The Howell 5 occurrence is located about 42 kilometres southeast of Fernie, about 700 metres north of Twentynine Mile Creek.
The area of the Howell 5 occurrence is underlain by siltstone and mudstone intruded by trachyte and syenite dikes and bodies. The area of the occurrence is underlain by rock of the Mesoproterozoic Purcell Supergroup consisting of sedimentary rocks in thrust-fault contact with Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Alberta Group.
Two rock-chip sample lines (of 4 metres chip samples) were completed on the south side of a road that crosses a south-flowing creek which drains into Twenty-nine Mile Creek about 650 metres downstream from the sample lines. The southeast trending sample lines were 64 meters and 108 meters in length, from which a total of 43, 4-metre rock-chip samples were collected. Most of the chip samples were anomalous in silver, gold, and lead but only one sample (RM-42) was significant; this sample, while listed with the chip-sample line seems to be located adjacent to the southernmost line and may be a grab. Sample RM-42 graded 4.42 per cent lead, 0.18 per cent zinc, 0.01 per cent copper, 427 grams per tonne silver, and 0.17 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11787). No discussion of the Howell 5 showing, or sample M-42 is given in the main report (Assessment Report 11787). This report has a short mineralization section that indicates a property-wide presence of pyrite, purple fluorite, galena, sphalerite, barite, minor chalcopyrite, and chalcocite. The Howell 5 showing area was explored from 1983 to 1987 by Cominco Ltd and soil anomaly "C" was outlined.
Five distinct soil anomalies occur over a 5-kilometre length north of Twentynine and Wutluk creeks. These zones, anomalous in gold, silver, and lead, are coincident with significant to extensive occurrences of syenite-trachyte dikes and breccias (A, B and E) or plugs (C and D) (Assessment Reports 11787, 13242, 15035, 16908).
Anomaly A straddles the ridge on the east end of Twentynine Mile Mountain and is 500 metres by 1000 metres with gold-in-soil values between 5 to 740 parts per billion, silver-in-soil values between 0.4 to 14 parts per million and lead-in-soil values between 10 to 660 parts per million (Assessment Report 15095).
Anomaly B on the west end of Twentynine Mile Mountain on the south side is approximately 400 metres by 600 metres with gold-in-soil values between less than 10 to 630 parts per billion, silver-in-soil values between 0.4-9.2 parts per million and lead-in-soil values between 10-187 parts per million (Assessment Report 15095).
Anomaly C in the saddle between Wutluk and Twentynine Mile Mountain is approximate 300 metres by 700 metres with gold-in-soil values between less than 10 to 780 ppb, silver-in-soil values between 0.4 to 427 parts per million and lead-in-soil values between 10 to 660 parts per million (Assessment Report 15095). The Howell 5 showing is encompassed by Anomaly C.
Anomaly D on the east end of Wutluk Mountain on the south side is approximately 1100 metres by 500 metres with gold-in-soil values between less than 10 to 450 parts per billion, silver-in-soil values between 0.4 to 31 parts per million and lead-in-soil values between 74 to 4400 parts per million (Assessment Report 15095). Two rock samples (WTC-2 and WTC-3 taken in 1986 near the Confluence showing graded 30 parts per billion gold and 3.2 grams per tonne silver, and 0.236 gram per tonne gold and no silver (Assessment Report 15095).
Anomaly E on the north side of Wutluk Mountain is approximately 1100 metres by 200 metres with gold-in-soil values between 6 to 515 parts billion, silver-in-soil values between less than 4 to 240 parts per million and lead-in-soil values between 23 to 2300 parts per million (Assessment Report 15095).
WORK HISTORY
In 1971, Canarctic Resources Ltd. of Calgary optioned the property and conducted detailed geochemical and geological evaluations by consultants H.H. Williams, and E.W. Jones. The results of this work indicated no gold or uranium mineralization but that there were possibilities for copper, lead, zinc mineralization within the syenitic intrusives and further work was recommended.
