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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  04-Aug-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 082F14 Zn2
Name BLACK FOX (L.2176), CALIFORNIA (L.2177), DAISY (L.2175), AINSWORTH FR., PATRICK, E.G. 1-12, KASLO SILVER Mining Division Slocan
BCGS Map 082F095
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082F14E
Latitude 049º 54' 07'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 117º 05' 12'' Northing 5527732
Easting 493776
Commodities Zinc, Lead, Silver, Gold, Cadmium Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Quesnel, Kootenay, Slide Mountain
Capsule Geology

The Black Fox occurrence is located at 1128 metres elevation on the southeastern side of Keen Creek, between Ben Hur and Briggs creeks. Kaslo, British Columbia is located 16 kilometres to the east.

The Black Fox occurrence is located on ground covered by the Black Fox Group, consisting of Daisy (Lot 2175), Black Fox (Lot 2176) and California (Lot 2177) Crown grants. Other claims also historically related to the Black Fox occurrence include the Ainsworth Fraction, Patrick and E.G. 1 to 12.

The Daisy claim was first located and worked in the 1890s. The Black Fox claim was added in 1898. During the 1890s, about 305 metres of drifting, crosscutting and shaft sinking was completed, mainly on the Daisy and California claims. This work was done by the Black Fox Mining Company. Operations ceased after exploration efforts directed towards lead-silver ore was never found. In 1951, the adit was reopened and mining commenced until 1953. Another 183 metres of drifting was done on the A and D veins, with drifting and overhand stoping of the A vein and a raise connecting to the old shaft. Mining was also carried out in 1960 and 1961 by the New Ainsworth Base Metals Ltd. In 1961, the main drift was extended north-south along the main lode. Other work included diamond drilling to test the potential of vein to the east and a geophysical survey.

Regionally, the area lies on the western margin of the Kootenay Arc, in allochthonous rocks of the Quesnel Terrane. In the vicinity of the occurrence, the Quesnel Terrane is dominated by the Upper Triassic Slocan Group, a thick sequence of deformed and metamorphosed shale, argillite, siltstone, quartzite and minor limestone. Rocks of the Slocan Group are tightly and disharmonically folded. Early minor folds are tight to isoclinal with moderate east plunging, southeast inclined axial planes and younger folds are open, southwest plunging with subhorizontal axial planes. The sedimentary sequence has been regionally metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies.

Immediately north of the occurrence, the Slocan Group has been intruded by the Middle Jurassic Nelson intrusions which comprise at least six texturally and compositionally distinct phases ranging from diorite to lamprophyre. The most dominant phase is a medium to coarse grained potassium feldspar porphyritic granite. Several feldspar porphyritic granodiorite dikes, apparently related to the Nelson intrusions, also cut the sedimentary sequence near the occurrence (Paper 1989-5). The sedimentary sequence has been affected by contact metamorphism from the emplacement of the nearby Nelson intrusions.

The Black Fox occurrence is hosted in argillite of the Slocan Group. Contact metamorphism has altered argillite to andalusite schist. The Middle Jurassic Mount Carlyle stock comprised of potassium feldspar porphyritic granite lies immediately to the northwest.

The veins at the Black Fox occurrence are banded and fissure hosted, the larger veins showing evidence of considerable faulting and shearing. Vein widths vary from a few to 60 centimetres, generally occurring concordant with bedding of the Slocan metasediments. The general strike of these veins is 060 degrees and the dip 65 degrees to the southeast. Quartz, minor siderite and sheared hostrock carry varying amounts of irregularly distributed sphalerite, galena and pyrite with minor silver and gold.

The largest of these veins occurs in the northwest corner of the Daisy claim. It is referred to as the main lode and has a maximum width of 3 metres and has been traced for about 61 metres on surface. A second lode, intersected in the crosscut, outcrops on surface north of the main lode, 30 metres south of and 23 metres vertically above the crosscut portal. The vein is 1.4 metres wide, strikes 052 degrees and dips 70 degrees to the southeast.

The old shaft intersected the California vein which has a strike almost perpendicular to the others and is reported to have contained some good ore.

Production records for the Black Fox occurrence show 886 tonnes of ore produced in 1951, 1952 and 1961. Recovery totalled 53,777 grams silver, 187 grams gold, 74,440 kilograms zinc, 5800 kilograms lead and 41 kilograms cadmium.

Cream Minerals Ltd. acquired the property in 1998. Grab samples assayed high in silver, lead and zinc.

In 2013, Agave Silver Corp. examined the area as the Kaslo property

Bibliography
EM EXPL 1998-65-75
EMPR AR 1898-1085; 1899-704,842; 1903-242; 1904-158,198; 1907-217;
1951-39,165; 1952-42,171; 1960-75; *1961-A49,74; *1962-247
EMPR ASS RPT 858
EMPR BC METAL MM01131
EMPR FIELDWORK 1987, pp. 31-48,535-541; 1989, pp. 251-255; 1990, pp.
171-178
EMPR INDEX 3-189; 4-119
EMPR LMP Fiche No. 60105
EMPR OF 1988-11; 1990-18; 1992-1
EMPR P *1989-5
EMR MP CORPFILE (New Ainsworth Base Metals Ltd.)
GSC MAP 273A; 1090A; 1667p
GSC MEM 173, Map 273A; *184, pp. 196,197; *308, pp. 184,191
GSC SUM RPT 1916, pp. 56-57
CANMET IR 12 (1906), p. 267
GCNL #182(Sept.22), 1998
http://www.infomine.com/index/properties/AINSWORTH_MINE_AND_MILL.html
McBride, D.E. (2014-04-15): NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Kaslo Property

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