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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  04-Jun-2015 by Nicole Barlow (NB)

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NMI 082E4 Cu1
Name KING EDWARD (L.542S), NIGHT HAWK, WESTMORLAND, JOHNNY BULL, TIP TOP, VV & E, WOODLAND, KENDALL, BANK OF FAIRVIEW, SUSAP SHOWING, DON SHOWING, SUP, SUSAP (L.550S), TOM, GAR Mining Division Osoyoos
BCGS Map 082E011
Status Developed Prospect NTS Map 082E04W
Latitude 049º 06' 26'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 119º 48' 43'' Northing 5443183
Easting 294781
Commodities Copper, Molybdenum, Silver Deposit Types L04 : Porphyry Cu +/- Mo +/- Au
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Plutonic Rocks, Okanagan
Capsule Geology

The King Edward prospect is located approximately 11.5 kilometres south of Keremeos, between the Susap and Hunter creeks on the west side of the Similkameen River. The prospect consists of the Susap and Don showings.

The prospect straddles the northern contact between the Middle Jurassic Similkameen intrusion and older rocks of the Carboniferous to Triassic Shoemaker and Old Tom formations. Chert, argillite, tuff and volcanics comprise lithologies of the Shoemaker Formation. The overlying Old Tom Formation consists of greenstone, breccia and intrusions.

Copper, molybdenum and precious metal mineralization appears to be best developed and closely associated with late stage felsic intrusions and silicified zones along the contact between a coarse- grained phase and a fine- grained, augite-bearing, syenite border phase, known as the Jurassic Kruger intrusion. The zone is characterized by sub-horizontal open fracture sets within both intrusive phases.

Quartz vein hosted sulphides are almost entirely confined to a fracture set striking 067 degrees and dipping 30 to 60 degrees to the southeast. Primary mineralization consists of chalcopyrite, molybdenite with minor bornite, pyrite and arsenopyrite.

The main showing (Susap showing) is on the former King Edward Crown grant (Lot 542s). The 1979 drill program intersected significant copper and molybdenum mineralization. The best intersections were near the top of drill holes 79-1 and 79-3, collared in the main hillside trench. Section A, a 11.58- metre section between 2.74 and 14.32 metres in drill hole 79-1, yielded 0.316 per cent copper and 0.10 per cent molybdenum (0.168 per cent molybdenite; Assessment Report 7535). From drill hole 79-3, the 6.09- metre section between 3.05 to 9.14 metres intersected 0.365 per cent copper and 0.169 per cent molybdenum (0.282 per cent molybdenite; Assessment Report 7535). Channel sampling from the old underground workings in 1979 yielded 0.163 per cent copper and 0.169 per cent molybdenum across 23.5 metres, including 10 metres of 0.34 per cent copper and 0.225 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 7535). Trace gold has also been detected.

Drilling 700 metres to the east of the main showing has intersected similar mineralization grading 0.132 per cent copper and 0.006 per cent molybdenum (0.010 per cent molybdenum disulfide) over 9 metres true width (Assessment Report 19336).

Approximately 1500 metres to the east-northeast, a second showing (Don showing) is located near Hunter Creek on the Gar (formerly the Don) claims. Sampling of this mineralized zone, including two abandoned adits, yielded average values of 0.56 per cent copper, 0.045 per cent molybdenum (0.075 per cent molybdenum disulfide), 18.86 grams per tonne silver and 0.07 gram per tonne gold over 70 metres by 8 to 10 metres with an indicated vertical depth of 40 metres (Assessment Report 20315). The mineralized zone is apparently open towards the Susap showing. All three mineralized zones appear to be located along a similar mineralized trend. The mineralized zone has a strike length of at least 910 metres.

Diamond drilling coupled with extensive surface and underground sampling has outlined indicated reserves of 1.5 million tonnes grading 0.158 per cent copper and 0.045 per cent molybdenum (0.075 per cent molybdenum disulfide) across 8 to 30 metres true width at the main Susap showing (Assessment Report 19336).

