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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  06-Aug-2019 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name CONSTANT, BEER, MITCHELL, CYA 1 Mining Division Kamloops
BCGS Map 092I069
Status Showing NTS Map 092I09W
Latitude 050º 36' 13'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 120º 16' 16'' Northing 5609301
Easting 693098
Commodities Gold, Silver, Copper Deposit Types I01 : Au-quartz veins
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Quesnel
Capsule Geology

The Constant occurrence is located near the northeastern tributary of Davidson Brook, approximately 900 metres southwest of Mitchell Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by volcaniclastics and wackes of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. The volcaniclastic rocks are dark grey, well jointed and indurated and composed of variable proportions of broken angular pyroxene and feldspar crystals with local lithic fragments of argillite and fine-grained intrusive rocks. Rarely, fine silty layers provide evidence of a consistent near-vertical dip and north-northwest strike. These have been intruded by dioritic rocks of the late Triassic to early Jurassic Iron Mask Batholith to the west and granodioritic rocks of the Jurassic Wild Horse Batholith to the east.

Locally, a 6-metre long inclined shaft and several sloughed-in old trenches follow a shear zone striking 105 degrees and dipping 35 to 50 degrees south. The shear zone ranges from 1.8 metres wide at the top of the shaft to approximately 0.4 metre at the bottom and is strongly oxidized with abundant limonite. The shear hosts a quartz carbonate vein that strikes 060 degrees and dips 45 degrees southeast. It is 5 to 35 centimetres wide and mineralized with pyrite and arsenopyrite and minor amounts of chalcopyrite, malachite and azurite. Graded beds at the incline shaft indicate the stratigraphic top faces east.

Two other sparingly mineralized veins, 0.15 to 1.8 metres wide and striking 115 degrees, are located approximately 61 metres from the shaft.

In 1933, two samples taken across the quartz vein in the shaft assayed from 23.9 to 71.9 grams per tonne gold, and 34.2 to 394.2 grams per tonne silver (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1933).

In 1975, a sample taken from shear zone material at the shaft contained a tiny flake of native gold and assayed 32.7 grams per tonne gold and 5.4 grams per tonne silver, whereas a composite sample of quartz-carbonate vein material from the shaft dump assayed 4.1 grams per tonne gold and 3.4 grams per tonne silver (Property File - Sands Mineral Corp. [1975-10-22]: Prospectus Report on the Mitchell Claim Group).

In 1976, a chip sample from a quartz carbonate vein exposed below the portal of the second (vertical) shaft, located to the south-southwest of the first shaft and on the southwest corner of the Mitchell 2 claim, assayed 6.9 grams per tonne gold over 0.4 metre (Assessment Report 5877).

In 1985, samples from the main shaft, taken by the property owners, were reported to have yielded up to 27 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 14585). The following year, grab samples, taken by the property owners, were reported to have yielded from 10.3 to 23.9 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 15348).

In 2006, sampling of trench CSE-01 yielded up to 15.10 grams per tonne gold over 2 metres, whereas a separate section averaged 0.214 gram per tonne gold over 26 metres (Assessment Report 30154). The high-grade, 2-metre section was resampled yielding only low values. The second trench (CSE-02) yielded 2.01 grams per tonne gold over 6 metres, including 4.57 grams per tonne gold over 2 metres (Assessment Report 30154).

In the early 1930s, two shallow shafts were sunk to explore mineralized quartz-carbonate veins, along with a considerable amount of trenching, open cutting and sampling. In 1976, prospecting and soil sampling was completed on the Mitchell claims, which cover the showing; the claims were later abandoned. In 1985, the Beer 1 claim was staked over the showing and nine soil samples were taken on behalf of Whopper Holdings Ltd. In 1986, 3.5 line-kilometres of grid work and VLF-EM surveying was completed. In 1987, soil sampling was conducted on behalf of L. Ovington. In 1988, geological mapping and soil sampling was completed on the Beer 1 and Cya 1and 2 claims on behalf of B. Elliott and L. Ovington.

During 2006 through 2008, J. Mikulasik completed programs of soil and rock sampling and trenching on the area.

Bibliography
EMPR AR *1933-A195
EMPR ASS RPT *5877, 5878, *14585, *15348, 16979, *17922, *30154, 36453
EMPR BULL 77
EMPR EXPL 1976-E97
EMPR PF (*Sands Mineral Corp. [1975-10-22]: Prospectus Report on the Mitchell Claim Group)
GSC MAP 886A; 887A; 9-1963; 1394A; 42-1989
GSC MEM *249, p. 73
GSC OF 165; 980; 2490
GSC P 44-20; 82-1A, pp. 293-297; 85-1A, pp. 349-358
GCNL Nov.21, 1975
EMPR PFD 903243, 9941

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