British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Responsible for Housing
News | The Premier Online | Ministries & Organizations | Job Opportunities | Main Index

MINFILE Home page  ARIS Home page  MINFILE Search page  Property File Search
Help Help
File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  06-Dec-2012 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name KEEGAN, SKARN, GEM, ROAD, WEST, COOMBS COPPER Mining Division Nanaimo
BCGS Map 092F028
Status Showing NTS Map 092F07E
Latitude 049º 15' 29'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 124º 30' 47'' Northing 5457245
Easting 389906
Commodities Copper, Silver Deposit Types
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Wrangell
Capsule Geology

The Keegan occurrence is located in the northern headwaters of French Creek.

The area is underlain by Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group) basalt in contact with Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite granodiorite. The Karmutsen volcanic rocks occasionally contain limestone interbeds and thin bedded limy tuffs. Granodiorite dykes locally cut the volcanic rocks. The volcanic- intrusive contacts are normally hornfelsed with some epidote development and minor pyrite and pyrrhotite mineralization.

At the main showing (Gem), trenching has exposed epidote-garnet skarn developed in limestone over a length of 81 metres. The skarn zone is cut by two dominant fracture sets; one set strikes 040 degrees and the second set at 060 degrees. Mineralization consists of heavily disseminated to massive magnetite, variable chalcopyrite, minor bornite and pyrite. Clay minerals are also evident in the skarn zone; strong oxidation is locally developed. A chip sample assayed 7.15 per cent copper and 49.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 6305). In 2011, grab samples from the showing returned values up to 0.032 gram per tonne gold, 8 grams per tonne silver and 0.787 per cent copper (Assessment Report 32802).

At the Road showing, 129 metres east and slightly north of the main showing, massive magnetite, pyrite and sparse chalcopyrite occurs in a highly oxidized and hornfelsed zone in basalt. In 2011, two grab samples from the showing returned values up to 0.032 gram per tonne gold, 5 grams per tonne silver and 0.074 per cent copper (Assessment Report 32802).

At the West showing, 111 metres west of the main showing, pits expose epidote altered volcanic breccia variably mineralized with magnetite and chalcopyrite. In 2011, a lone grab sample from the showing returned 0.016 gram per tonne gold and 0.051 per cent copper (Assessment Report 32802).

The area has been explored since the 1930's via a number of old adits and trenches. From 1969 to 1971, Echo Mining and Western Mines Ltd. completed exploration programs including trenching and limited diamond drilling. In 1989, C.R.C. Explorations staked the area and the following year completed a program of mapping, prospecting, rock and soil sampling and magnetometer and VLF-EM surveys. In 2011, New Shoshoni Ventures completed a reconnaissance prospecting and geological mapping program on the area as part of the Arrow Smith property.

Bibliography
EMPR ASS RPT 6042, *6305, 18762, 21241, *32802
EMPR FIELDWORK 1987, pp. 81-91; 1988, pp. 61-74
EMPR GEM 1976-E114; 1977-E112
EMPR PF (Maps of magnetic and EM surveys; see Maureenah-Louishman (092F 387), Rpt. and map by H. Laanela; Price, B.J. (1993): Geological Summary Report in Filing Statement for SLN Ventures Corporation; District Geologist notes, 1994; Filing Statement for SLN Ventures Corporation, c. 1994))
GSC MAP 17-1968; 49-1963; 1386A
GSC OF 463; 1272
GSC P 68-50
GCNL #160(1990)

COPYRIGHT | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY | ACCESSIBILITY