The Dibble occurrence is located on the north side of Sunken Creek, approximately 26 kilometres north east of Cranbrook.
The area is underlain by Helikian Lower Creston Formation (Purcell Supergroup) argillite, quartzite and argillaceous quartzite. The area of mineralization lies between two splays of the east trending Dibble Creek fault.
Two types of mineralized veins are present: 1) narrow quartz stringers (1-8 centimetres) with tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite, malachite, azurite and very minor chalcopyrite; and 2) wider quartz-pyrite veins (30-200 centimetres), breccias and replacements often in quartzite units. Alteration of wallrock from veins of the first type is slight (10-30 centimetres) whereas alteration of wallrock from the second type is more intense (30-150 centimetres). It is from veins of the first type that past production occurred. These veins strike approximately east and dip steeply north. Highest assays from these narrow veins were 4.1 per cent copper, 3822.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.01 per cent lead, 0.15 per cent zinc and 126.8 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18309).
The first public record of the Dibble Property was in 1890. A highgrade sample yielded approximately 150 grams per tonne gold, 15,625 grams per tonne silver and 12 per cent copper. In 1895, 3.6 tonnes of handpicked ore were shipped to the smelter at Everett, Washington, returning 2.81 grams per tonne gold, 4125 grams per tonne silver, and 3 per cent copper (Assessment Report 26181). Work apparently was conducted annually until 1902, and it was in this period that more than 400 metres of tunnelling in six portals, plus numerous open cuts were completed. In 1969, Imperial Oil staked 40 claims and conducted geological mapping and geochemical sampling on the property. In 1972, TVI Mining and Athabasca Columbia Resources of Calgary carried out additional rock and dump sampling plus 5.4 km of flagged line, and 4.8 km of VLF-EM surveying. During 1980 and 1981 I consulting geologist, CM. Armstrong, conducted a modest field program on the property involving prospecting, stream sediment sampling, and rock geochemical sampling for F&B Silver. In 1995, with Explore B.C. Program support, G.H. Babcock retained R. Walker, P.Geo. to carry out a programme of geological mapping and compilation, sampling and assaying. The resulting report identified four drill targets and recommended a property wide soil survey and smaller, more focussed VLF and magnetometer surveys. The study also identified a potentially economic gypsum horizon at the base of a Devonian sequence, which should be evaluated (Explore B.C. Program 95/96 - M127 DV). In 1996-1999, Big B Resources Inc. completed a series of geophysical, geochemical and geological surveys and a diamond drilling program.
