The western half of Quadra Island lies within the Insular belt and is underlain primarily by andesitic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation, Vancouver Group. These are interbedded with, and overlain to the east by a northwest trending belt of Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation limestone, also of the Vancouver Group.
The eastern half of Quadra Island lies within the Coast Crystalline Belt and is mainly underlain by Jurassic to Tertiary intrusive rocks of the Coast Plutonic Complex. These granitic rocks are in fault and/or intrusive contact with the Insular rocks along a northwest trending zone from Open Bay to Granite Bay. Skarn alteration is common throughout the length of limestone, and the term "lime-belt" expresses the historical interest in the area.
Prince Stewart Mines considered the most significant minerali- zation on their claim groups to underlie the Contact 7, 8, 9 and 10 claims (Prospectus, April, 1971). Mineralization occurs in a well pyritized, granitized and silicified length of volcanics that extend for about 1 kilometre in a northwest direction. The width of the area varies from 240 to 600 metres.
Small bodies of nearly barren granite, granodiorite and diorite porphyry intrude the volcanic rocks. Thin limestone bands occur with some of the better mineralization. A wide band, over 1 kilo- metre in places, of Quatsino Formation limestone separates several granodiorite bodies to the west, and from the main Coast Plutonic Complex contact to the east. Skarns are common along the grano- diorite-limestone contact and sparse chalcopyrite occurs as dis- seminations and fracture fillings.
One follow-up drill hole in the area intersected disseminated and thin streaks of pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite from surface to 106 metres. A massive band of pyrrhotite was intersected from 47 to 47.2 metres. Small but insignificant amounts of gold, silver and nickel were indicated from assays.
These showings were investigated by Prince Stewart Mines (various reports located in Property File). Several other companies subsequently explored this part of the "lime-belt". The area seems to fall between the Stampede/YZ (092K 086) and Gold Exchange (092K 100) occurrences and may have been worked as part of one or the other.
