The Mer occurrence is located 6.1 kilometres southwest of Burr Creek along highway 97C, 2.4 kilometres north of Big O.K. Lake.
The area is located within the Upper Triassic to Early Jurassic Guichon Creek Batholith. The occurrence occurs immediately to the north of a prominent northwesterly slough.
Locally, stripping has exposed Guichon variety (Highland Valley phase) quartz diorite that is cut by a narrow, west-northwest–trending,porphyritic quartz diorite dike of the Bethlehem phase. Both rock types exhibit argillic bleaching, partial chloritization of hornblende crystals, some sericitization and the local introduction of irregular quartz veins up to 7 centimetres wide.
Mineralization consists of bornite and chalcopyrite that is locally disseminated in chloritized patches and is partly concentrated near quartz veins and fractures. The showing is apparently limited on the southeast by a northeast-trending fault that dips west at approximately 60 degrees. Approximately 30 metres north of the main showing, malachite occurs weakly on north-dipping joints that contain quartz and epidote veins.
Percussion drilling in 1965 indicated a copper-bearing zone trending northeast and measuring 122 metres long by 73 metres wide and 24 metres deep, containing 580 544 tonnes averaging 0.327 per cent copper (Chisholm, E.O. (1971): Report on the CM, KAM, MER, JAC, RAF and Cleve Fr's. claim groups - in Kalco Valley Mines Ltd., Statement of Material Facts, May 5, 1972).
Work History
The Mer showing was apparently discovered by Henry Krause prior to 1965. In 1965, the Cleveland Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. held 102 claims in the Mer, Jac, Raf and Tam groups. Work during the year included trenching, road building and percussion drilling of 16 holes, totalling 609 metres. In 1966, work by Cleveland Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. included an induced polarization survey, soil sampling, percussion drilling of eight holes, totalling 762 metres, 457 metres of trenching and 13 kilometres of road building. Utah Construction & Mining Co. held an option on the various claim groups in 1967. Work comprised seven bulldozer trenches, totalling 274 metres, induced polarization and electromagnetic surveys and geological mapping of the Tam claims. Two AX diamond drill holes, totalling 305 metres, were drilled on induced polarization conductors at locations 800 metres apart near an east-flowing creek on either the Raf or Tam claims, approximately 1600 metres west of Indian Reserve 12; it is not known what work was done on the Mer group. In 1968, work by Cleveland Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. comprised nine bulldozer trenches, totalling 484 metres, a chain and compass survey, an induced polarization survey and mapping of surface workings. Consolidated Gem Explorations Ltd. held an option on the property in 1969 and carried out an induced polarization survey and three diamond drill holes, totalling 457 metres. On October 31, 1969, 20 Raf and Tam claims were sold to Lornex for tailings disposal. In 1970, further work by Cleveland Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. included diamond drilling in four holes, totalling 278 metres, an induced polarization survey and 30 metres of trenching. By an agreement of October 1971, Cleveland Mining optioned the Mer 1-40 and other claim groups to Kalco Valley Mines Ltd. In 1971, Kalco conducted percussion drilling of four holes totalling 122 metres. During 1972 the company spent $13 000 on exploration work before terminating the option agreement. The company name (Cleveland Mining) was changed in March 1972 to Consolidated Cleveland Resources Ltd.
In 2017, Geotronics Consulting Inc. completed an interpretive report of regional stream sediment sampling, and airborne gravity and magnetic surveys completed on the Highland Valley property and surrounding areas and reported multiple linear features suggestive of geological structures underlying the property.
