The area around the headwaters of Azure River has claimed attention for several years on account of the discovery of large bodies of auriferous quartz in metasedimentary rocks of the Shuswap Metamorphic Complex. Mineralization of the Blue Ice (SE Zone) prospect is located at the headwaters of Hobson (Fred Wells) Creek. At the time of original staking, this ground was not part Wells Gray Provincial Park. Presently it lies within the northeast corner of the park and exploration activity is prohibited.
Mineral occurrences at the head of Hobson Creek are found in zones of fracturing, crosscutting host rocks at an oblique angle. Lenticular quartz bodies consisting of white quartz host pyrite, galena and chalcopyrite, sphalerite and arsenopyrite, at points where these bodies intersect cross fracturing striking 300 degrees. Quartz veins hosted in fractures are also mineralized. Most are narrow, irregular stockworks or sets of short quartz-filled cracks and tension gashes approximately perpendicular to bedding. Siderite is a common accessory in quartz veins. Mineralization locally extends into interbedded limestone bands, forming massive sulphide replacement.
The Blue Ice (SE Zone) prospect lies near the contact between the Hadrynian Upper Kaza Group and the stratigraphically overlying Isaac Formation of the Hadrynian Cariboo Group. The ground covering mineralization of the Blue Ice prospect is on the crest and northeast limb of a major anticline which plunges at a low angle to the northwest. The country rocks consist of quartz pebble conglomerate, massive quartzite, phyllite, quartz-sericite schist, argillite and limestone, of the Isaac Formation, which strike 305 degrees and dip 80 degrees to the northeast. Lithologies of the Hadrynian upper Kaza Group consist of quartzofeldspathic psammite, phyllite, slate and minor grit.
The Blue Ice (SE Zone) prospect lies about 1.5 kilometres southeast of the Blue Ice (W Zone) showing (083D 025). Quartz veins, hosted in fractures, contain abundant pyrite and lesser chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite. Dark siderite patches and blebs are common. The main vein is traceable over 230 metres along the surface over 137 metres vertical relief and is 1.5 to 3.6 metres wide. The majority of the vein is barren and the sulphides are concentrated toward the upper end. This vein-fracture system is hosted in a pebble conglomerate.
Assay results from several samples taken from mineralized quartz vein material in this area, with precious metals expressed in grams per tonne and base metals in per cent (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1929) are as follows:
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SAMPLE TYPE LOCATION AU AG CU ZN
1 chip over 22.8 metres 2.06 120.0 1.2 3.4
of open cut
2 chip SE end across 5.49 157.7
1.22 metres
3 chip NW end across 1.37 267.4 2.1
1.07 metres
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Two claims were staked on the showings in 1923 by Fred Wells but the claims subsequently lapsed. In 1929, the showings were restaked as the Blue Ice and Blue Lead groups and optioned to Joseph Errington. Open cutting on the southeast showing (SE zone), Blue Lead group, was reported. The option was given up in 1931. The property in 1933 comprised the Blue Ice Group of 27 claims owned by Albreda Holdings Company Limited. Apparently little work was done and the claims lapsed. The property was restaked in 1938 as the Blue Ice group (22 claims) by W.R. Johnson and associates. Anlgo-Huronian Limited optioned the property and in 1939 carried out limited drilling in two areas (apparently drilling 10 holes). This work indicated that the mineralized outcrop did not extend to depth and the option was abandoned. Silver Standard Mines Limited and Wilson Mining Corporation Limited acquired a 65/35 per cent interest, respectively, in the 4 claim property in about 1956.
In 1988, better intersections of gold mineralization from drill core were obtained and assays were 51.4 grams per tonne gold across 4.57 metres, 24.0 grams per tonne gold over 1.52 metres and 7.2 grams per tonne gold over 2.13 metres (Consolidated Silver Standard Mines Limited Annual Report 1988).
In 1988 the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources announced that exploration in Wells Gray Provincial Park would be prohibited.
