The area around the headwaters of Azure River has claimed attention for several years due to the discovery of large bodies of auriferous quartz in metasedimentary rocks of the Shuswap Metamorphic Complex. Mineralization of the Blue Ice claim group is located at the headwaters of Hobson (Fred Wells) Creek.
The Blue Ice claim group lies near the contact between the Hadrynian upper Kaza Group and the stratigraphically overlying Isaac Formation of the Hadrynian Cariboo Group. The ground covering the Blue Ice claim group mineralization is on the crest and northeast limb of a major anticline which plunges at a low angle to the northwest. The country rocks, striking 255 degrees, consist of massive quartzite, quartz pebble conglomerate, quartz-sericite schist, phyllite, argillite and limestone, of the Isaac Formation. Lithologies of the Hadrynian upper Kaza Group consist of quartzofeldspathic psammite, phyllite, slate and minor grit.
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 W Zone is located partially beneath the toe of a glacier. This zone consists of complex quartz veining in quartzite over a total exposed length of 140 metres and a maximum width of 36 metres. The zone is bound to the southwest by a limestone band, which can be traced to the northeast over 46 metres where it is covered by glacial moraine. Quartz veins and lenses strike 015 degrees or more commonly quartz filled tension gashes align 330 degrees. Quartz comprises 20 per cent by rock volume of the entire zone. Of this 50 per cent is mineralized with galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. This mineralization is confined to quartz seams parallel to fracturing. Sulphide mineralization is also found disseminated within host sericitic schist up to several feet from quartz bodies. There is sericitic alteration.
A general chip sample of mineralized quartz sampled assayed 3.08 grams per tonne gold, 96.00 grams per tonne silver, 0.4 per cent lead and 3.2 per cent zinc (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1929). Seven sample were taken from this zone in 1939, of which 2 assayed as follows: the first, quartz with 3 to 5 per cent mineralization, 0.68 grams per tonne gold and 6.8 grams per tonne silver; the second, mineralized stringers in host schist, 49.37 grams per tonne gold and 54.86 grams per tonne silver (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1938).
Please refer to 083D 003 (Blue Ice (SE zone)) for more information.
