The Stone Creek showing is located about 7 kilometres southwest of Moyie Lake in an underlain by argillite, wacke argillaceous quartzites, and turbidites of the Precambrian Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup). Gabbro-diorite sills of the Proterozoic Moyie Intrusions intrude the sequence.
Base metal mineralization in outcrop was seen in two areas near the lower reaches of Stone Creek. The fragmental complex on prospecting routes #1 and #2 have zones with disseminated pyrrhotite, pyrite and arsenopyrite. The increases in sulphide were typically accompanied by tourmaline alteration. Within the zone of tourmaline alteration and increasing sulphides are disseminations of chalcopyrite and, on route #1, some disseminations of native copper were reported. Up slope from the fragmental complex on route #1 a limited exposure with some disseminated sphalerite and galena was observed. This mineralization was associated with narrow fractures in fine-grained quartzite. Due to the lack of outcrop no determination was made possible as its extent. Some gabbro was observed in the area.
Work History
The earlier history of the area is brief and not well known. Small lead/zinc showings along northern Sundown creek attracted initial attention. Modern exploration has included a variety of approaches on the current Cruz/Stone claim block. About 4 kilometers north of the north boundary of the above claims, a 3476-meter oil/gas exploration well was drilled in 1987, it yielded chips collected over 3-meter intervals for a significant portion of the Aldridge Formation. The present owners acquired the claims in 1994 spurred on by finding of fragmentals and altered rocks between Sunrise and Farrell creeks. In 1995, an east-west section was drilled across the Cruz De Plata (082GSW066) occurrence, defining several fragmentals stacked over several hundred meters of stratigraphy as cored by the holes. In 1996, a single hole (R96-5) was drilled to 229 meters on the Cruz 1 claim in Sundown creek. It cored a Moyie gabbro sill intrusion then Middle Aldridge rocks to the end of the hole. A soil geochem grid was completed over a two-year period, to the southeast on the claims defining a significant copper anomaly. To the north, a soil geochem grid straddling Stone creek defined lead/zinc anomalies downslope of and along strike of a gossan. A UTEM geophysical survey (Cominco) was completed in the upper reaches of Stone creek. In 1991. Minnova did minor mapping and drilled one hole on the west side (Cruz 94) in the 1990/92 period. To the south, two holes were drilled following up on anomalies from two lines run across the area. None of the holes hit significant sulfide mineralization. In 1997, Chapleau collected 1920 soil samples on their Stone claims.
In 1998, prospecting by Chapleau Resources revealed base metal mineralization in outcrop in two areas near the lower reaches of Stone Creek resulting in the Stone Creek MINFILE showing (Assessment Report 25822). The 1999 exploration program by Chapleau involved the drilling of two diamond drill holes, SN-99-1 on the Cruz 82 claim, some 6.2 kilometres south of the mouth of Stone Creek, and CR-99-01, located about 800 metres south of the mouth of Stone Creek at the northeast corner of the Cruz 31 claim, in the locality of the Stone Creek showing (Assessment Report 26202). Assays were not significant.
Refer to Cruz (082GSW066) for related geological and work history information.