Regional aeromagnetic data suggests the presence of a buried late stage pluton beneath the King Edward prospect. An induced polarization survey in 1991 showed increased chargeability over the Susap showing and increased chargeability with depth to the east towards the Don showing (Assessment Report 21801).

The property was originally explored between 1903 and 1925. Exploration in 1903 was conducted by King Edward Mines Ltd. The property then consisted of the Night Hawk, King Edward, Westmorland, Johnny Bull, Tip Top, VV & E, Woodland, Kendall and Bank of Fairview claims, which were subsequently Crown- granted (Lots 541s to 549s) to R.H. Parkison in 1908. In 1918, the Susap showing was re-examined as a source of molybdenum for wartime needs. More recent work in 1962, 1967 and 1970 to 1973 has included more than 900 metres of diamond drilling. Friday Mines Ltd. was owner and operator in 1962. Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. optioned the property in 1967 and carried out geological mapping and soil sampling in addition to continued trenching and sampling over a small portion of the present property. Cro-Mur Mining and Exploration Co. Ltd acquired the property in 1970. Upon completion of bulldozer trenching and access road construction, an evaluation report was prepared by W.V. Smitheringale. The claims were subsequently optioned to Scurry Rainbow Oil Ltd. in 1971. Scurry remapped both the surface and underground geology and completed considerable trenching and a limited extension of one of the Susap adits. They followed their initial year's work with an IP and magnetometer survey and completed three diamond-drill holes in the Susap Creek area in 1972. Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. operated the property under option in 1973. A very comprehensive regional and detailed geological, magnetometer, soil sampling and access road construction program ensued over a large area extending well past the presently held lands. One 305-metre drill hole was completed beneath the earlier Scurry drilling at the Susap prospect in late 1973 and the option was allowed to lapse. Brenda Mines Ltd. completed a single 122 metre diamond -drill hole just west and beneath the main Susap showing in 1977. Teck Corporation Ltd. sampled the lower Susap adit in 1977. United Hearne Resources Ltd. optioned the property from Cro-Mur in late 1978 and carried out a general prospect evaluation by G.A. Noel early the following year. The company subsequently resampled and mapped the old Hunter Creek workings and completed six diamond-drill holes, totalling 662 metres, on the Susap prospect. The property has apparently lain dormant until its acquisition by L. Little. Aurora Gold Ltd. (now Best Chance Exploration) optioned the Susap property from L. Little in 1989. A complete review of previous exploration results and additional geological evaluation was carried out by W.A. MacLeod (1989) and this work was submitted for assessment. In conjunction with that survey a test VLF survey was conducted across the strike of the mineralization. In 1991, Aurora Gold completed an induced polarization survey. In 1996, Best Chance Exploration conducted a self-potential survey over 5.4 kilometres at 40-metre intervals.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1903-175; 1908-251; 1921-178; 1962-64; 1963-65; 1967-221; 1968-274
EMPR ASS RPT 1578, 7356, *7535, *19336, *20315, *21801, 22801, 24898
EMPR EXPL 1979-22
EMPR GEM 1970-395; 1971-384; 1972-39; 1973-45
EMPR OF 1989-5
EMPR PF (G.E. Leonard (1963-04-02): Review of an Exploration Program Conducted May to August, 1962 on the King Edward Property)
EMR MP CORPFILE (Friday Mines Ltd.)
EMR MIN BULL MR 189 (1983) B.C. 11, p. 208; 223 (1989) B.C. 13
EMR MRI 80/7 (1980) B.C. 11, p. 189
GSC MAP 341A; 538A; 539A; 541A; 15-1961; 1736A; 2389
GSC MEM 38; 179, p. 20
GSC OF 481; 637; 1505A; 1565; 1969
GSC P 37-21, pp. 37-40
GCNL #100(May 24), #121(June 22), 1979
N MINER Dec.7, 1979

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