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Mineralization Associated With Detachment Faults

Detachment fault mineralization is located within fault structures associated with extensional tectonics associated with mid-late Tertiary core-complex formation in the Basin and Range Province of the southwestern U.S. Detachment faults are large low angle normal faults with greater than ten kilometers of displacement. This large displacement commonly juxtaposes unmetamorphosed rock units above the detachment fault (upper plate rocks) over medium to high grade metamorphic rocks (lower plate). In the vicinity of the Bullard Pass area in Arizona lower plate rocks are Early Proterozoic gneisses intruded by Laramide granites. Upper plate rocks include upper Oligocene to lower Miocene volcanic and associated sedimentary rocks. Upper plate rocks are present in rotated blocks created by listric normal faults. These normal faults are higher angle faults that dip in a similar direction as the detachment fault with dips gradually become shallower and join the detachment fault at depth. Local antithetic faults dip at high angles in the opposite direction to the detachment fault and associated listric normal faults. The detachment fault and the upper plate faults are considered to be the pathways for hydrothermal fluid flow and the predominant sites for mineral deposition. Minor small high angle structures in the lower plate are locally mineralized, but are of no interest in the exploration program. High angle post-mineralization faults displace all pre-existing structures plus mineralization in the region.

A variety of elemental commodities may be present in detachment-related structures. However, only gold-copper oxide mineralization is of interest in the Bullard Pass area. Host rocks and shear zones associated with upper plate faults are enriched in copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, gold, silver, and barium. Standard pathfinder elements such as arsenic, antimony, mercury, and thallium are not known to form intense anomalies relative to mineralization in detachment-type mineralization. The presence of silicified zones may produce resistivity highs and minor sulfide minerals may create conductors detectable in geophysical surveys.

Canadian Mining, Inc.'s objective is to discover large tonnage gold mineralization along upper plate structures, or at intersections between these structures using the detachment fault mineralization model. Drill targets will be defined based upon the creation of geological maps and cross-sections identifying the locations of favorable upper plate faults, using geochemical indicator elements, ratios, etc., alteration-associated mineral assemblages, and geophysical techniques to identify potential mineralized zones along these faults.

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