The Echo occurrence refers to a group of minor copper showings in an area east of the historical Aspen Grove copper camp, between Merritt and Princeton. The occurrence is centred on the northernmost of three showings, which were worked on in the 1960s, in a small area (less than 0.5 square kilometre) located southeast of Quilchena Creek, 8.5 kilometres west-northwest of Boot Lake, and 13 kilometres east of the community of Aspen Grove (Assessment Report 1586).
The Echo occurrence is hosted in the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which regionally consists of alkalic and calc-alkalic volcanics and intrusions of island arc origin, and which is the principal component of the Quesnel terrane in southern British Columbia (Geological Survey of Canada Maps 41-1989, 1713A). This belt has been of major economic interest because of its potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization.
The occurrence lies in the northern assemblage of the Eastern belt of the Nicola Group (after Preto, Bulletin 69). This assemblage mainly consists of well-bedded submarine volcaniclastic rocks and volcanic flows. The main Aspen Grove copper camp lies several kilometres to the west in the Central belt, separated by the north-striking Kentucky-Alleyne fault system (Bulletin 69).
The area of the occurrence is underlain by augite porphyritic volcanic flows of andesitic to basaltic composition, and volcanic tuff and breccia (Assessment Report 1586; Geological Survey of Canada Map 41-1989). The volcanics may be affected by low-grade propylitic and chloritic alteration. Less than 1 kilometre to the north of the occurrence is the east-striking contact of the Lower Jurassic Pennask Batholith, a large intrusion of medium-grained granodiorite to quartz diorite.
Chalcopyrite and malachite are present in trenches and opencuts in volcanics over an area 1000 by 800 metres. Chalcopyrite is disseminated or concentrated in quartz-calcite veins (Assessment Report 1586). Other zone of minor copper mineralization are reported on the former Echo 61-63 and Echo 68-69 claim boundaries, located approximately 2 kilometres northeast and 3 kilometres east-northeast, respectively, of the main Echo 85 occurrence.
The Echo occurrence lies directly along the strike of prominent fractures which host significant copper-silver mineralization at the HN-WEN occurrence (MINFILE 092HNE058), 2 kilometres to the south-southeast (Assessment Report 4230).
In 1966, a trench on the Echo 61-63 claim boundary yielded 0.12 per cent copper over 3.0 metres (Property File 801604).
Work History
In 1961 and 1962, Skeena Silver Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, soil sampling, stripping and/or trenching, 19 diamond drill holes, totalling 1196.7 metres, and ground magnetic and self potential surveys on the area as the Malachite and Chalcocite groups of claims.
During 1966 through 1969, Consolidated Skeena Mines Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, soil sampling, a 71.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey, a 37.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 637 line-kilometre airborne geophysical (magnetic, electromagnetic and radiometric) on the area as the Boot, Malachite, Chalcocite, Echo and Toe claim groups.
In 1980, Core Energy Corp. and Kasle Energy Corp. completed ground electromagnetic surveys on the area as the Lucky and Lady claims. Also at this time, Abaton Resources Ltd. completed a program of trenching and a 29.6 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the Sol claims. The following year, seven diamond drill holes, totalling 616.1 metres, were completed on the Sol claims.
In 2000, Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the area as the Au property.
In 2002, Lateegra Resources Corp. and Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of soil sampling, ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey and six diamond drill holes, totalling 466.6 metres, on the area as the Au/Wen property.
In 2009, Victory Resources Corp. completed a photogeological (lineament) structural analysis on the area as the Toni property.
During 2017 through 2019, Victory Resources Corp. completed minor programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock, soil and till) sampling on the area as the Mal-Wen and Wen-Toe properties.
