Structure and Mineralisation in Zapopan NL's McKinlay tenement areas

Abstract

A study of the structural evolution and its effect on mineralisation was conducted on the McKinley group of tenements. This work involded structural mapping of the tenement areas, and geochemical sampling of higher grade samples in order to delineate areas worthy of further attention. low gold values were found in metasediments with either a network of small quartz veins or obvious effects of ionic migration. Gossanous material generally returned good Au values, but not always. Four areas of gold anomalism were resampled, in order to get a better idea of the outcrop extent and to check the structural controls on mineralisation. these areas were the Su Ah Ray Prospect, the Zappo Prospect, the Eliza Prospect, and the Pie in the Sky Prospect. The most favourable lithologies for gold mineralisation in the McKinley tenement area have a high porosity. The structural controls on gold mineralisation are the regional F3 anticline, conformable veins of ferruginised quartz breccia, N-S faults and faults on a 120 degree azimuth. Enhanced gold values occur where a number of these parameters coincide. The small Ag-Pb prospects in the area may be associated with E-W trending faults. Further attention is recommended on the 4 outlined anomalous areas, on the area near the mapped nose of the regional anticline, and the N-S shear zones evident on the 1:25000 aerial photographs associated with the granitic plutons.