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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  07-Oct-2019 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 082N4 Pb3
Name SNOWFLAKE, STANNITE, STANNEX, SUNSET A (L.8576), SNOWFLAKE A-C (L.8571-3) Mining Division Revelstoke
BCGS Map 082N011
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082N04W
Latitude 051º 11' 40'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 117º 55' 01'' Northing 5671848
Easting 435928
Commodities Lead, Silver, Zinc, Copper, Gold, Tungsten, Tin Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
E14 : Sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb-Ag
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Kootenay
Capsule Geology

The Snowflake occurrence is located north and east of Clabon Creek, approximately 2 kilometres north-northeast of its mouth on Woolsey Creek. It has been developed by at least four levels, from elevations of approximately 1665 to 1784 metres, and is adjacent to the Woolsey (MINFILE 082N 004) occurrence to the east.

The area is underlain by black, fissile graphitic slates with local minor variations in carbonate and silica content, and thin-bedded, dark-grey argillaceous limestone and limy argillite of the Cambrian to Devonian Index Formation (Lardeau Group). These rocks strike northwest and dip from 35 to 60 degrees northeast. A well-developed, slaty cleavage parallel to bedding is universally present. A pronounced system of jointing trends northeast and dips steeply southeast. All of the sediments are cut by numerous, small, barren quartz stringers.

Locally, a system of northwest–striking, mineralized, subparallel quartz veins occurs in slates over an area of 3.5 by 1 kilometres and has been subjected to exploration and underground development on the Snowflake and Woolsey (MINFILE 082N 004) occurrences. The veins vary in width from a few centimetres to 6 metres, but widths between 0.6 and 2.4 metres are most common.

The quartz veins are generally coarsely crystalline, crushed and fractured and normally contain wallrock fragments and minor calcite. The veins strike northwest and dip 60 to 35 degrees northeast, with faulting both across and along the veins. They are variably mineralized with argentiferous galena, sphalerite, pyrite and minor chalcopyrite. Minor amounts of tetrahedrite, pyrargyrite, native silver and pyrrhotite were identified by microscope examination. The oreshoots are extremely irregular, pinching and swelling in the vein, and their continuity cannot be assumed to extend for any distance beyond an exposure. The oreshoots generally occur on the footwall sides of the veins but are occasionally found in the hangingwall.

Stannite has been identified from a sample of the mineralized vein in the Snowflake workings and is associated with pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite; it occurs very sparingly in the Woolsey workings. Scheelite has also been identified in the Snowflake workings but occurs widely in the Woolsey workings as small masses widely scattered in the veins, and as concentrations in pyritic lenses. Fluorite has also been reported to occur with the scheelite.

The main or No. 1 vein on the Snowflake property was followed easterly onto the adjoining Woolsey (MINFILE 082N 004) property for approximately 99 metres, and has been developed by underground workings from both the occurrences. Fourteen underground levels on the combined Snowflake and Woolsey properties were developed on six subparallel quartz veins. By 1970, the Snowflake had been developed by approximately 875 metres of underground workings on at least four levels, whereas the Woolsey was developed by approximately 5940 metres of underground workings, including a main crosscut (no. 3) with drifts and raises on the no. 5 and 6 veins. The no. 2, 3 and 4 veins were encountered 81.6, 240 and 258 metres from the adit portal, respectively, and were reported to carry low values. The no. 5 and 6 veins were intercepted at 282 and 342 metres from the adit portal.

