The Estella deposit is a vein-type consisting of massive galena, sphalerite, and pyrite in a zone of fracturing and shearing within Helikian Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup) quartzites and argillites. The fracture zone with the sulphide mineralization is spatially related to the contact of a Mesozoic syenite stock. Quartz is not abundant within the sulphide ore but exists in crosscutting veinlets which carry little or no sulphide. The lode ranges from a single fracture of several centimetres to a zone 4 to 6 metres wide. Locally the ore zone and/or the host stratigraphy is strongly silicified. Although there were sulphides remaining when production ceased, these were for the most part contained in the narrower portions of the fracture systems and hence would not constitute economically recoverable reserves.
The Estella deposit lies within Unit A1 of the middle Aldridge and is associated with a porphyritic stock commonly referred to as the Estella Stock. The controlling feature however is not the stock, but an irregular diorite intrusion exposed to the west and in the underground workings. Similar felsic intrusions occur throughout the property but are of much smaller scale than the Estella Stock. The Estella deposit is a silver-lead-zinc vein developed along a fracture and shear zone dipping to the southwest between 40 and 70 degrees following the trend of the diorite hanging-wall contact. The ore contains cobalt, and 109 mine samples taken by the Department of Mines ranging from 0.0007 to 0.06 per cent, averaging 0.0153 per cent soluble cobalt (Annual Report 1951, page 187).
WORK HISTORY
The showings were discovered and staked in October 1895 as the Stella and Cashier claims by Tracey and Bedford, who the following year took in as partners Scott and Murtz. The Skylark and Rover claims, adjacent to the southwest and initially thought to have been staked on a separate vein, were held in 1896 by F.P. Armstrong. In 1897 both claim groups were optioned to Alex Polson and Associates. By 1903 development work totalled about 914 metres of drifts, crosscuts, and raises in two main adits, the Estella and Rover. The mineralized zones developed by this work was not economic due to the high zinc content and the mine closed in about 1903. Six claims, the Cashier, Estella, Rover, Skylark, Morning, and Dog Star (Lots 6411, 6412, 6413, 6579, 6853, and 6856, respectively) were Crown-granted to Alex Polson in 1905.
The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited (Cominco) held an option on the property during 1927-29. Limited underground work, and surface diamond drilling in 11 holes failed to indicate sufficient reserves and the option was dropped. In 1944 the company re-optioned the property and carried out a geological examination.
Estella Mines Ltd. was incorporated in May 1950 to acquire the property. Underground diamond-drilling located a new segment of mineralized vein and development work began in that direction. A 150-ton per day mill was built near Wasa, 26 kilometres by road from the mine; milling began November 1, 1951, and continued until all available ore was exhausted in February 1953. Exploration and development work continued through 1953 with negative results. Drilling in August 1954 located a faulted continuation of the ore zone. The company was reorganized in June 1955 and the name changed to United Estella Mines Ltd. Underground exploration and development was carried out from June to December of that year. In April 1958 the company mortgaged the mine and mill to W.L. Rand and principals of the company. A geological survey and about 145 metres of diamond drilling was carried out. A small amount of ore was milled in 1958-59, producing 36 tonnes of concentrate. The was subsequently acquired by Rand & Associates by foreclosure on the mortgage.
In 1962, Copper Soo Mining Company Limited purchased 12 Crown-granted and 8 recorded claims from Rand and Associates. Exploration and development work began in the fall of that year. The mill operated for about 3 months in the latter half of 1963. Exploration and development work continued through 1964.
Giant Soo Mines Limited was incorporated in November 1965 as a private company under a joint agreement between Copper Soo (40 per cent) and Giant Mascot Mines, Limited (60 per cent) to put the mine into production. Under the agreement Giant Mascot provided financing to install a 150 ton per day mill just below the Estella adit. The mill operated from Sept. 1, 1966, until October 5, 1967. Some 45,350 tonnes were milled during this period. At time of closing, October 5, 1967, development work totalled approximately 2743 metres of drifts, crosscuts, raises, and shafts in 2 interconnected adits, 2 sublevels, and 2 shafts.
Production from 1951 to 1967 totalled 109,518 tonnes mined, recovering 6,392,849 grams of silver, 2052 grams of gold, 9,834,293 kilograms of zinc, 5,181,020 kilograms of lead, 10,243 kilograms of cadmium, and 1198 kilograms of copper (BC METAL MM00528).
