The Carmi past-producing mine is located immediately south of Carmi, British Columbia, on the Carmi (Lot 2352), Hartford (Lot 2358) and B. A. Fraction (Lot 2357) Crown grants. The Crown grants lie on the west side of the West Kettle River.

The area is underlain by granodiorite of the Jurassic Westkettle Batholith and an irregular body of Permian Wallace Formation. The Westkettle Batholith varies in composition from granodiorite to quartz diorite to diorite. The granodiorite phase is medium-grained and grey to pink with chlorite or occasionally biotite-altered mafics. Local epidote and minor potassic alteration also occur. The quartz diorite phase is commonly foliated and porphyritic. These phases are intruded by quartz monzonite, quartz-k-feldspar and andesitic dikes. Veins are composed of quartz, quartz and k-feldspar or quartz-calcite ± pyrite. The veins are commonly associated with a clay-rich fault gouge.

The Carmi and Butcher Boy (MINFILE 082ESW132) workings appear to be on the same faulted vein, following a shear zone in fine-grained granodiorite and/or hornblende-biotite quartz diorite with strong chlorite alteration and fine- grained metasediments. The shear zone strikes 090 degrees and dips 45 to 60 degrees southward. It has been traced for over 750 metres along strike, despite minor fault displacement. The vein varies in width from 5 to 250 centimetres. One mineralized ore shoot near the surface was reported to be 76.2 metres long.

Mineralization consists of massive to banded stringers of pyrite with lesser sphalerite and galena carrying gold and silver values. Minor chalcopyrite and molybdenite are also present. The gangue is quartz and ankerite and in places intensely sericitized andesitic dike.

In 1980, three dump samples from the Carmi shaft yielded from 18.9 to 74.9 grams per tonne gold, 113 to 133 grams per tonne silver, 0.43 to 0.99 per cent zinc and 0.21 to 1.32 per cent lead, while 18 dump samples from the River adit yielded from trace to 19.1 grams per tonne gold, trace to 38.7 grams per tonne silver, trace to 0.539 per cent lead, 0.020 to greater than 1 per cent zinc and trace to 0.237 per cent copper (Property File - Kelvin Energy Ltd. [1981-01-01]: Carmi Gold Project - 1980 Final Report). Underground sampling (C10) of the River adit yielded up to 9.8 grams per tonne gold over 0.15 metre (Property File - Kelvin Energy Ltd. [1981-01-01]: Carmi Gold Project - 1980 Final Report).

In 1981, two drill holes (81-6 and 7) intersected vein-hosted mineralization at deeper levels than previously worked in the Carmi mine area. The more significant intersections were from drill hole K-81-7. The 1.4-metre interval between 90.5 and 91.9 metres (Sample 2197) intersected 0.07 gram per tonne gold, 1.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.017 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 9174). Sample 2199, a 1.7-metre interval between 94.7 and 95.1 metres, intersected 1.0 gram per tonne gold, 9.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.19 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 9174).

In 1987, sampling (CAR 29) of the river adit yielded up to 29.45 grams per tonne gold from an 80 centimetre wide quartz vein, while a dump sample (CAR 43) assayed 13.80 grams per tonne gold, 385.0 grams per tonne silver, 1.748 per cent zinc and 0.544 per cent lead (Property File - Valentine Gold Corp. [1987-07-28]: Property Evaluation of the Carmi Property).

The Carmi has produced 4780 tonnes of ore intermittently between 1901 and 1915, then annually between 1932 and 1940. Recovery included 279,585 grams of silver, 87,929 grams of gold, 3179 kilograms of lead and 7303 kilograms of zinc.

The area has been explored since 1895, when placer gold was discovered on China Creek, approximately 8 kilometres to the north east. The Carmi claim was first staked in 1896 by J.C. Dale. Development work initially consisted of open-cuts and a shallow shaft. In 1900, the claim was sold to interests from London, England, who conducted further work under Carmi Mining Co. The B.A. Fraction claim was located during the same year. The Carmi and B.A. Fraction claims were Crown granted to E.H. Thurston and associates in 1901, the same year as the first production. In 1904, a 5-stamp mill was erected and had a capacity of 20 short tons per day. In 1913, the claims were leased to A. Robinson from F. J. Finnucane. Between 1913 and 1915, further work was done, and ore shipments were made. The mine closed briefly in 1916 and 1917. Work was resumed by new owners and lessees in 1918 and 1919. Construction of a new oil flotation concentrator was started. In 1922, optioning interests formed Carmi Gold Mining Co. Work ceased in 1928. Canadian-American Mines Ltd. acquired the Carmi, Butcher Boy (MINFILE 082ESW132) and 18 other claims in 1932. The underground workings were extended between 1932 and 1933, with several ore shipments made. Canadian-American Mines Ltd. assets were taken over by Carmi Gold Mines Ltd. in 1934 and further underground development work was completed. Between 1935 and 1937, lessees J. Kerr and R. Legiest made additional ore shipments. Highland-Bell Ltd. leased the property in 1939. A small amount of development work was done, and the lease given up. The former lessees resumed work and made a final ore shipment in 1940. At this time, the Carmi deposit had been explored by a 91- metre long inclined shaft with levels extending east and west at the 30.5 and 46 metre levels, while a 122-metre long adit, referred to as the River adit, and an inclined shaft of unknown length were also developed approximately 350 metres east of the main shaft. The Butcher Boy occurrence was explored with a 67-metre long inclined shaft with drifts on the 46 metre level that connected with the Carmi workings. The combined Carmi and Butcher Boy occurrences include at least 1100 metres of underground workings.

Since this time, the Carmi and B.A. Fraction claims have been acquired by J.V. Hinks and J.A. Olinger. Options have been held by International Minerals and Chemical Corp. (Canada) Ltd in 1970 and by Husky Oil and G.V. Lloyd Exploration Ltd. in 1970 and 1971. Vestor Explorations Ltd. optioned the property in 1974. In 1981, Kelvin Energy Ltd. was owner of the Carmi claims, surrounding the Carmi occurrence. An eight-hole diamond drill program was conducted, three holes of which tested for the Carmi veins below the old workings, along with programs of geological mapping and geophysical surveys. In 1987, Valentine Gold Corp. sampled and examined the area. In 1992, American Bullion examined the area.