In 1929, detailed underground sampling yielded 530.1 grams per tonne silver, 3.3 per cent lead, 12.1 per cent zinc and 1.6 per cent tin over 0.6 metre from the back face of the no. 1 level and 342.0 grams per tonne silver, 6.5 per cent lead, 2.1 per cent zinc with 0.2 per cent copper and tin over 1.5 metres of surface outcrop; 0.7 gram per tonne gold, 403.6 grams per tonne silver, 2.0 per cent zinc, 0.9 per cent copper and 0.2 per cent tin over 1.6 metres from the no. 2 level and 307.8 grams per tonne silver, 6.0 per cent lead, 22.0 per cent zinc, 1.1 per cent copper and 1.1 per cent tin over 0.8 metre from the no. 3 level (Property File - B.T. O'Grady [1929]: Assay Plan of the Snowflake Underground Workings). The total lengths of the east and west drifts of the no. 4 level averaged 120.4 and 7.5 grams per tonne silver with 4.59 and 1.42 per cent zinc, respectively, whereas the no. 4 level raise yielded an average of 303.0 grams per tonne silver, 1.21 per cent lead, 5.62 per cent zinc, 1.35 per cent copper and 1.13 per cent tin (Property File - B.T. O'Grady [1929]: Assay Plan of the Snowflake Underground Workings).

In 1930, sampling of the no. 4 level yielded an average of 273.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.5 per cent lead, 1.5 per cent zinc and 1.3 per cent tin over a length of 18 metres and width of 0.75 metre (Property File - F.W. Guernsey [1930-11-30]: Report - Regal Silver Mines Limited - 19 Mineral Claims)

In 1942, underground sampling of the east drift of the no. 4 level yielded an average of 321.5 grams per tonne silver, 1.17 per cent lead, 2.00 per cent zinc and 1.13 per cent tin over a length of 23.85 metres and width of 0.58 metre, whereas the raise yielded an average of 360.5 grams per tonne silver, 2.35 per cent lead, 1.72 per cent zinc and 1.53 per cent tin over a length of 12 metres and width of 0.7 metre (Property File - C.S. Lord [1942-12-01]: Assay Plan Map - Part of Snowflake Level).

In 1951, a sample of stannite from the Snowflake mine assayed 31.56 per cent copper, 3.65 per cent iron, 26.65 per cent tin, 7.72 per cent zinc and 29.76 per cent sulphur (Property File - K.C. Campbell [1952-04-23]: A Report about Stannite from British Columbia).

In 1980, Amax reported a possible reserve of 46 620 tonnes grading 116.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.92 per cent zinc and 3.28 per cent lead over a width of 1.5 metres from the Snowflake oreshoot (Assessment Report 29868).

During 1927 through 1929, a total of 98 tonnes of ore was mined, yielding 0.03 kilogram of gold, 134.05 kilograms of silver, 41 604 kilograms of lead, 4925 kilograms of zinc and 464 kilograms of copper.

Scheelite has been of primary interest at the Woolsey property, with the area being originally staked in 1922 by G. Hedstrom and O. Sandberg. In 1927, the property was sold to the Snowflake Mining Company. During 1925 through 1930, Bernier Metals developed the no. 5 and 10 levels; Regal Silver Mines later developed the 3, 5, 8, 9 and 10 levels. In 1938, a 45-tonne mill designed to make a silver-lead and tungsten concentrate was built underground at the Woolsey occurrence, but it was not an economic or metallurgical success (Sargent, 1942). In 1942, a program of underground diamond drilling, totalling 318.3 metres in eight holes, and channel sampling was performed. Metallurgical testing was performed by Selkirk Tuns-Tin Mines in 1944. During 1949 through 1954, Stannite Mines owned the property and continued development of the no. 5 and 8 levels. During 1967 through 1970, Stannex Minerals completed a further 2450 metres of underground development.

