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File Created: 10-Apr-2018 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)
Last Edit:  22-Apr-2018 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI
Name BEAVER (L. 2128), BEE (L. 2129) Mining Division Vancouver
BCGS Map 092G055
Status Showing NTS Map 092G11E
Latitude 049º 34' 59'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 123º 03' 36'' Northing 5492276
Easting 495663
Commodities Zinc, Copper, Silver, Molybdenum Deposit Types G06 : Noranda/Kuroko massive sulphide Cu-Pb-Zn
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Gambier, Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Beaver (Bee) occurrence is located on the north side of Clipper Creek, approximately 2 kilometres southeast of the southern end of Loch Lomond.

The Britannia district is underlain by a roof pendant of mid-Mesozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks, within the Cenozoic to Mesozoic Coast Plutonic Complex. A broad, steeply south-dipping zone of complex shear deformation and metamorphism called the Britannia shear zone crosses the pendant in a northwest direction. The Indian River shear zone, a narrow zone of foliated rocks, is sub-parallel to the Britannia shear zone and transects the northeast part of the Britannia pendant. The deformed rocks are cut by dacite dikes and several major sets of faults. The Britannia roof pendant is one of many northwest- trending bodies within and in part metamorphosed by the Coast Plutonic Complex. The pendant is comprised of fresh to weakly metamorphosed rocks with sharp contacts against plutonic rocks, and belongs to the Lower Cretaceous Gambier Group. The Coast plutonic rocks consist of older, commonly foliated bodies ranging from diorite to granodiorite and younger quartz diorite to quartz monzonite intrusions (Squamish pluton). The plutonic rocks have produced contact metamorphic aureoles up to 100 metres wide in the Britannia pendant.

The occurrence area is underlain by a complicated interbedded succession of northwest- trending andesitic to dacitic pyroclastic rocks of the Gambier Group, which dip from 30 to 80 degrees south. The volcanic units are typically strongly sericitized and chloritized resulting in a well- developed schistosity. A complex succession of intercalated dacitic pyroclastics and rhyolite to dacite flows has been identified by diamond drilling. The stratigraphy is interpreted to be a felsic vent area, based on the observed thickening of the massive lower dacite flow/dome, a quartz feldspar porphyritic unit. The stratigraphy encountered in drill holes is composed of andesite, an upper dacite flow, dacite tuff breccia, dacite ash and lapilli tuffs, a lower dacite flow (quartz feldspar porphyry) and lower dacite ash tuffs.

Locally, the footwall of the Britannia shear zone, consisting of sheared and silicified tuffs and schists in a 12 metre wide gossanous zone, host stingers and pods of sphalerite with lesser chalcopyrite.

In 1952, a sample, taken to the west of the fault, assayed 2.0 per cent zinc over 3.0 metres, while another sample yielded 8.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.20 per cent copper and 10.6 per cent zinc over 0.3 metre (Property File - J. B. Thurber [1952-10-01]: Progress report on the Eastern Area of Britannia). Sampling east of the fault yielded up to 8.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.56 per cent copper and 5.0 per cent zinc over 1.2 metres (Property File - J. B. Thurber [1952-10-01]: Progress report on the Eastern Area of Britannia). The following year, sampling of the short adit yielded up to 0.10 per cent copper, 0.15 per cent zinc and 0.10 per cent molybdenum over 1.5 metres (Property File - G. D. Markland [1953-01-01]: Progress Report on Eastern Area of Britannia 1953).

The area has been historically explored in conjunction with the nearby Britannia (MINFILE 092GNW003) mine. A short, 2.4 metres tunnel is reported near the occurrence. During 1984 through 1989, Minnova and Fleck Resources completed programs of geological mapping, rock sampling, electromagnetic surveys and diamond drilling on the area as part of the Fleck Option.

Bibliography
EMPR FIELDWORK 1980, pp. 165-178; 1987, pp. 295-300
EMPR OF 1999-2
EMPR PF (S.J. Schofield (1922-06-16): Progress report on the examination of Britannia Mine, *J. B. Thurber (1952-10-01): Progress report on the Eastern Area of Britannia, *G. D. Markland (1953-01-01): Progress Report on Eastern Area of Britannia 1953, R. Greenwood (1961-09-26): Review of Reports on Exploration Howe Sound Britannia, A. J. Davidson (1983-09-16): Summary of Britannia properties, Falconbridge Copper (1986-09-01): Proposed drill holes at Furry Creek, H. L. Gibson (1986-10-16): Proposed diamond drill program at Furry Creek, C. Burge (1987-01-09): 1986 Summary of Exploration Activities at Britannia Furry Creek, C. Burge (1987-08-21): Proposed diamond drilling at Furry Clipper divide area, C. Burge (1988-02-01): Summary of Exploration in 1987 at Britannia, C. M. Burge (1988-09-23): Fall Drill Program at Fleck Britannia, Colin Burge (1989-06-01): 1989 Drill Program at Fleck Britannia, C. M. Burge (1989-03-01): 1988 Summary of Exploration Activities at Britannia, Minnova (1990-02-15): 1989 Summary of Exploration at Britannia )
GSC MAP 42-1963; 1386A
GSC MEM 158
GSC OF 611
GSC P 89-1E, pp. 177-187; 90-1E, pp. 183-195; 90-1F, pp. 95-107
Ditson, G.M. (1978): Metallogeny of the Vancouver-Hope Area, British Columbia, M.Sc. Thesis, University of British Columbia

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