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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  05-Jul-2013 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name RALPH (L.77), PHAIR (L.78), MT SKIRT (L.79) Mining Division Victoria
BCGS Map 092B043
Status Past Producer NTS Map 092B05E
Latitude 048º 27' 53'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 123º 32' 29'' Northing 5368096
Easting 459979
Commodities Copper, Silver Deposit Types
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Pacific Rim
Capsule Geology

The Ralph occurrence is located On the west flank of Mount Skirt, immediatly east of the Trans- Canada Highway at Goldstream.

The area is underlain by rock of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Leech River Complex (Formation). The Leech River rocks are in contact on the east side of the mountain with diorite gneiss of the Mesozoic and/or Paleozoic Wark Gneiss.

The deposits are reported to occur in 5 shear zones in silicified dacite tuffs and interbedded cherts; the host rocks are sometimes described as being schistose metavolcanics. The shear zones strike about 050 degrees, parallel to foliation of the country, and are traversed by numerous but irregular quartz and calcite veins. There are at least 2 ore lenses, and possibly three, lying en echelon to each other. One ore chute drifted on for about 30 metres was reported to consist of solid chalcopyrite averaging from 0.15 to 1.2 metres in width. Other reports indicate that quartz, along with pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcocite, is associated with the ore.

The deposits were mined around the turn of the century with about 450 metres of underground development taking place. It is recorded that in 1900, 56 tonnes of ore were mined, from which 11,477 grams of silver and 6,331 kilograms of copper were recovered. In 1938, a further 3 tonnes was mined producing 467 grams of silver and 324 kilograms of copper (Mineral Policy data).

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1897-568; *1899-607,810; 1900-928; 1903-250; 1916-275;
*1924-253; 1925-304,361
EMPR FIELDWORK 1987, pp. 81-91
GSC MAP 42A; 1386A; 1553A
GSC MEM 13, p.171; *96, p. 382
GSC OF 463; 701
GSC P 72-44; 75-1A, p. 23; 79-30
EMPR PFD 5482, 21792

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