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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  09-Jun-2020 by Nicole Barlow (NB)

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NMI 082F3 WO2
Name BUNKER HILL (L.2939), MORMON GIRL, BUNKER, CLY, LEFEVRE, KENNETH, BLUE, MOLY, BITEL KNOLL, ELOISE, ELLA, CLARISSA, NOX FORT Mining Division Nelson
BCGS Map 082F004
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082F03W
Latitude 049º 03' 39'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 117º 23' 27'' Northing 5434290
Easting 471450
Commodities Gold, Silver, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Zinc, Bismuth, Lead, Tellurium, Nickel Deposit Types K04 : Au skarn
I01 : Au-quartz veins
K05 : W skarn
I02 : Intrusion-related Au pyrrhotite veins
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Ancestral North America, Quesnel
Capsule Geology

The Bunker Hill (L.2939) past-producing mine is located north of the Pend D’Oreille River and east of Limpid Creek, with three adits extending from elevations of approximately 1105 to 1160 metres.

Regionally, the area is underlain by quartzites, pelites, phyllites, limestone and argillites of the Cambrian Laib Formation and basaltic volcanic rocks of the Lower Jurassic Elise Formation (Rossland Group), which have been intruded by granodioritic rocks of the Cretaceous Anstey pluton to the northeast.

Locally, the area is underlain by quartzites and pelites of the Lower Cambrian Laib Formation, which have been intruded by granitic stocks, referred to as the Bunker Hill (BH) stock and Bunker Hill (BH) sill, of the Cretaceous Anstey pluton. The BH stock is irregular in shape and outcrops over an area of approximately 1.5 by 1.5 kilometres to the north of the adits, whereas the BH sill is an elongate dike or sill extending south of the BH stock over an area approximately 1.2 kilometres long and 200 to 400 metres wide. Uncommon aplite dikes, likely related to the BH sill, also occur.

According to the G.E. Rey (2004) there are three types of mineralization recognized on the Bunker Hill property and these are probably all related genetically to the Cretaceous granite.

Type 1 consists of tungsten-bearing scheelite-garnet-pyroxene exoskarns in the impure limestones and argillites of the Laib Formation that lie immediately adjacent to the western margin of the granite. The hornfels-skarn–altered zones host sporadic scheelite disseminated with pyrite in garnet-bearing skarn and scheelite with anomalous gold values within local pods of relatively massive pyrrhotite. The mineralization is best exposed in the Lefevre trenches and pits, approximately 200 metres southeast of the Bunker Hill mine adits. The 30- by 100-metre long skarn is overprinted by the Type 2 gold-bearing quartz-sulphide stringer mineralization. The veins and skarn zones are associated with late stage faulting, as well as crosscutting aplitic and lamprophyric dikes.

Type 2 consists of gold-bearing quartz veins and stringer zones containing pyrite with sporadic trace galena, sphalerite and tellurides. One set was worked at the old Bunker Hill mine, although there are several other veins east and northeast of the mine that have only been trenched and sampled, including the ‘Vyvien’ (Vivian), ‘Kathleen’, ‘Blue’, ‘Moly’, ‘Eloise’, ‘Ella’ and ‘Clarissa’ veins. The larger veins are up to 2 metres thickand exceed 40 metres in length, and they occur up to 200 metres from the granite-metasediment contact. In most cases the veins are hosted by Laib metasedimentary quartzites and argillites, but in a few zones they pass eastwards into the granite body, although they then quickly die out. The veins at the Bunker Hill mine include minor sericite and calcite as well as abundant coarse-grained pyrite with lesser pyrrhotite and minor to trace amounts of arsenopyrite, galena and sphalerite. Galenobismuthinite, hedleyite, ingodite, ikunolite, joseite, native bismuth and bismuthinite as well as gold tellurides and native gold are also reported to occur.

Type 3 consists of pyrite-galena±sphalerite mineralization hosted by sedimentary country rocks as typified by the ‘Hand Steel’ and ‘Iron Founder’ zones, which lie approximately 500 metres west of the granite margin and southwest of the adits. This more distal style of mineralization tends to lack distinct quartz veining but instead comprises sparse sulphides (pyrite, galena, sphalerite) disseminated in altered and bleached argillaceous quartzites.

In 1942, samples from trenches and opencuts of the Lefevre skarn zone yielded up to 0.29 per cent tungsten trioxide (Property File - M.S. Hedley [1943-12-15]: Report on the Bunker Hill Tungsten Showing).

In 1959, chip sampling of the Lefevre (skarn) trench No. 4 is reported to have yielded 0.33 per cent tungsten trioxide over 10.5 metres (Assessment Report 26159).

In 1984, rock samples yielded up to 1.60 grams per tonne gold and greater than 0.2 per cent tungsten (Assessment Report 12758).