In 1968, Giant Mascot acquired the minority 40 per cent interest which Copper Soo held in Giant Soo; the latter was dissolved in 1974. Giant Mascot in 1970 carried out 1104 metres of diamond drilling in 3 surface holes. The company name was changed in 1977 to GM Resources Limited.
In July 1980, W.G. Hainsworth and G. Mason examined the Fort Steele Formation from Fort Steele to Premier Lake, a distance of 26 kilometres. Other geological investigations were conducted in the vicinity (Assessment Reports 8835).
In 1987, Bakra Resources collected 104 rock samples and 895 soil samples for analysis (Assessment Report 16337). Geophysical work included a 16.2-kilometre ground HLEM survey and a 50.8-kilometre ground magnetic survey.
Later Exploration in the vicinity of the Estella was focused on finding similar deposits, though some work was done looking for sedimentary exhalative deposits. In the early 1990s Cominco Ltd (Assessment Reports 20175, 20554 and 21935) did extensive ground and airborne geophysics, as well as soil and rock geochemistry and diamond drilling near the Estella deposit.
In 1990/91 Cominco conducted geochemistry work consisting of soil sampling on a grid over the Lewis Creek valley northeast of the Estella occurrence, and the ridge to the west (Assessment Report 21935). Estella and the crown-granted area was not covered, although the South King showing (082GNW038) was covered and the north part of the soil grid covered the Wanda B (082GNW046) and Emily-Tiger (082GNW045) crown-grants and mineral occurrences. In all 32-line kilometres of sampling was done and some 741 soils samples were collected. Also 22.8 kilometres of ground UTEM geophysics was completed, and 708 metres of diamond-drilling was done in 1 NQ drillhole (E91-4), collared at 5517080N 600920E a few hundred metres southeast of Wanda B (082GNW046). Drilling was initiated to evaluate a 3.5-kilometre-long EM conductor. Nothing of any economic interest was intersected. Soil geochemistry found no anomaly indicative of any significant lead-zinc or gold mineralization. Drillhole E90-3 was drilled about 1.6 kilometres northwest of Estella and 1.5 kilometres west-southwest of South King (082GNW038) (Assessment Report 20841). Mineralization was not considered significant.
Placer Dome Ltd. worked on what are now part of the Rockies block claims in the upper Wild Horse drainage and in Tackle Creek (Assessment Reports 18159 and 20202). Their work consisted of geologic mapping, soil and rock geochemistry, ground geophysics and diamond drilling. INCO, Mercury Explorations Ltd., National Gold Ltd., and Chapleau Resources Ltd. have done small programs on the Jacleg portion of the Rockies block claims. Ruby Red Resources Inc. worked on parts of the Rockies block of claims since 2002; this work included surface geologic mapping, rock and soil geochemistry and ground geophysics (Assessment Reports 26983, 28643, 29808).
In 2002, National Gold Corp and Super Group Holdings Ltd conducted a rock geochemistry program on their Tac Property, extending from the Estella Crown-grants northwest, almost to the Emily-Tiger, Wanda B and Golden Fleece group of Crown-grant claims. The Tac claims covered the South King occurrence. Seventy-nine rock samples were collected; samples from the Estella Stock ran high in gold (Assessment Report 26983).
In 2008, Ruby Red Resources Inc. collected 890 soil samples and 22 rock samples over their Loose Leg property which covered the Golden Fleece (082GNW035), Emily-Tiger (082GNW045), and South King (082GNW038) mineral occurrences (Assessment Report 30695). These soils were intended to help delineate an area of anomalous soils previously indicated by the work of Bakra Resources (Assessment Report 16337). A widespread multi-element anomaly was delineated by the 2008 soil geochemistry program. The grid covered a similar area as the 1990/91 soil grid but was bound on the east by Lewis Creek and not quite so far north as Golden Fleece, Emily-Tiger, and Wanda B (082GNW046). The south end of the soil grid was almost a kilometre north of the Estella occurrence.
In 2015 to 2019, PJX Resources Inc. conducted geological mapping and rock geochemistry sampling on the Dewdney Trail Property (Assessment Reports 36112, 36649, 38859).
