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File Created: 14-May-1998 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  12-Aug-2014 by Garry J. Payie (GJP)

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NMI 104G3 Cu12
Name GALORE CREEK - MIDDLE CREEK, MIDDLE CREEK, GALORE CREEK, STIKINE COPPER, GC, HAB, BUY Mining Division Liard
BCGS Map 104G013
Status Prospect NTS Map 104G03W
Latitude 057º 08' 13'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 131º 28' 32'' Northing 6335349
Easting 350187
Commodities Copper Deposit Types L03 : Alkalic porphyry Cu-Au
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Stikine, Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Middle Creek zone of the Galore Creek deposit is located at the headwaters of Galore Creek, a northerly flowing tributary of the Scud River, some 85 kilometres south-southwest of Telegraph Creek.

At least twelve alkalic porphyry copper-gold deposits are known to occur within the Galore Creek syenite complex. This complex comprises a series of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic orthoclase-porphyry syenitic bodies which have intruded coeval Upper Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic rocks and related sediments. Faults which offset and segment the intrusive rocks and a sub-horizontal fracture cleavage are the two main structural elements in the syenite complex. The complex is roughly 5 by 2.5 kilometres in area.

The deposits are hosted primarily by highly altered potassium- enriched volcanic rocks and pipe-like breccias adjacent to syenite dikes and stocks. Typically, the deposits are manto-shaped and have a north to northeast trend related to the syenite contacts and zones of structural weakness.

The syenite complex is made up of four intrusive phases that are most closely associated with the copper deposits. Six other phases are recognized but are peripheral to the Central zone deposit. The copper-bearing rocks near the syenite intrusion are extensively metasomatized, recrystallized and locally brecciated. These may include pyroclastic and intrusive breccia, trachyte, phonolite, lithic tuff, crystal tuff, pyroxene basalt, pyroxene andesite and minor sediments. These rocks have been converted to skarns and fenitic porphyroids so that original rock types are unclear. The term "hornfels" was frequently applied to these meta-volcanic rocks in the early stages of exploration.

Alteration and mineralization are contemporaneous and spatially overlap. The hydrothermal system was extensive and the resultant alteration led to the formation of large gossans. Potassic alteration consisting of potassium feldspar, titanium biotite and magnetite have converted the syenites and volcanic rocks to pink, white and orange rocks composed mostly of orthoclase. Alteration of pyroxene, hornblende and biotite to assemblages of chlorite and calcite plus/minus albite and epidote characterizes the propylitic zone, best developed in the syenitic rocks. Calc-silicate alteration consisting of abundant garnet, diopside, epidote, albite and anhydrite is an unusual feature of the complex. Garnet replaces up to 50 per cent of the metavolcanic rocks and infills breccias near the northern end of the Central zone breccia pipe but is generally absent from the other deposits. However unusual this metasomatic overprint is, the distribution of sulphides, precious metal and magnetite is considered consistent with the expected zoning pattern for alkalic porphyry deposits.

Copper-gold mineralization was discovered in 1991 at the previously unknown Middle Creek zone, located about 1 kilometre west of the Central zone (104G 090). Mineralization consists of finely disseminated bornite, chalcopyrite and magnetite, associated with pervasive fine-grained biotite and garnet in an altered, intermediate tuffaceous unit (CIM Special Volume 46).

In 2011, the Junction zone was described in a technical report (43-101) by AMEC Americas Limited on behalf of NovaGold (Galore Creek Project by AMEC, July 17, 2011) as follows:

"Limited exploration has been completed over this prospect. Middle Creek is located approximately 1 kilometre west of the Central Zone. In 1991, field mapping found mineralization reported by prospectors in the mid 1960s.

Mineralization is characterized by finely-disseminated bornite, chalcopyrite and magnetite associated with pervasive fine-grained biotite and garnet alteration, hosted in a breccia or volcaniclastic unit. Middle Creek is the most oxidized zone discovered to date on the Galore Creek property. Drilling during 2005 encountered malachite and native copper mineralization."

AMEC reports five zones as being modelled toward its 2011 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Galore Creek deposit: the Central Zone (including the Bountiful deposit), Southwest Zone, Junction/North Junction Zone, Southwest Zone, and West Fork Zone.

Refer to the Central Zone deposit (104G 090) for further details of the Galore Creek deposits. Further details of a common work history and 2011 reserves and resources are given. Details of work history on specific zones is not readily available or easily broken out from the overall Galore property body of work.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1956-14; 1957-74; 1961-78; 1962-7; 1963-8; 1964-15; *1965-19; 1966-25; 1967-29
EMPR BULL *92
EMPR FIELDWORK *1975, p.79; 1988, pp. 269-283
EMPR GEM *1972-520; 1973-501; 1974-336
EMPR GEOLOGY 1976, p. 122
EMPR MAP 65
EMPR OF 1989-8
EMR MIN BULL MR 166
EMR MP CORPFILE (Kennecott Copper Corp.; Kennco Exp. Canada Ltd.; Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd.; Stikine Copper Ltd.)
EMR MP RESFILE (Central Zone, Galore Creek)
GSC MAP 9-1957; 11-1971; 310A; 1418A
GSC MEM 246
GSC P 71-44, p. 24
CIM BULL *July 1966, pp. 841-853; Nov. 1968, p. 1329
CIM SPECIAL VOL. *15, pp. 402-414; *46, pp. 630-644
CIM TRANS VOL LXIX, p. 251
CMH 1976, p. 302
N MINER May 3, 1973
Allen, D. (1966) UBC Masters Thesis
*2011 AMEC 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT ON GALORE CREEK DEPOSIT: www.novagold.com/section.asp?pageid=22244

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