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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  22-Jul-2015 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 092G11 Cu6
Name HOWE COPPER, MOUNT DONALDSON, ZEL, PACIFIC COPPER, DONALDSON MTN, KAREN, WEST, ANTHONY, CU, HC 1-4 Mining Division Vancouver
BCGS Map 092G073
Status Prospect NTS Map 092G11W
Latitude 049º 42' 35'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 123º 27' 13'' Northing 5506456
Easting 467296
Commodities Copper, Silver, Molybdenum, Gold, Bismuth Deposit Types L04 : Porphyry Cu +/- Mo +/- Au
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Howe Copper prospect is located near the summit of Mount Donaldson, between Clowhom and Sechelt lakes, on the Sechelt Peninsula. The main adit is located at an elevation of 1431 metres.

The Howe Copper occurrence is predominantly underlain by biotite and hornblende-biotite granite of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex. Intruding these, and incorporating blocks of the biotite granite, is a sugary textured, fine to medium- grained, vuggy muscovite granite. Drusy quartz crystals often line the vugs. The muscovite granite has a potassium-argon age date of 83 million years (Late Cretaceous) (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 611). Locally, several linear outcrops occur, comprised of bedded lapilli tuff or tuffaceous rock striking northeast with moderate dips northwest.

The most prominent feature of the property is the masses of quartz and quartz veins that criss-cross the area. At least three sets of veins are recognized in association with major joints. Two areas of locally widespread and irregular quartz masses are also evident. The veins commonly pinch and swell and appear discontinuous in length. The quartz occurs in the form of milky to translucent masses and crystals. Larger veins are vuggy and often filled with drusy quartz, various copper minerals and muscovite. A persistent mineral constituent of the quartz veins is a muscovite mica, which occurs primarily along the selvage of the veins;. Iit also occurs as massive books completely enveloped by the quartz and lining the vugs and cavities. Small aplitic dikes, 2 to 10 centimetres in width, transect the area and are locally parallel to the strike of the joint systems.

The intrusive rocks are well jointed in at least two directions; the dominant joint striking east with steep north and south dips and the secondary system striking 020 degrees and dipping almost vertically.

The quartz veins structurally parallel each other in a confined area. The three sets of veins strike: (1) east with steep south dips; (2) east with 40 to 65 degree north dips; and (3) north with 0 to 20 degree west dips. The veins commonly split and disappear in hairline fractures; locally they split and rejoin. The veins vary range up to 80 centimetres in width but most are less than 30 centimetres wide. The longest strike length is 274 metres but most are less than 91 metres.

Massive bornite and chalcopyrite are associated with the quartz veining but are also found as minor blebs within vugs of the muscovite granite. Flakes of molybdenite and pods of tetrahedrite and chalcocite were also identified. Cuprite, malachite and azurite are also locally evident and represent oxidation alteration mineralogy.

A total of nine quartz veins have received work in the past. A main adit is developed on the main vein with three parallel veins in the hanging wall (HW 1, HW 2 and HW 3 veins). These four veins strike east and dip south at 45 to 65 degrees. Approximately 61 metres south of the main adit vein three quartz veins strike north with flat dips (10 to 20 degrees) to the west. Two other veins are situated on the saddle north and northeast of Slippery Lake, 700 metres northwest of the main adit on Smithe Lake.

In 1965, seven samples, taken along 26.4 metres of the main vein in the adit, yielded an average of 99.5 grams per tonne silver, 8.26 per cent copper and 0.10 per cent molybdenum over a 0.84 metre width. Sampling of the mineralized muscovite granite yielded up to 0.21 per cent copper and 0.01 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 752)

In 1983, a sample from the main adit assayed 15.16 per cent copper and 194.8 grams per tonne silver, while a sample of molybdenite bearing quartz vein near the adit assayed 0.13 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 11619).

In 1991, a 13.61 kilogram composite sample (PR90-11) from the portal and dump on the west side of Smithe Lake, selected to represent the main vein and host quartz muscovite granite, yielded greater than 1 per cent copper, 80.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.27 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 22242).

In 2005, a select sample (HC-05-01) of bornite vein material from the main adit dump assayed greater than 50 per cent copper, 603 grams per tonne silver and 0.98 gram per tonne gold, while a 0.5 metre chip sample (HC JL-02), taken from the adit portal vein the following year, assayed 0.52 gram per tonne gold, 931 grams per tonne silver, 48.7 per cent copper and 0.521 per cent bismuth (Assessment Report 29487).

Historic work includes adits, trenching and stripping dating back to 1874 and the discovery of copper mineralization by Howe Sound Mining Company. In 1965, Bralorne Resources completed a program geological mapping, trenching and geochemical sampling on the area as the Zel Group. In 1967, Grasset Lake Mining completed approximately 750 metres of diamond drilling. No information regarding drilling results was reported. In 1972, Athena Mines completed a 72.0 line- kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Karen 1-16 claims. In 1980 and 1983, Seatac Resources completed programs of geological mapping, rock sampling and a 6 line-kilometre combined ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Anthony 1-8 claims. In 1988 and 1990, programs of prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling were completed on the area as the CU 1-4 claims. In 1995, approximately 350 kilograms of rock samples were collected for metallurgical bench testing to test its industrial mineral potential. In 2004, the area was prospected as the HC 1-4 claims for valuable quartz crystal specimens. In 2006, Copper Road Resources prospected the area.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1876-429; 1877-413; 1917-F281; 1922-N251; 1924-B244; 1928-C389; 1929-C395; 1931-A173; 1965-222; 1966-245; 1967-62
EMPR ASS RPT *725, 4003, 8822, *11619, 18609, *22242, 25498, 26234, 27585, *29487
EMPR EXPL 1975-E106; 1983-219
EMPR FIELDWORK 1980, pp. 165-178
EMPR GEM 1972-277
EMPR PF (Geology maps; claim map)
EMR MP CORPFILE (Grasset Lake Mines Limited; Athena Mines Ltd.; Pacific Copper Mines, Limited; Seatac Resources Inc.)
GSC MAP 42-1963; 1386A
GSC MISC RPT 1908, No.996, p.36
GSC OF 611
GSC P 89-1E, pp. 177-187; 90-1E, pp. 183-195; 90-1F, pp. 95-107
GSC SUM RPT 1887-88, Part II, p. 102R
Ditson, G.M. (1978): Metallogeny of the Vancouver-Hope Area, British Columbia, unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, University of British Columbia

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