Reviewed by Lexie CornerSep 17 2024
Trailbreaker Resources Ltd. shared the findings from surface sampling at the Liberty Property in central British Columbia (BC). Soil sampling revealed a large-scale (~10 km long and up to 1.8 km wide) arc-shaped copper (Cu)-in-soil anomaly across the property.
Contoured Cu-in-soil data across the Liberty property, highlighting the extensive property scale area of high mineral potential. High-grade Cu-bearing grab and chip samples in the southwestern area occur along a structural break (dashed lines are inferred faults based on regional magnetic data) between ultramafic rocks to the northeast and argillites to the southwest. Wetland conditions defined by areas of deeper organic material and of high, near-surface groundwater content are outlined in the central and northern portions of the surveyed area. These soil conditions may result in locally subdued geochemical responses. Image Credit: Trailbreaker Resources Ltd.
Near the southwestern edge of this anomaly, rock samples from prospecting yielded impressive results, with up to 15.62 % Cu (float grab sample) and 23.71 % Cu (subcrop grab sample). A continuous chip sample in the same area showed 2.15 % Cu over 3.0 m.
Following the surface program, Trailbreaker staked additional claims covering 1,841 hectares to the southwest, extending over the open-ended soil anomaly and the high-grade copper mineralization's strike length. These results are now used to prepare and design a new area-based permit application for Liberty, allowing for expanded exploration beyond the limited area drilled earlier this spring.
Message from the President
This surface program has demonstrated that there is a very large area of prospective geological setting at Liberty. It is clear that the drilling conducted in the spring tested only a small area within this large anomaly. High-grade copper values from sampling provide further evidence of the potential for high-grade zones within the mineralized system. Results to date at Liberty show many similarities to early exploration results at the Gibraltar Mine, where a large low-grade copper–molybdenum (Cu-Mo) system is accentuated by zones of high-grade Cu-Mo mineralization.
Daithi Mac Gearailt, President, Trailbreaker Resources Ltd.
High-Grade Copper
Exploration in the southwest area of the site yielded many rock samples with over 1 % Cu, including 23.71 % Cu from a malachite vein running 140 °–320 °. This zone shows iron-carbonate, talc, and actinolite changes where ultramafic rocks meet argillite. This boundary was also found in an outcrop 900 m northwest, with similar iron-carbonate changes and high Cu levels (up to 0.23 % Cu in loose rocks near the contact). The copper-in-soil anomaly is especially strong along this contact and spreads northeast, averaging 1.8 km wide.
The copper mineralization in the southwest Liberty property area resembles the best-grade findings from the Spring 2024 drilling. This drilling yielded 34.2 m of 0.47 % Copper Equivalent (CuEq), including 5.9 m of 2.02 % CuEq, in hole LIB24-003. The top-grade mineralization in LIB24-003 sits at the meeting point of granodiorite intrusion and ultramafic rocks.
This high-grade section is part of a larger mineralized granodiorite zone (194.3 m of 0.16 % CuEq). In the southwestern area, where the rich malachite was found, mineralization also occurs where ultramafic rocks meet the argillite unit, showing similar iron-carbonate.
Surface Sampling Program
Geologic surveys and soil testing were conducted to assess potential mineral-rich areas across the entire property. In total, 1,601 soil samples and 47 rock samples were gathered. Copper levels in the soil are notably high in a curved zone cutting through the property's center. This zone stretches northeast for 4.1 km (about 1.8 km wide) from the southwest edge of the sampled area to the property's middle. From there, it continues northwest for another 6.3 km (roughly 1.0 km wide) until reaching the northern property line.
This widespread copper presence in soil aligns locally with unusual levels of gold, silver, molybdenum, and arsenic, forming more focused multi-element soil anomalies. The most notable of these are found in the southwest region, the Spring 2024 drilling area, and the northern section. These multi-element anomalies correspond well with the highest copper concentrations in soil.
Two zones within the surveyed area feature wetland conditions, characterized by deeper organic layers and high groundwater levels with water-saturated soil. These areas may result in a muted geochemical response in soil, as soil formation has occurred differently than elsewhere on the property.
Liberty Property Description
The 6,895-hectare Liberty Property sits about 60 km northwest of Quesnel, BC. Resource roads provide full access to the site.
Drilling at Liberty has revealed widespread Cu-Mo porphyry-style mineralization on the northeastern edge of a large Cu-in-soil geochemical anomaly. This mineralization aligns with an Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability feature. However, past IP surveys only covered a small part of the much larger geochemical anomaly. Key drill results include 34.2 m of 0.47 % CuEq, with 5.9 m at 2.02 % CuEq in LIB24-003; 13.5 m of 0.33 % CuEq, including 6.6 m at 0.67 % CuEq in LIB24-001; and 6.0 m of 0.
Exploration in the southwest part of the property's large geochemical anomaly has revealed a zone of rich copper deposits, with rock samples testing as high as 23.71 % Cu.