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 fromporphyry 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 youngerbelts such as the cordilleras of North and South America. These deposits are generally thought to be part of alarger mineralizing system often with an epithermal deposit sitting directly above. Often the epithermal deposithas been eroded away, directly exposing the porphyry copper deposit at surface. In some cases, another type ofcopper deposit, a tourmaline breccia deposit, sits above the porphyry. Tourmaline breccia copper deposits inthe Los Bronces - Rio Blanco systems in Chile are typical economic versions of these deposits with porphyrycopper mineralization occurring deeper in the system. As the tourmaline breccia deposits sit above the copperporphyry deposits, often at surface, they may provide a useful and more-distinct exploration target and aredesirable as they contain not just one, but two potential copper mines. The Giant Copper property in SouthernBC exhibits all the characteristics of a tourmaline breccia deposit, has excellent exposure, and acccess. To dateno economic copper-bearing tourmaline deposits have been found in the northern Cordillera. The aim of thisproposal 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 thepotential of tourmaline breccia veins, which are relatively abundant in BC, as a new exploration target for BCand their value as an exploration vector to deeper porphyry copper deposits. The major outcomes of this projectare to develop a better understanding of the nature of copper and gold enrichment in the Giant Copperexploration property, resulting in better exploration models for Imperial Metals Corporation's currently heldproperties. 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.