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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  08-Jun-2020 by George Owsiacki (GO)

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NMI
Name KUTCHO CREEK JADE, JADEX, BARB, CRY LAKE (JADEX), CRY LAKE, KUTCHO CREEK (JADEX), JADE WEST Mining Division Liard
BCGS Map 104I028
Status Producer NTS Map 104I07E
Latitude 058º 15' 13'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 128º 35' 05'' Northing 6457021
Easting 524373
Commodities Jade/Nephrite, Gemstones Deposit Types Q01 : Jade
C01 : Surficial placers
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Cache Creek, Quesnel
Capsule Geology

The Kutcho Creek Jade occurrence is located 6 kilometres southeast of Provencher Lake, near a small northern tributary of a major west tributary to Kutcho Creek, 86 kilometres east of Dease Lake.

The Kutcho Creek Jade (Jadex) area is underlain by Mississippian to Triassic Cache Creek Complex rocks including metavolcanics (greenstone), metasediments and tectonically emplaced ultramafic rocks. Locally, the area is underlain by upper Mississippian to Permian serpentinized peridotite, dunite and pyroxenite bodies, in faulted contact with Cache Creek Complex chert, slate, argillite, limestone and mafic volcanic rocks. The metasediments exhibit a well developed northwest striking foliation that dips moderately to steeply southwest. Thrust faulting is the dominant fault style; a secondary direction of faulting, striking southeast, is also important locally. Minor skarnification is observed where serpentinite is in contact with limestone. The ultramafic-country rock contact locally hosts nephrite jade lenses (Barb Lens).

The property is mainly known for its nephrite jade boulders which are partially or completely buried in overburden. In 1986, ten nephrite jade boulders were drilled to determine quality prior to excavation. Exploration and drilling yielded several boulders of which 16.52 tonnes were mined and shipped to the Kutcho Airstrip for processing (Assessment Report 15940). Some boulders graded C+ in quality which is appropriate for carvings and jewelry, and varied to B grade. Boulders grading C- to D grade are not saleable.

Inferred reserves are 2500 tonnes of nephrite jade of unspecified grade (Open File 1992-1). Operators of the property are Jade West Resources Ltd. of Vancouver.

In 2016-17, Continental Jade Ltd. conducted mining, trenching and auger drilling.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1961-119-126
EMPR ASS RPT 5784, 7542, 7582, 8659, 10672, 10714, *15940
EMPR EXPL 1978-E292 1979-335; 1980-541; 1981-325; 1987-C384; 2000-1-8; 2001-1-9
EMPR FIELDWORK 2001, pp. 365-376
EMPR INF CIRC 2000-1, p. 11; 2017-1, pp. 7,153; 2018-1, pp. 2,8,122,124
EMPR MAP 65 (1989)
EMPR MINING Vol.1 1975-1980; 1986-1987; 1988
EMPR OF 1989-18; 1992-1; 1992-9; 1994-1; 1996-11
EMPR PF (Jade West Website (Nov. 1999): The Jade Mine, 4 pp.; Prospectors Report 1999-43 by John Hope)
EMPR PFD 830156
GSC BULL 504
GSC MAP 9-1957; 29-1962; 1418A; 1712A
GSC OF 56; 610; 2262; 2779
GSC P 72-53; 74-1A, p. 375; 78-1A, pp. 25-27; *78-19, p. 34
Canadian Mining & Energy April 2016
Falconbridge File

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