Giant copper: a new copper-gold exploration target for copper and gold in the Canadian Cordillera

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British Columbia accounts for half of Canada's copper production and the bulk of that copper derives from**porphyry copper deposits. These deposits generally contain appreciable amounts of other metals such as gold,**silver, and molybdenum. They occur in mountain belts around the world and are most common in younger**belts such as the cordilleras of North and South America. These deposits are generally thought to be part of a**larger mineralizing system often with an epithermal deposit sitting directly above. Often the epithermal deposit**has been eroded away, directly exposing the porphyry copper deposit at surface. In some cases, another type of**copper deposit, a tourmaline breccia deposit, sits above the porphyry. Tourmaline breccia copper deposits in**the Los Bronces - Rio Blanco systems in Chile are typical economic versions of these deposits with porphyry**copper mineralization occurring deeper in the system. As the tourmaline breccia deposits sit above the copper**porphyry deposits, often at surface, they may provide a useful and more-distinct exploration target and are**desirable as they contain not just one, but two potential copper mines. The Giant Copper property in Southern**BC exhibits all the characteristics of a tourmaline breccia deposit, has excellent exposure, and acccess. To date**no economic copper-bearing tourmaline deposits have been found in the northern Cordillera. The aim of this**proposal is to support a PhD student, W. Fischer, to undertake a detailed comparison of the mineralogy,**chemistry, tectonics, and general geology of the Giant Copper property with the Chilean system to assess the**potential of tourmaline breccia veins, which are relatively abundant in BC, as a new exploration target for BC**and their value as an exploration vector to deeper porphyry copper deposits. The major outcomes of this project**are to develop a better understanding of the nature of copper and gold enrichment in the Giant Copper**exploration property, resulting in better exploration models for Imperial Metals Corporation's currently held**properties. It will also place them in an excellent position to acquire new properties and extend their holdings.**Results will ultimately be publicly available via W. Fischer's thesis and any resulting publications.