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File Created: 28-Mar-1986 by Gary R. Foye (GRF)
Last Edit:  22-Jun-2009 by George Owsiacki (GO)

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NMI 093B15 Dtm1
Name LOT 906, MICROSIL, JIG, CROWNITE, DIATOMITE, QUARRY, DIALITE 906 Mining Division Cariboo
BCGS Map 093B098
Status Past Producer NTS Map 093B15E
Latitude 052º 57' 37'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 122º 32' 19'' Northing 5867951
Easting 530992
Commodities Diatomite Deposit Types F06 : Lacustrine diatomite
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Cache Creek, Overlap Assemblage
Capsule Geology

The Microsil deposit, adjacent to the town of Quesnel, occurs in a horizon of diatomaceous earth from which past production is recorded. The mine briefly opened again in 1983. The diatomite was processed into granular domestic absorbent product by calcining. No production figures are available. The property is located near the west boundary of the community of Quesnel and south of Baker Creek, and accessed via Abbott Drive from West Quesnel. The area has access to the old MicroSil plant site via Abbott Drive from West Quesnel.

The Lot 906 property area is underlain by Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks which overlie Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the Cache Creek Complex (Group) and Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic Nicola Group. These Tertiary rocks range in age from Paleocene to Pliocene but are dominated by plateau basalts of Miocene age and an underlying sedimentary succession including tuffs, conglomerate, sandstone and shale. The diatomite occurs in beds up to about 31 metres thick with variable amounts of clay, silt and volcanic ash. Clay partings also occur within the diatomite.

Proven and probable reserves for the Microsil deposit are 1,300,000 tonnes of diatomaceous earth (Assessment Report 27639).

Lot 906 is a past producer of diatomite, which was processed into granular domestic absorbent product. The two major past producers to which production was recorded are Dome Petroleum's Crownite operation (1968-80) and MicroSil Industrial Minerals Ltd. (1981-83). Prospecting was carried out in 1999 by the owner, W.E. Poole. In 2004, Golder and Associates on behalf of the owner W.E. Poole, conducted a preliminary geotechnical study of regional slope stability hazards near the site of the Lot 906 claims. It considered in particular the potential impact of resumption of diatomaceous earth extraction and production on slope stability in the vicinity of the site. A new redesigned processing plant is proposed for the site of the older plant.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1927-C171; 1947-A209; *1959-156; 1965-262; 1966-271; 1967-303,315, 1968-299
EMPR ASS RPT *210, 26089, *27639
EMPR EXPL 1982-19
EMPR GEM 1969-389; 1970-497; 1971-461; 1973-545; 1974-378
EMPR INF CIRC 1986-1, p. 68; 1987-1, p. 48
EMPR MAP 65 (1989)
EMPR MINING 1975-1980 Vol.I, pp. 43,44; 1981-1985; 1988, p. 83
EMPR OF 1987-9; 1989-14, 20; 1990-31; 1992-1; 1992-9
EMPR PF (Specification sheet for diatomite and pozzolan; Article in Western Miner, December, 1969; Several 1960's reports on the Quesnel area diatomites by J.D. Godfrey (in Big Bend, 093G 039))
GSC MAP 12-1959; 1424A; 1538G
GSC MEM 118, pp. 76,79
GSC OF 574; 844
CANMET IR 691 (1928), p. 45
W MINER *Dec. 1969, p. 24

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