbors and the area are included below (Figures 1, 2, 3.)

Fig. 1 - Babine area map

Durango is encouraged by the historical work and copper-gold porphyry discoveries of both American Eagle and Amarc Resources in the area.  Historical work on the Company’s claims is also encouraging, as can been seen in a brief summary of these areas, also below. Durango recently visited the properties this fall to prospect the claims, confirm historical minfile showings, and collect samples. The Company obtained rock samples from each of the Company’s Babine claim areas and will be submitting them for assay.

Meanwhile management is currently reviewing all available data on each of these claims in the interests of devising a modern exploration program and advancing them as soon as possible.

Fig.2 - Babine Area Claim Map with NAK and Duke Projects

Babine West
2,303 hectares

The Babine West property covers three mineral claims and is bordering the west side of American Eagle’s NAK property (TSXV-AE) and borders Amarc Resources’ Duke Property (TSXV-AHR).

American Eagle has encountered significant drill intervals of high-grade gold and copper mineralization at NAK. Notably, drill hole 23-17 returned 302m @ 1.09% CuEq on the western portion of the property not far from the eastern border of Durango’s Babine West Property.

Amarc’s Duke Property covers 722km2 in the “DUKE District”, which hosts the DUKE Deposit, which is open to expansion, and includes a series of deposit-scale exploration targets.

The geology of the Babine West claims consists of a granodiorite stock containing phases of quartz monzonite and hornblende biotite feldspar porphyry of the Eocene Babine Intrusion. These cut grey, locally graphitic siltstones of the Middle to Upper Jurassic Ashman Formation. Stratified intermediate composition tuffs and/or greywacke and mudstone with minor silicification and some graded sandstones occur locally. The units are locally and strongly fractured and cemented with quartz and/or pyrite. Thus far pyrite has been identified in six outcrops and chalcopyrite in one. 

Babine North
717 hectares

The Babine North property covers the historic Friday Red copper Minfile showing and is located 90 kilometres east of the community of Hazelton. The geology consists of gently dipping volcanic rocks and minor interbedded mudstones of the Lower Jurassic Telkwa Formation (Hazelton Group) which are intruded by a highly magnetic feldspar porphyry dike, possibly related to the Eocene Babine Plutonic Suite. Some minor amounts of chalcopyrite are disseminated in the matrix of amygdaloidal unit of volcanic rocks, at the showing. 

Babine East
1,144 hectares

The Babine East Property is situated along the west side of the northwest arm of Takla Lake and covers the historic Minfile Adda showing. The area is underlain by volcanics and minor sediments. A few veins of chalcopyrite of 5-7.6 cm in width and some narrow chalcopyrite seams were observed in andesite (intrusive igneous rock) just above the lakeshore and sections of the chalcopyrite assayed 5.49 g/t silver and 10.6% copper with trace gold (Minister of Mines Annual Report, 1920, page 149).

Fig.3 - Babine South Claim Map

Babine South
470 hectares

The Babine South Property covers the historic Minfile Bol showing and is located on the north side of Babine Lake. The area of the Bol showing is underlain by Cache Creek Group greenstone. The mineralization occurs in quartz carbonate veins and shears within foliated greenstone. Mineralization consists of argentiferous galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, argentite, chalcopyrite, native silver, pyrrhotite and pyrite. Work on the property began as early as the 1920’s and about 94 kilograms of silver was produced (based on $1,000 of native silver at $0.33 per ounce) from a trench on the property. In 1991, the “silver pit” located near the east adit was re-opened to confirm the presence of high-grade native silver. A sample from this zone returned 26,000 grams per tonne silver and 0.82 per tonne gold (assessment report 22157). Sampling (Con-10-91) of a mineralized, 3- to 5-centimetre wide, quartz carbonate vein associated with a diorite dike located near the West adit assayed 2,790 grams per tonne silver, whereas a sample (Con-12-91) from a mineralized, 2- to 25-centimetre wide, vein in the West adit yielded 175 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 22157). 

None of the historical information has been verified yet by the Company and should not be relied upon.