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File Created: 14-Aug-1989 by Peter S. Fischl (PSF)
Last Edit:  15-Apr-2021 by Nicole Barlow (NB)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name PINCHI LAKE LIMESTONE Mining Division Omineca
BCGS Map 093K068
Status Showing NTS Map 093K09W
Latitude 054º 37' 30'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 124º 24' 36'' Northing 6053976
Easting 408968
Commodities Limestone Deposit Types R09 : Limestone
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Cache Creek, Quesnel
Capsule Geology

Various exposures of white to blue-grey to buff coloured limestone occur in the vicinity of the Pinchi Lake mercury mine on the northeast side of Pinchi Lake, 25 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James.

The limestone is contained within a belt of chert, argillite, quartzite and greenstone of the Mississippian to Triassic Cache Creek Group. The belt outcrops for 18 kilometres northwest of Pinchi Lake with widths up to 2 kilometres. To the east, the belt is separated from andesitic to basaltic Takla Group volcanics by the northwest trending Pinchi fault. The belt is bounded to the west by a thick sequence of Cache Creek Group massive limestone. In the vicinity of the Pinchi fault the limestone is variably dolomitic.

A sample from an outcrop of blue-grey limestone near the office of the Pinchi Lake mercury mine contained 55.60 per cent CaO, 1.62 per cent MgO, 0.87 per cent insolubles and 0.81 per cent (FeAl)2O3 (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 252, p. 36 - Sample 2). A sample of buff coloured limestone containing cinnabar from the glory hole at the Pinchi Lake mine contained 26.90 per cent CaO, 12.01 per cent MgO, 22.75 per cent SiO2, 0.99 per cent (FeAl)2O3 and 24.64 per cent insolubles (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 252, p. 36 - Sample 4).

In 1965, The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited completed a geochemical survey on the north-central shoreline of Pinchi Lake. Mercury soil anomalies were observed in the area extending 1 to 5 kilometres to the southeast of the occurrence.

In 2011, Nanton Nickel Corporation completed an exploration program including an airborne helicopter geophysical survey, reconnaissance mapping, prospecting and geochemical sampling over the property containing the occurrence. Four major, magnetic high anomalies were noted on the property. Stream sediment, soil and rock sampling was completed on an area northwest of the occurrence near the Pinchi Lake Mercury (MINFILE 093K 049) and adjacent mountain side.

In 2012, Nanton Nickel Corporation completed an exploration program including ground mapping, prospecting, soil and rock geochemical sampling and a petrographic study. Rock and soil sampling was not completed on the area immediately surrounding the occurrence.

Bibliography
EMPR ASS RPT 721, 32715, 33773, 34686
EMPR EXPL 1992-69-106
EMPR FIELDWORK 1992, pp. 475-482
EMPR IND MIN FILE (*McCammon, J.W., (1973): Limestone Occurrences in
B.C., page 25 (in Ministry Library))
EMPR MIN POT MAP 1993-2
EMPR OF 1993-9
EMPR PFD 256
GSC MAP 630A; 907A; 1424A
GSC MEM 252, pp. 32-36
GSC OF 2593, 2846
GSC P 90-1F, pp. 115-120; 91-1A, pp. 7-13

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