In 1999, underground channel sampling of the main vein exposed on the south side of the No. 1 adit yielded up to 5.075 grams per tonne gold over 1.93 metres with an additional 15.840 grams per tonne gold over 0.60 metres (Assessment Report 26159). A dump sample from the No. 2 adit yielded 29.760 grams per tonne gold and 0.115 per cent bismuth (Assessment Report 26159). Sampling of the other mineralized zones yielded values up to 6.710 grams per tonne gold with 0.013 per cent tungsten from a 0.5-metre wide quartz vein exposed in the Lefevre (skarn) trench No. 5, whereas a composite sample of the trench’s hostrock assayed 1.156 grams per tonne gold from the ‘Moly’ vein trench (Assessment Report 26159).

In 2003, sampling of the Lefevre trenches (LS-12) yielded up to 14.08 grams per tonne gold and 0.145 per cent bismuth, whreas other samples yielded greater than 0.02 per cent tungsten; sampling of the ‘Blue’ vein (BH-21) yielded up to 36.27 grams per tonne gold with greater than 0.2 per cent bismuth, whereas other samples from the vein yielded up to 0.162 per cent molybdenum, 0.196 per cent lead with greater than 0.02 per cent tungsten and a sample (BH-22) from the Eloise (South) vein assayed 29.9 grams per tonne gold, 4.9 grams per tonne silver, 0.195 per cent bismuth and greater than 0.01 per cent tellurium (Assessment Report 27231).

In 2005, a grab sample (0412) from the Eloise (North) vein assayed 27.03 grams per tonne gold, 0.160 per cent bismuth and 0.01 per cent tellurium, whereas grab samples (0426 and 0407) of the Ella and Clarissa veins assayed 3.48 and 3.24 grams per tonne gold, respectively (Assessment Report 27893).

In 2006, a chip samples (BH-041 and CLY06-07) from of the main vein exposed on the south side the No. 1 adit yielded 9.74 and 10.35 grams per tonne gold over 0.75 and 0.60 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 28749).

In 2007, a sample (778R003) from a quartz vein located 20 metres along strike from the No. 1 adit assayed 16.32 grams per tonne gold, 5.3 grams per tonne silver, 0.079 per cent bismuth and greater than 0.01 per cent tungsten (Assessment Report 30070).

In 2008, chip samples yielded up to 2.30 grams per tonne gold from the BiTell Knoll veins; 2.68 grams per tonne gold from the Ella vein; 5.18 grams per tonne gold, 40.5 grams per tonne silver, 1.32 per cent lead and 0.153 per cent molybdenum from the Moly vein/trench; 1.58 grams per tonne gold, 0.013 per cent bismuth with 0.096 per cent tungsten over 10.84 metres from the Lefervre skarn trenches and 6.24 grams per tonne gold with 26.1 grams per tonne silver from a quartz vein located 40 metres north of the No. 1 adit (Assessment Report 30828). Sampling of ultramafic (foliated serpentinite) rocks, located downslope to the northwest of the adits, yielded from 0.159 to 0.265 per cent nickel (Assessment Report 30828).

In 2009, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.141 per cent molybdenum over 0.40 metres in hole NF09-02; 1.54 grams per tonne gold, 76.4 grams per tonne silver, 0.576 per cent zinc and greater than 1.00 per cent lead over 0.25 metres in hole NF09-03 and greater than 100 grams per tonne silver and 0.01 per cent tungsten, respectively, over 2.25 metres, 2.20 grams per tonne gold with greater than 0.01 per cent tungsten over 0.36 metres and 40.1 grams per tonne silver, 0.352 per cent zinc and greater than 1.00 per cent lead over 1.15 metres in hole NF09-04 (Assessment Report 31577).

In 2010, a chip sample (945544) from the No. 2 vein of the Lefevre skarn trenches assayed 14.0 grams per tonne gold, 0.099 per cent tungsten and 0.125 per cent bismuth over 0.5 metre, whereas a 1.3-metre wide chip sample (945531) from the No. 1 and 2 veins yielded 1.71 grams per tonne gold with 0.301 per cent tungsten trioxide (Assessment Report 34713).

In 2013, re-sampling of the No. 2 vein from the Lefevre skarn trenches yielded 13.5 grams per tonne gold and greater than 0.01 per cent tungsten over 0.4 metre (Sample 0625), whereas sampling of the ‘Iron Founder’ trench yielded up to 0.520 per cent lead (Sample 0626; Assessment Report 34713).

The Bunker Hill and Mormon Girl claims were staked in 1897 and Crown granted in 1889 to the Bunker Hill Mining Co. Ltd. The orebody was worked from three adits at the Bunker Hill mine which have since collapsed. In 1900 and 1901, the No. 1 and 2 adits, several opencuts and a 9.1-tonne per day stamp mill were developed.