In 1972, geological, geochemical and geophysical work was conducted on the property for Canarctic by Consultant R.K. Netolitsky of Calgary. The results of this program indicated areas of significant lead/zinc anomalies in soi 1s and some lead/zinc mineralization was located in outcrop. The potential for lead/zinc mineralization was rated as good and further work was recommended.
In 1972, G.L. Webber conducted a reconnaissance over the claim area. This work consisted of prospecting and soil and silt geochemical checks of previously outlined anomalies. The results of this work indicated the lead/zinc anomalies are related to a network of sparsely mineralized quartz veins and associated silicification of syenite and trachyte. G.L. Webber recommends trenching to better expose a pyritic zone with traces of fluorite and galena.
In 1983, Cominco Ltd staked the Howell 1-5 claims. Work on the Howell claims consisted of heavy mineral concentrate stream sampling, silt sampling, prospecting and geological mapping. This limited program indicated anomalous amounts of gold in the heavies and located surface rubble with small amounts of silicified and quartz veined material. The mapping located areas of intense silicification, argillic alteration within the intrusives and sediments.
In 1983 Cominco collected approximately 417 soil, 14 silt, and 74 rock samples across the Howell claim area, but mostly from the Howell 5 claim and areas around it (Assessment Report 11787). The soils were collected along contour lines at 1675 metres (5,500 foot) and 1830 metres (6000 foot) elevations at 50-metre spacing. A few lines were also run along road cuts and claim lines in specific areas. Rock samples were single qrabs to four-metre chip samples.
In 1984, Cominco Ltd's program on their Howell Group of five claims was directed at those areas where previous work had located three areas where coincident anomalous gold and silver values in soils occurred (Assessment Report 13242). The 1984 program involved the collection of 133 soil samples along elevation contours, and the collection 30 rock samples and or specimens.
In 1986, Cominco's program involved the collection of 561 soil samples along elevation contours and the collection of 136 grab and/or chip samples over 5-metre intervals, expanding on areas previously sampled (Assessment Report 15095).
In 1987 Cominco, collected 619 soil samples and 65 rocks samples from Anomaly A and Anomaly E, in the area between the headwaters of Howell and Twentynine Mile creeks (Assessment Report 16908). From 1983 to 1987 five anomalous areas coincident with significant to extensive occurrences of syenite-trachyte dikes and breccias (A, B and E) or plugs (C and D) were located and explored. Several MINFILE occurrence were subsequently documented as a result of this work, including Howell (082GSE037) and Howe (082GSE048) and several new occurrences called Howell 5 (Anomaly C) (082GSE080), Confluence (Anomaly D) (082GSE088), Anomal-E (Anomaly E) (082GSE082), GR 24 (082GSE084), Wutluk (082GSE083), 29Q (082GSE085), 29S (082GSE087), SBN9 (082GSE086), and most notably the “Eastern Outlier” prospect (082GSE078). Though many of these new showings were discovered through exploration work done in the 1980s they were only documented in MINFILE in December 2022.
In 1989 Placer Dome Inc. completed an initial diamond drilling program that was carried out with seven holes totaling 1097 metres being drilled (4 on the Howell “E” grid). Results include hole HE-2 (Howell “E’ grid) just west of 2006 hole (HW-601) near the Howe showing (MINFILE 083GSE048) with 45 metres grading 0.33 gram gold including 11 metres grading 0.60 gram per tonne. An area of the Howell “E’ grid was surveyed using VLF techniques and 631 additional soil samples were collected and analyzed.
In 2002, an airborne magnetometer/radiometrics survey was flown in 2002 for Goldrea Resources Corporation (Assessment Report 27029). This survey area extended about 10 kilometres from the headwaters of Twentynine Mile and Howell creeks, southeast to the confluence of these two creeks. In 2004. La Quinta Resources Corp. optioned the Howell property and completed 217-line kilometers of airborne geophysics including magnetics and multi frequency electromagnetics (Assessment Report 27918). The survey complimented the survey completed in 2002 by Goldrea.
Refer to MINFILE occurrence Eastern Outlier (082GSE078) for further geological and work history information on the Howell property.
