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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 WOOLSEY, REGAL SILVER, REGAL, MORTON-WOOLSEY, STANNITE, HELENA, ALICE Mining Division Revelstoke
BCGS Map 082N011
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082N04W
Latitude 051º 11' 43'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 117º 54' 20'' Northing 5671931
Easting 436725
Commodities Lead, Silver, Zinc, Copper, Gold, Tungsten, Tin, Cadmium Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Kootenay
Capsule Geology

The Woolsey occurrence is located on the west side of Clabon Creek, approximately 2.3 kilometres northeast of its mouth on Woolsey Creek. It has been developed by at least five levels, from elevations of approximately 1337 to 1574 metres, and is adjacent to the Snowflake (MINFILE 082N 003) occurrence to the west.

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 (MINFILE 082N 003) and Woolsey properties. 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. In 1928, stannite was 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 (MINFILE 082N 003) property was followed easterly onto the adjoining Woolsey 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 1930, sampling of the no. 5 vein from the no. 3 level averaged 229.1 grams per tonne silver, 6.1 per cent lead, 1.8 per cent zinc and 0.5 per cent tin over a length of 72 metres and width of 1.95 metres, whereas sampling of the vein from the no. 2 tunnel yielded an average of 171 grams per tonne silver, 5.0 per cent lead, 1.2 per cent zinc with 0.1 per cent tin over a length of 105 metres and width of 4.5 metres (Property File - F.W. Guernsey [1930-11-30]: Report - Regal Silver Mines Limited - 19 Mineral Claims). Sampling of the no. 6 vein from the no. 3 level yielded an average of 102.6 grams per tonne silver, 1.5 per cent lead, 0.9 per cent zinc and 0.5 per cent tin over a length of 157.5 metres and width of 2.4 metres, with individual samples yielding up to 2.9 per cent tin (Property File - F.W. Guernsey [1930-11-30]: Report - Regal Silver Mines Limited - 19 Mineral Claims).

In 1942, underground diamond drilling yielded 0.62 per cent tin, 0.95 per cent lead and 0.41 per cent zinc over 0.48 metre in hole no. 1; 0.15 per cent tin, 1.28 per cent lead and 0.35 per cent zinc over 1.6 metres in hole no. 2; 0.08 per cent tin, 0.86 per cent lead with 1.97 per cent zinc over 1.11 metres in hole no. 3 and 0.36 per cent time over 12 centimetres in hole no. 4 (Property File - C.S. Lord [1943-02-26]: Diamond Drilling and Sampling at Regal Silver and Snowflake Properties). Silver values were not reported.

Also at this time, underground sampling of the workings adjoining the no. 4 level of the Snowflake (MINFILE 082N 003) mine but on the Regal Silver property yielded an average of 78.7 grams per tonne silver, 0.20 per cent lead, 2.28 per cent zinc and 0.35 per cent tin over a length of 31.8 metres and width of 0.51 metre (Property File - C.S. Lord [1942-12-01]: Assay Plan Map - Part of Snowflake Level).

In 1980, diamond drilling yielded up to 18 per cent zinc over 0.3 metre and 0.52 per cent tungsten over 0.05 metre in hole RS-82-2, located to the northeast on Clabon Creek (Assessment Report 8963).

In 1987, four dump samples from the no. 8, 9 and 10 levels yielded from 0.08 to 1.51 per cent lead, trace to 1.33 per cent zinc, trace to 0.03 per cent tungsten and 5.5 to 46.6 grams per tonne silver (Property File - Albar Resources Ltd. [1989-04-28]: Prospectus Report - Regal Silver Property).

In 1969, an estimate of proven and probable reserves of 590 758 tonnes grading 92.0 grams per tonne silver, 2.66 per cent lead, 1.26 per cent zinc, 1.10 per cent copper, 0.13 per cent tin, 0.02 per cent cadmium and 0.02 per cent tungsten tri-oxide was reported, including a block of 25 129 tonnes grading 1.31 per cent tungsten tri-oxide (Property File - Albar Resources Ltd. [1989-04-28]: Prospectus Report - Regal Silver Property). This was revised in 1971 after further underground sampling to a reserve of 658 616 tonnes grading 90.3 grams per tonne silver, 2.55 per cent lead and 1.15 per cent zinc with an additional block of 16 964 tonnes grading 1.05 per cent tungsten trio-oxide (Property File - Albar Resources Ltd. [1989-04-28]: Prospectus Report - Regal Silver Property).

In 1982, reported reserves at Woolsey were 590 703 tonnes grading 71.6 grams per tonne silver, 2.66 per cent lead, 1.26 per cent zinc, 1.1 per cent copper, 0.13 per cent tin and 0.015 per cent tungsten (Prospectus, Gunsteel Resources Inc., April 29, 1986).

During 1930 through 1967, intermittent production totalled 5456 tonnes of ore yielding 0.06 kilograms of gold, 347.67 kilograms of silver, 108 620 kilograms of lead, 26 481 kilograms of zinc, 733 kilograms of tungsten and 110 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 1918-K155; 1919-N140,N141,N150; 1922-N213; 1924-B204; 1925-
A259; 1926-A270; 1927-C289,C290; 1928-C312,C313; 1929-C331-C333;
1930-A259,A260; 1938-E44; 1940-A87; 1941-A81; 1949-A209; 1950-
A158,A159; 1951-A193; 1952-A205; 1953-A156,A157; 1954-A152; 1967-
263,264; 1968-263,264
EMPR ASS RPT 8963, 29868
EMPR BC METAL MM00645
EMPR BULL *10, pp. 81-92; 10 (Revised, 1943), pp. 120-130
EMPR EXPL 1980-148
EMPR GEM 1969-339
EMPR OF 1998-10
EMPR PF (A.S. MacCulloch [unknown]: Assay Plan Map of the Regal Silver Mine; A.S. MacCulloch [unknown]: Assay Plan Map of the Regal Silver Mine - Sections E-J; J.S. Stevenson [unknown]: Assay Plan Map of the Regal Silver Mine - Sections; K 8 11 12 9 7 D 5 A; Placer Dome Inc. [unknown]: Location Map - Arrow Project Properties; unknown [unknown]: News Clippings - Revelstoke M.D.; 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; Relief-Arlington Mines Ltd. [1938-09-16]: Assay Plan Map of the Regal Silver Mine; R. Gaul [1940]: Determination of Minerals in Ore Specimens from the Morton Woolsey Mine; 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 [1942-12-01]: Assays from Drill Holes from Level 5 - Regal Silver Mine; C.S. Lord [1942-12-01]: Plan Map of Level 5 - Regal Silver Mine; C.S. Lord [1942-12-01]: Plan Map of Level 5 - Regal Silver Mine; *C.S. Lord [1943-02-26]: Diamond Drilling and Sampling at Regal Silver and Snowflake Properties; 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 )
EMR MIN BULL 223, B.C. 84
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. 186,187
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.
GCNL Nov.21, 1970
N MINER Dec.3, 1953
Prospectus, Gunsteel Resources Inc., April 29, 1986

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