In 1980, Amax of Canada completed a program of underground mapping and sampling and two diamond drill holes, totalling 554 metres. In 1987 and 1988, Albar Resources completed a program of road work and trenching. In 2008, the area was prospected as the Clabon 1 claim.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1922-N213; 1927-C289,C289; 1928-C312; 1929-C330,C331; 1930-
A259; 1949-A209; 1950-A158; 1951-A193; 1952-A205; 1953-A156; 1954-
A152; 1967-263,264; 1968-263
EMPR ASS RPT 8963, *29868
EMPR BC METAL MM00629
EMPR BULL 10, pp. 81-92; 10 (Revised, 1943), pp. 120-130
EMPR EXPL 1980-148
EMPR GEM 1969-339
EMPR Miscellaneous Publications 1928-43, Reports on Snowflake and Waverley-Tangier Mineral Properties, J.D. Galloway (1928)
EMPR PF (Unknown [unknown]: Map of Snowflake Mine; Unknown [unknown]: Section Map of Snowflake Mine; Placer Dome Inc. [unknown]: Location Map - Arrow Project Properties; unknown [unknown]: News Clippings - Revelstoke M.D.; Unknown [1928-08-12]: Map Projection on Plane of Section A-B - Snowflake Mines; Unknown [1928-08-12]: Map Projection of No. 4 Tunnel - Snowflake Mine; *B.T. O'Grady [1929]: Assay Plan of the Snowflake Underground Workings - Map; Stannex Minerals Ltd. [1929]: Snowflake - Underground Assay Plan - Revelstoke - 1929; Stannex Minerals Ltd. [1929-07-01]: Snowflake - Morton Woolsey - Composite Surface And Underground Plan; *F.W. Guernsey [1930-11-30]: Report - Regal Silver Mines Limited - 19 Mineral Claims; Relief Arlington Mines Ltd. [1938-09-01]: Regal Silver - Relief Arlington Mines Ltd - Composite Assay Plan - Erie - Sept 1938; unknown [1941]: Plan of Underground Workings Showing Distribution of Veins and Faults; C.S. Lord [1942]: Possible Drill Holes from Surface to Explore - Downward Extension of Snowflake-Level Tin Shoot; C.S. Lord [1942]: Section Map of the Regal and Snowflake Silver Mines; C.S. Lord [1942]: Assay Plan Map of the Snowflake Level; M. Sargent [1942-06-01]: Report on the Woolsey and Snowflake Groups; H. Sargent [1942-06-23]: Reports on the Regal Silver Mine, Woolsey and Snowflake Groups; M. Sargent [1942-06-24]: Report on the Woolsey and Snowflake Groups; E.A.S. [1942-06-19]: Plan of Workings - Woolsey and Snowflake Groups - Map; E.A.S. [1942-06-19]: Plan Map of Workings Woolsey and Snowflake Groups; *C.S. Lord [1942-12-01]: Assay Plan Map - Part of Snowflake Level; C.S. Lord [1943-02-26]: Diamond Drilling and Sampling at Regal Silver and Snowflake Properties; *K.C. Campbell [1952-04-23]: A Report about Stannite from British Columbia; Stannex Minerals Ltd. [1969-09-01]: Stannex - Composite Plan - West Clabon Creek; Stannex Minerals Ltd. [1970-11-12]: News Clippings on the Woolsey, Snowflake and Regal Properties; J.R. Woodcock Consultants Ltd. [1976-11-01]: Sample Numbers Map - Illecillewaet - Arrow Project; J.R. Woodcock Consultants Ltd. [1976-12-01]: Copper Geochemistry Map - Illecillewaet - Arrow Project; J.R. Woodcock Consultants Ltd. [1976-12-01]: Lead Geochemistry Map - Illecillewaet - Arrow Project; J.R. Woodcock Consultants Ltd. [1976-12-01]: Zinc Geochemistry Map - Illecillewaet - Arrow Project; Albar Resources Ltd. [1989-04-28]: Prospectus Report - Regal Silver Property)
EMR MP CORPFILE (Glasair Mining Corporation, Limited; Snowflake Mining Company, Limited; Morton Woolsey Consolidated Mines, Limited; Regal Silver Mines Limited; Consolidated Tungsten-Tin Mines, Limited; Columbia Lead & Zinc Mines Ltd.; Columbia Metals Corporation Limited; Stannex Minerals Ltd.)
GSC EC GEOL 17, pp. 92,93
GSC MAP 237A; 4-1961; 43-1962
GSC OF 481
GSC P 62-32
GSC SUM RPT *1928 Part A, pp. 182-186
CANMET IR 720 (1929), pp. 101-116; 724 (1930), pp. 112-115; 797
(1938), pp. 78-82; 1404 (1943); 70-44 (1970)
CIM Structural Geology of Canadian Ore Deposits (1948), Regal Silver
Mine, pp. 196-199, Lord, C.S.

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