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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  29-Sep-2019 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 082E15,16 Ag1
Name LIGHTNING PEAK, THUNDER HILL (L.3413), FIRST CHANCE (L.3414), WEST FORK (L.3413), JIM HILL (L.3416), EQUINOX, LIGHTNING PEAK GROUP LOC.19-20, M22 Mining Division Greenwood
BCGS Map 082E088
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082E16W
Latitude 049º 53' 04'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 118º 29' 55'' Northing 5526860
Easting 392344
Commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Harper Ranch, Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Lightning Peak past producing mine is located on the First Chance Crown grant, (Lot 3414), approximately 3.5 kilometres northeast of the summit of Lightning Peak.

The Lightning Peak area is underlain by limestone and greenstone of the Devonian-Triassic Harper Ranch Group. These are underlain and intruded by granodiorite and diorite of an unnamed Middle Jurassic intrusion. Quartz porphyry dikes are common in the Harper Ranch Group; pegmatitic variations are sometimes associated with mineralization in the Lightning Peak camp. Several remnants of Miocene-Pliocene Chilcotin Group plateau basalts are found in the area, including the summit of Lightning Peak.

Locally, quartz porphyry dikes and pegmatitic granodiorite dikes are commonly associated with quartz veining. The quartz forms narrow veins and lenses, or partly replaces the wallrocks within and adjacent to shear zones. Calcite is sometimes associated with the quartz. Galena and sphalerite form streaks, disseminations, and lenses within the shear zones. Minor amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, ruby silver, argentite, and native silver are also present. Copper carbonate (malachite?) has been noted on surface exposures. The shear zones are of variable thickness up to approximately 1 metre thick. The main vein strikes east-west, has a near vertical dip and is cut by north-striking faults.

A channel sample, taken in the 1950s, assayed 1846.8 grams per tonne silver over 30 centimetres of mineralized sheared greenstone (Property File - Unknown [Unknown]: Report - Lightning Peak Area).

In 1967, a chip sample of sheared rusty material from a near surface stope pillar assayed 1429.6 grams per tonne silver over 15 centimetres (Property File - J.C. Stephen [1967-10-20]: Report - Lightning Peak Area - Mastodon Highland Bell Mines Ltd.).

Total recorded production for the period 1904 through 1936 is 139 tonnes, which yielded 434 943 grams of silver, 93 grams of gold, 35 961 kilograms of lead and 3362 kilograms of zinc.

The Lightning Peak occurrence was staked around 1901 by F. Fritz and C. Harrigan, and Crown-granted in 1905 as the Thunder Hill (Lot 3413), First Chance (Lot 3414), West Fork (Lot 3415) and Jim Hill (Lot 3416) claims. In 1904, a 4.5-tonne sample was shipped to the smelter at Nelson. It assayed 5611 grams per tonne silver and 26 percent lead (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1904, page G224). In 1906, the property was leased by W.A. Calder & Associates and 38 tonnes of ore was shipped in 1907 and 1908.

In 1917, the mine was re-opened by W.A. Calder, who made several shipments, totalling 17 tonnes, during the period of 1918 through 1920. In 1921, the property was leased by W. Williams who shipped 5 tonnes in 1922 and 9 tonnes in 1923. In 1925, W.A. Calder leased the property again and formed the Lightning Peak Mining Company Limited in 1927. Production during the next 3 years amounted to 54 tonnes. Lightning Peak Mining Company ceased operation in 1932, although W.A. Calder continued to operate the mine intermittently until 1936. Mine development, as of 1930, consisted of a 29-metre shaft, four adits and extensive surface work. The underground workings explored the main vein for a total length of approximately 300 metres and over a vertical range of approximately 60 metres.

In 1967, Mastodon-Highland Bell Mines prospected and sampled the area. In 1968 and 1969, Mining Lease No. M22, covering 18 hectares of the West Fork (L.3413) and Jim Hill (L.3416) Crown grants, was issued to the Great Horn Mining Syndicate Inc. In 1969, International Mine Services Ltd. mapped the two lower levels of the Lightning Peak workings for the Great Horn Mining Syndicate. The No. 3 adit was found to be approximately 23 metres long and was connected to the fourth level by a 15-metre chute. Adit No. 4 was found to be a crooked and low-backed drift on a vein that averaged 10 centimetres in width. The 210-metre long drift ends with a raise and two 25-metre crosscuts. Mineralization in the drift, consisting of fine-grained galena with minor quartz in a gangue of altered greenstone, follows a tight fracture in fine-grained greenish volcanics. A sample of the mineralization assayed 77.6 grams per tonne silver and 6.77 per cent lead (Assessment Report 2330).

In 1992, Zalmac Mines completed a program of geological mapping, soil and rock sampling, surveying and aerial photograph studies on the area as the P and Z claims.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1904-G224; 1905-J255; 1917-F199; 1918-K203; 1922-N351; 1925-
A196; 1927-C227; 1929-C256; 1933-A151; 1934-D4; 1935-D15; 1936-D57;
1968-224
EMPR ASS RPT 1812, *2330
EMPR BC METAL MM00889
EMPR GEM 1969-300
EMPR INDEX 3-203
EMPR OF 1994-8
EMPR RGS 29
EMPR PF (Unknown [Unknown]: Map Collection - Lightning Peak Area; *Unknown [Unknown]: Report - Lightning Peak Area; Thomlinson [1919-03-31]: Sketch Map - Lightning Peak Camp - 1919; C.E. Cairnes [1930-01-01]: Summary Report - Lightning Peak Area - Osoyoos District; J.C. Stephen [1967-09-18]: Memo RE: Lightning Peak; *J.C. Stephen [1967-10-20]: Report - Lightning Peak Area - Mastodon Highland Bell Mines Ltd.; McElhanney Surveying & Engineering Ltd. [1968-04-30]: Map - Mineral Claim - Peak No. 1 to No. 203 - International Mine Services Ltd.; Zalmac Mines Ltd. [1991-05-18]: Letter RE: Property Submittal - P & Z Claims, Lightning Peak Area)
GSC MAP 6-1957; 1701A; 1712A; 1713A; 1714A; 1736A
GSC OF 409; 637; 736; 1969
GSC SUM RPT *1930A, p.80A,110A-114A

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