The Silver Bell prospect is located to the south of Tenquille Creek on the lower slopes of Mount Barbour, at an elevation of approximately 1670 metres.
The area is underlain by a north west-trending, north east-dipping, right-side-up roof pendant of the Upper Triassic Cadwallader Group, which consists of massive to schistose greenstone of andesitic composition. The Cadwallader Group represents an island arc assemblage with reported occurrences of felsic volcanics. The pendant is contained within intrusive rock, ranging from granite to granodiorite to quartz diorite, of the Spetch pluton and other intrusions of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex.
At the Silver Bell prospect, the Cadwallader Group has been subdivided into five units (from oldest to youngest): 1) massive andesite, 2) mixed pyroclastic, 3) felsic volcanic, 4) mixed pyroclastic and 5) sedimentary. The massive andesite unit consists of dark- green massive basaltic andesite flows. The mixed pyroclastic unit consists of pale to dark- green andesitic to dacitic fine tuffs, lithic tuffs, feldspar crystal tuffs and lapilli tuff with minor interbedded porphyritic flows. The felsic volcanic unit consists of light- grey to pale- green rhyolite and rhyodacite flows, commonly feldspar porphyritic. The mixed pyroclastic and sedimentary unit consists of well-bedded andesite to dacite, lithic and lapilli tuffs with abundant limestone, limestone breccias, calcareous feldspar-rich wackes, black shale, siltstone and chert interbeds. The upper sedimentary unit consists of an upward -fining sequence of cobble conglomerate, feldspar-rich greywackes and sandstones, black shale and chert.
Locally, andesite flows and tuffs of the Cadwallader Group are cut by a 1.1-metre wide lamprophyre dike, which strikes northwest and dips steeply southwest. The andesites are massive to slightly schistose, strike northwest and dip shallowly north. A narrow, quartz-filled fissure occupies the west side of the dike, with sulphides including galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrite up to 20 centimetres wide. The vein has been followed by underground workings for 24 metres.
In 1926, a sample from the underground workings assayed 1.7 grams per tonne gold, 816 grams per tonne silver, 23.8 per cent lead and 13.3 per cent zinc (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1926, page 193).
In 1952, a sample (no.17) across 21 centimetres of a sulphide lens assayed 4.8 grams per tonne gold, 177.8 grams per tonne silver, 4.2 per cent lead and 10.1 per cent zinc (Property File - A.C. Skerl [1952-09-01]: Report on the Properties of National Consolidated Base Metals Company - Near Maud Lake).
In 1969, a sample of dump material assayed 21.9 grams per tonne gold and 494 grams per tonne silver (Property File - J.A. Mitchell [1969-10-16]: Report on the D Group of Claims). The adit portal was buried by a landslide by this time.
In 1991, sampling at and near the Silver Bell prospect yielded maximum values of 0.6 per cent copper, 3.0 per cent lead, 8.0 per cent zinc, 0.45 gram per tonne gold and 5.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 21274). However, the values were sporadic and confined to narrow widths. The mineralization is associated with high manganese, boron and antimony values, the latter reflecting the presence of tetrahedrite.
Mineral exploration began in the Tenquille Lake area in 1916, during the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. Between 1923 and 1937, work was conducted on the Gold King and Dora May claims, and the Li-Li-Kel property. An adit and 90 metres of cross-cuts and drifts were completed during this time. In 1952, National Consolidated Base Metals Company examined the area. In 1961, Phelps Dodge completed a program of geological mapping on the area as the Tenquille claims. In 1969, the area was examined as the D group. In 1982 and 1983, Tenquille Resources completed programs of ground geophysical surveys, prospecting, trenching and sampling on the area as HIAG claims. In 1987, Ajax Resources completed a program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and ground geophysical surveys on the area. In 1989 and 1990, New Camp Resources completed programs of rock, silt and soil sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Zul property. In 1990, Teck Corp. staked the Apollo, Sun and God claims of the Sungod property which covered the Gold King prospect. In 2003, the area was staked as the Gold King property by J.T. Shearer. During 2004 through 2006, Goldking Mining Ltd. (later Wolverine Minerals Corp.) completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and an induced polarization survey on the area.
