The Sovereign Creek prospect is situated near Upper Sovereign Creek, on the right flank of Sovereign Mountain, about 36 kilometres southeast of Quesnel. There are four talc showings: Dodo Creek, Creek 1, Creek 2 and the Creek 3 showing located north of the Swift Creek forestry road. All the showings are within 500 metres of the road, occurring along strike for 1 kilometre.
The prospect occurs at the eastern margin of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Quesnel Terrane and the western margin of the Hadrynian(?) to Paleozoic Barkerville Terrane. Between the two terranes is a narrow strip of mafic and ultramafic rocks known as the Mississippian to Permian Crooked Amphibolite and which have been mapped as part of the Slide Mountain Terrane. The Crooked Amphibolite, possibly correlative with the Antler Formation of the Slide Mountain Group, is in thrust contact with rocks of the Ramos succession of the Barkerville Terrane to the east (the Eureka thrust). The contact to the west with Quesnellia rocks may be stratigraphic.
The talc and nickel mineralization (see the Sovereign nickel showing, 093A 130) is hosted by serpentinite and sheared ultramafics of the Crooked Amphibolite, which is bound on the southwest by Middle-Upper Triassic Nicola Group dolomite and phyllite. These rocks are thrust over the Ramos Creek succession which consists of micaceous quartzite, phyllite, slates and limestones. Folding causes local bed repetition and thickening; the general trend of all rocks is northwest, with dips to the southwest. Talc occurs as discrete platy fragments of talc-chlorite rock and in schistose talc-carbonate boulders.
The Dodo Creek showing is exposed for 30 metres along its length. Dark green serpentinized ultramafics contain 20 to 42 per cent light green to white talc blebs, ranging from very fine grained to one centimetre long (Assessment Report 14808). The matrix contains mostly dolomite with lesser amounts of chlorite. Antigorite flakes (15 millimetres in length) are cut by reticulate talc and chrysotile veinlets. Drilling has indicated the presence of talc mineralization over a length of 110 metres, a width of 35 metres at the surface, and a depth of 20 to 25 metres, at grades ranging from 20 to 95 per cent talc. Proven and probable reserves are stated as 150,000 tonnes at 45 per cent talc and possible reserves of 365,000 tonnes at the same grade (Assessment Report 15522).
The Creek 1 and Creek 2 showings are located 750 metres southeast of the Dodo Creek showing. Light green platy talc composed of 70 to 90 per cent talc and chlorite with minor disseminated pyrite and limonite are found in float. The fragments are angular, ranging in size from 30 to 60 centimetres; the size and shape suggest a close proximity to the source.
Another showing, Creek 3, on the Swift River forestry road (southwest of Creek 1 and Creek 2), consists of several large boulders, up to 3 metres in diameter, of talc-carbonate schist. The boulders are mottled light green to light grey-brown and contain up to 85 per cent talc with associated carbonate (dolomite?) and minor limonite.
Grab Samples collected for the Cyprus Exploration Corporation Limited assayed up to 0.26 per cent nickel and averaged 0.22 per cent nickel (Property File Cyprus Anvil - Findlay Consultants Ltd., 1971).
Four grab samples from the Sovereign Creek property were analysed by x-ray diffraction in 1987, and the results are as follows (Open File 1988-19):
--------------------------------------------------------------------Sample 1. Talc >> chlorite (10 per cent) > dolomite > trace quartz and calcite (1 to 2 per cent) Sample 2. Talc >> dolomite (greater than 10 per cent) > chlorite (8 per cent) >> trace quartz (1 to 2 per cent) Sample 3. Talc >> chlorite (20 per cent) > dolomite (15 per cent) >> minor quartz (5 per cent) Sample 4. Talc >> minor chlorite (5 per cent), calcite (3 per cent) and trace quartz (1 to 2 per cent). -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Ontario Research studies show that the talc from the Sovereign Creek property compares favourably with current marketable products. The platy and peridotite-talc rated quite high in brightness; the samples studied came from a weathered (oxidized) environment (Assessment Report 14808). Pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena mineralization with associated silver, zinc and gold values have also been observed in the area. Samples assayed up to 2.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.02 gram per tonne gold and 0.0171 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 16875).
In 1960, the talc at the Do-Do Creek ultramafic body was discovered by R. Trifaux. In 1969, R. Trifaux explored the ultramafic and Iso Explorations Ltd. and Canistan International Ltd. took some interest on the property. Their exploration was directed to the base metal and precious metals potential. During the early 1970s, Mr. Trifaux explored the ultramafic body for nickel with a series of shallow diamond-drill holes. Extensive talc mineralization was noted at that time. Prospecting by Trifco Minerals Ltd. has extended known talc occurrences across much of the Vim-Ta group. In 1986, exploration focused primarily on the Do-Do Creek area where a program involving 91 metres of diamond drilling, geological mapping, prospecting and sampling was conducted in the vicinity in an attempt to delineate the extent of the talc exposed in Do-Do Creek. Between 1987-89, trenching and seven large pits were dug to establish talc reserves by Trifco Minerals Ltd. A 100-pound sample of talc in the vicinity of Creek No. 3 was taken for processing by Bacon, Donaldson & Associates Ltd. of Vancouver.
