The Bowron River Coal showing is located approximately 58 kilometres east-southeast of the town of Prince George, south of Highway 16 along the Bowron River. The showing is in the Cariboo Mining Division.
The property is underlain by the Mississippian to Permian Antler Formation (Slide Mountain Group), which consists of fault-bounded, mainly basaltic volcanic rocks juxtaposed within a wide variety of Paleozoic to Mesozoic sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Within the Antler Formation, in fault contact and likely also unconformable contact, is a horizon of upper Eocene undivided sedimentary rocks that host the Bowron River coal beds.
Three coal seams, containing coal of high-volatile bituminous B rank, occur in 75 to 100 metres of section (Lower Coal zone) at the base of the Bowron River Formation sedimentary succession. The coal is Paleocene and is interbedded with sandstone, siltstone, claystone and conglomerate. The three seams on the west bank of the Bowron River are the upper or main seam (average thickness 2.4 metres) the middle seam (average thickness 3.4 metres) and the lower seam (averaging 4.0 metres thick). The lower seam is most continuous, whereas the middle and upper seams are less well-developed and not so extensive laterally. The seams have variable thicknesses and thin and swell laterally. The coal contains 5.0 to 6.1 per cent moisture, 4.7 to 18 per cent ash, 31.0 to 35.5 per cent volatile matter, 45.0 to 55.3 per cent fixed carbon and 0.6 to 1.6 per cent sulphur (air dried basis). The coal is characterized by the presence of approximately 8 per cent amber and ‘refined’ resin.
In 1970, the coal property was held by Northern Coal Mines Limited. By this time an extensive exploration programme including 42 diamond drill holes had been completed over an area covering 3.2 by 0.8 kilometres. In 1980, the in-situ reserves of the drilled area were estimated to be 35 280 000 to 43 344 000 tonnes (lower seam average thickness is approximately 4.0 metres, average ash content is approximately 30 per cent, and specific gravity of run of mine coal is approximately 1.8). Including the remaining area of the basin, indicated in situ reserves may be up to 67 320 000 tonnes (Coal Assessment Report 20).
The coal-bearing strata unconformably overlie the upper Paleozoic to Upper Triassic Slide Mountain Group in a northwest-trending basin. The strata are folded into a northwest-trending and gently south-plunging asymmetric syncline with dips ranging from 35 to 45 degrees and 8 to 15 degrees in the western and central portions of the basin, respectively. The southwest margin of the basin has been reported as being either faulted or a sedimentary unconformity. The basin shallows and deepens towards the northwest with a resultant thickening of the coal towards the centre and southeast of the basin. The northeast margin of the basin is faulted. A number of additional faults, mainly north-trending, are also present in the basin.
Inferred reserves were reported at 27 million tonnes coal; measured plus indicated reserves have been proven to total 40 million tonnes coal (Mine Development Assessment Process - Stage I Submission, Norco Resources Ltd., March 1981).
In 1973, Zulu Exploration Ltd drilled 2 holes on the west bank of Bowron River.
In 2015, First Amber Mines Inc. conducted a preliminary visit of the property to assess the potential for extracting amber from the coal beds. A total of 25 samples were collected, and though results were generally not satisfactory, a float sample weighing 3.5 kilograms yielded approximately 7.34 grams of amber (Assessment Report 36236).
In 2016, First Amber Mines Inc. completed two rotary air blast drill holes and a pilot percussion hole on the property. Three coal-bearing intervals were intersected, but only limited amber content was observed. No further drilling work on the property with respect to an amber resource was recommended (Assessment Report 36917).
