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File Created: 25-Apr-1987 by Peter B. Reid (PBR)
Last Edit:  07-Feb-1992 by Peter S. Fischl (PSF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name ASHNOLA BENTONITE Mining Division Similkameen
BCGS Map 092H038
Status Showing NTS Map 092H07E
Latitude 049º 22' 49'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 120º 32' 27'' Northing 5472639
Easting 678488
Commodities Bentonite Deposit Types E06 : Bentonite
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Quesnel, Overlap Assemblage
Capsule Geology

The Ashnola Bentonite showing outcrops along the east bank of the Similkameen River at Ashnola Bend, 9 kilometres south-southwest of Princeton.

The deposit is situated near the eastern margin of the Princeton Basin, a northerly striking fault-bounded trough filled by Eocene volcanic rocks of mainly intermediate composition, comprising the Lower Volcanic Formation, and an overlying Eocene sedimentary sequence of sandstone, shale, waterlain rhyolite tephra (tuff) and coal, up to 2000 metres thick, comprising the Allenby Formation.

The showing is hosted in a shale member in the upper part of the Allenby Formation (Princeton Group), known informally as the Ashnola shale (Open File 1987-19). The deposit consists of a 20-metre thick section of siltstone, bentonitic siltstone and bentonite, exposed along the bank of the Similkameen River. The beds strike 035 degrees and dip 12 degrees southeast.

Exchangeable cation analyses and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in milli-equivalents per 100 grams on two samples are as follows (Open File 1987-19):

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Sample Magnesium Calcium Potassium Sodium CEC

C86-349A 6.5 16.0 1.0 24.3 35.4

C86-349B 8.0 10.5 1.1 28.8 48.2

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Both samples were taken from a 15-metre high bank of bentonitic siltstone with sodium-rich montmorillonite.

Bibliography
EMPR FIELDWORK *1986, pp. 247-254
EMPR OF *1987-19
EMPR P 1983-3
GSC MAP 888A; 1386A; 41-1989
GSC MEM 243
GSC P 85-1A, pp. 349-358

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