During 1933 through 1935, Bunker Hill Gold Mines Ltd. rehabilitated the No. 1 and 2 adit level workings and developed further surface workings, including the Moly and Blue Quartz veins trenches, with minor production occurring.

During 1935 through 1941, Waneta Gold Mines Ltd., operated the mine, drove a lower No. 3 adit for approximately 318 metres with two crosscuts, totalling 23 metres in length, and developed a 15-metre raise on mineralized veins. Three underground diamond drill holes were collared from Adit No. 3 in 1936. Recorded production from the Bunker Hill mine over 6 years, from 1933 to 1942, totaled 3298 grams gold and 9642 grams of silver from 340 tonnes of ore.

In 1942, H. Lefevre identified scheelite mineralization in former trenches southeast of the adits on the Mormon Girl Crown grant. Later that year, Jason Mines optioned the property and completed 210 metres of trenching.

In 1971, Abella Resources Ltd. mapped and soil sampled the area immediately east as the Ness claims. In 1983, Rex Silver Mines Ltd. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling, geological mapping and a ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Waneta 1-10 claims. In 1984, Ryan Exploration Co. Ltd. completed a program of rock and soil sampling and geological mapping on the area as the Bunker claim group. During 1988 through 1990, International Corona Corp. completed programs of soil and silt sampling, geological mapping and a 2660.0 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Elise 1-61 claims.

During 1997 through 2002, William Howard completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and a 5.2 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Cly property. This work identified a number of other areas of historic surface and minor underground workings, apart from the three adits. These are referred to as the ‘Lefevre’ (skarn) trenches, located approximately 200 metres to the southeast of the adits and including 13 trenches and pits extending over 108 metres in a north-south direction; the ‘Kenneth’ trenches, located approximately 300 metres east of the adits and the ‘Blue Quartz’, ‘Moly’ and ‘BiTel Knoll’ (Eloise, Ella and Clarissa) veins and trenches, located approximately 200 to 300 metres east-northeast of the adits.

In 2003 and 2004, Kootenay Gold Corp. completed programs of prospecting; geological mapping and heavy mineral (stream), rock and soil sampling on the area as the CLY 1-2 claims. In 2005, Newmont Mining Corp. mapped and rock sampled the area. In 2006, Meridian Gold Corp, along with William Howard, completed a mineralographic evaluation of six samples, rock sampling and geological mapping.

During 2007 through 2013, Clarke Gold Inc., in conjunction with W.R. Howard, conducted programs of soil, silt, heavy mineral and rock sampling; mineralographic and metallurgic evaluations; geological mapping; a 6.2 line-kilometre ground geophysical survey and 16 diamond drill holes, totalling 4295.4 metres, on the area as the Nox Fort property. This work indicated a reduced intrusion-related gold (RIRG) deposit model with various types of gold-(silver)-bismuth-tellurium-arsenic-tungsten mineralization in zonal arrangements.

During 2014 through 2018, W.R. Howard completed programs of geological mapping, structural analysis and heavy mineral sampling on the area as the CLY property.

Bibliography
EM OF 1999-3
EMPR AR 1900-846; 1902-297; 1919-135; 1933-199,238; 1934-A26,E24; 1935-E30,G50; *1936-E18; 1938-A35,E40; 1939-38,85; 1940-25,70; 1942-27,81
EMPR BC METAL MM00970
EMPR BULL 109
EMPR EXPL 1983-56; 1984-40; 2003-38
EMPR GEM 1971-402
EMPR OF 1991-17, 1999-3
EMPR PF (unknown (1925): News Clippings - B.C. General; Bunker Hill-Waneta Gold Mines Ltd. (1934): Bunker Hill - Composite Surface And Underground - Nelson; Bunker Hill-Waneta Gold Mines Ltd. (1936): Bunker Hill - General Plan - Mine Workings And Ore Outline – Nelson; Bunker Hill-Waneta Gold Mines Ltd. (1936): Bunker Hill - Underground Plan - Nelson; M.S. Hedley (1943-12-15): Report on the Bunker Hill Tungsten Showing; Tom Schroeter (2005-10-27): Notes – Cly; William R. Howard (2007): Bi-tellurides in gold veins, BiTel Knoll (CLY prospect), southeastern British Columbia, Canada; William R. Howard (2007): Structural setting and geochemical correlations in bismuth (sulfo) telluride-native gold–bearing veins, CLY Group, BC, Canada - A reduced intrusion-related gold system)
GSC BULL 10, p. 153; 41, p. 93
GSC MAP 80A; 299A; 1090A
GSC MEM 94; *172, p. 89; 308, p. 158
GSC OF 1195
PR REL First Integrated Enterprises Ltd., Dec.23, 2003
Gilmour, W., Koffyberg, A. (2008-07-15): Technical Report on Exploration Programs and Results on the Bunker Hill Property.

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