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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  17-Jan-2022 by Del Ferguson (DF)

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NMI 092F4 Au1
Name FANDORA (L.1902), BELL, FUSILIER, MARY, TOFINO, CRAIG, EDMAR, EM, GOLD FLAKE Mining Division Alberni
BCGS Map 092F022
Status Past Producer NTS Map 092F04E
Latitude 049º 14' 57'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 125º 40' 41'' Northing 5458607
Easting 305110
Commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc Deposit Types I06 : Cu+/-Ag quartz veins
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Wrangell
Capsule Geology

The Fandora mine is located on the western side of Tranquil Creek, approximately 4.3 kilometres north of the creek mouth and at an elevation of about 530 metres, 20 kilometres northeast of Tofino, B.C.

The area is underlain by andesitic tuff and breccia of the Nitinat Formation. Quartz diorite stocks of the Tofino Batholith, which form part of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite, lie about 1 kilometre to the south and 2 kilometres to the east. The volcanic rocks have been altered to greenstone, and are cut by numerous feldspar porphyry dikes and sills, and andesitic to basaltic dikes. Steeply dipping fractures cut the altered rock and strike east-northeast to east-southeast.

Locally, an andesite porphyry dike that is 3.0 to 6.1 metres wide strikes 070 to 080 degrees and dips 60 to 75 degrees north hosts two parallel quartz vein-shear zones that have been traced along strike for more than 900 metres, and vertically for over 200 metres. The veins are 1.2 to 1.5 metres apart and range up to 0.45 metres in width. In places the veins are narrower and, as a result of post-vein movement, pass into gouge and crushed rock. Wall rocks along the shear zones contain thin quartz stringers and exhibit carbonate, sericite and pyrite alteration. Occasional fine needles of arsenopyrite are present.

The veins are comprised of quartz, calcite and altered wall rock fragments and appear banded, with thin partings of oxidized material or fine-grained chalcopyrite, pyrite, galena, arsenopyrite and sphalerite. Fine free gold is present.

Other veins in greenstone are reported about 425 metres north and northwest from the Fandora workings, but no details are given (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1946, page 188).

The occurrence was initially discovered in the 1930’s and explored on surface by hand trenching. In 1940, the Fandora property was staked by E.G. Brown and P. Donahue to cover what is now defined as the Bell No l-4 Crown Grants. The site was subsequently taken over by Privateer Mines, who in conjunction with Canamac Mining Company carried out most of the underground development on the property. Four main adits on the 2100, 1900, 1700, and 1500 levels were driven over the course of one year. In 1947 three main properties (Gold Flake (MIFNILE 092F 040), Tofino (MINFILE 092F 015), and Fandora) were amalgamated to form Tofino Gold Mining Company. For several years, the property was heavily explored, chiefly by a series of open cuts along the strike of the high-grade zones in the Fandora vein. In the late 1950’s with the driving of two additional exploration drifts on the 1265 and 1010 levels. During 1957 through 1964, Moneta Porcupine Mines completed a 35 tonne/day mill in conjunction with drift expansion on the 1500 and 1700 levels. Within these levels, several high-grade zones were stoped, and connections were made by two raises from the 1500 to the 1700 levels.

A sample from one of the veins at the 1700 level development, averaging 0.3 metres in width, assayed 32.68 grams per tonne gold (George Cross News Letter #201, 1983). Systematic sampling of the 2100 level development yielded uncut assays consisting of 11.21 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 1.53 metres along 30.5 metres strike length, and 16.49 grams per tonne gold over 1.27 metres along 63.4 metres. Uncut assays from the 1900 level development averaged 12.34 grams per tonne over a mining width of 1.66 metres, along a strike length of 228.0 metres. Assays from the 1700 and 1500 level adits gave similar results (Campbell, 1950). In 1999, a 0.25 metre sample of the hanging wall vein in the 1500 level assayed 56.75 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26139).

Combined (probable and possible) reserves contained in 10 shoots are 181,434 tonnes grading 12.74 grams per tonne gold (Property File - Campbell, C.M. (1950)).

The deposit produced 972 tonnes of ore between 1960 and 1964, containing 45,660 grams of gold and 8,367 grams of silver, and small quantities of copper, lead and zinc.

In 1998 and 1999, Doublestar Resources Ltd. completed a program of bulk sampling (1000 kilograms) and rehabilitation of four adits. A resource is estimated at 180,000 tonnes grading 10.3 grams per tonne gold (Information Circular 2000-1, page 9).

In 2006, Doublestar Resources completed a program of metallurgical, rock, soil and silt sampling. A suite of metallurgical test work was conducted on samples of the mineralized quartz veins collected from 1500 Level Adit. Results of the study indicated a simple gravity concentration followed by floatation would provide better than 92% overall gold recovery (Assessment Report 29325).

In 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, Selkirk Metal Corp. completed programs of silt and soil sampling on their Fandora Property, extending the soil grids southwest from the Fandora, beyond the Gold Flake adit and into the upper reaches of Virge Creek, which drains into Warn Bay. The 2016 program may have closed off the southwest extent of the Fandora vein system within the Virge Creek basin. This corresponds with a change in bedrock lithology to granodiorite and diorite. The geochemical data has demonstrated that the Fandora vein system is comprised of three southwest by northeast structural trends up to 3 kilometres in strike length. The trends include: (1) the Fandora trend, (2) the B-trend and (3) the Leviatian trend.

Bibliography
EM EXPL 1999-25-32
EM INF CIRC 2000-1, p. 9
EMPR AR 1940-27; *1946-183, 186, 187; 1947-182; 1949-221; 1957-69; 1958-59; 1963-109; 1964-166
EMPR ASS RPT *26139, *29325, 31379, 32456, *34601, *35040, *36437, *37432
EMPR BULL 55; 20 PART V
EMPR OF 1992-1
EMPR P 1988-4, pp. 38, 43
EMPR PF (*Campbell, C.M., (1950): Report on Tofino Gold Mine; Topographic Map, area unknown; Privateer Mine Limited, (1947): Open Cut Assay Detail, Number 'A' Vein, 1:240 and 1:1200 scales; Privateer Mine Limited, (1947): Longitudinal Projection and Plan, 'A' Vein, 1:1200 scale; Northwest Wall and Southeast Wall of Crosscut, 1:12 scale; Plan showing workings, 1:500 scale; Geology, Number 1,2,3 and 4 adits, 1:300 scale; Geology, location unknown, 1:300 scale; Geological Plans, Fandora Mine, June 1953, 1:240 scale; Location Map, 1:31,600 scale; Various correspondence, reports and report drafts; Doublestar Resources Ltd., Annual Report, December 1999; District Geologist photos, 1997; Culbert, R.R. (1990): Examination Report of the Fandora Gold Property for Alice Lake Mines Ltd.)
EMR MIN BULL MR 223 B.C. 94
GSC MAP 17-1968; 1386A
GSC OF 9, 61, 463
GSC P 66-1; 68-50; 72-44; 80-16
GSC SUM RPT 1920A
CANMET IR # 2137
GCNL # 163, 1981; # 201, 1983; # 9, 197, 1984; #203 (Oct.22), 1998; #25 (Feb.5), 1999
IPDM Mar./Apr., Nov./Dec., 1984
Carson, D.J.T., (1968): Metallogenic Study of Vancouver Island with Emphasis on the Relationship of Plutonic Rocks and Mineral Deposits, Ph.D. Thesis, Carleton University
Isachsen, C., (1984): Geology, Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Westcoast Crystalline Complex and Related Rocks, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, M.Sc. Thesis, University of British Columbia

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