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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  30-Nov-2013 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name SHEV (FAITH LAKE), FAITH LAKE, FAITH COPPER, RIM Mining Division Nanaimo
BCGS Map 092F064
Status Showing NTS Map 092F11W
Latitude 049º 39' 28'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 125º 22' 39'' Northing 5503296
Easting 328413
Commodities Copper, Gold, Silver Deposit Types L04 : Porphyry Cu +/- Mo +/- Au
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Wrangell
Capsule Geology

The Shev occurrence is located on a ridge north of Eric Creek, approximately 2 kilometres north west of Faith Lake.

The area is primarily underlain by basalt of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group, Karmutsen Formation which consists of flows, pillow breccia, aquagene tuff, and some thin sedimentary layers. This unit is intruded by a hornblende quartz diorite stock of the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Mount Washington Intrusive Suite (formerly Catface Intrusions), then cut by a felsite sill. The dominant structures are steeply dipping, intersecting north and east trending shears and faults. Bedding is gently warped, with an average strike of 230 degrees and dip of 15 degrees north.

The Shev breccia showing consists of a poorly exposed 20 by 1 metre exposure of highly altered monolithic breccia with clasts of mafic volcanic rock up to 15 centimetres in size. The top of the showing is cut by a white felsic dike, striking roughly east. Carson relates the brecciation of the host rocks to the forcible intrusion of the Tertiary intrusive complex and describes this showing as a porphyry copper type deposit (Geological Survey of Canada Paper 68-50, p. 45).

Pervasive sericitic alteration is characteristic of the zone, varying in intensity from moderate to strong. Silicic and clay alteration are also present but subordinate to the sericitization. The intensity of the mineralization is proportional to the intensity of the alteration. Arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite are the dominant sulphides. The percentage of chalcopyrite is never more than 3 per cent. Arsenopyrite can form up to 5 per cent but averages 1 to 2 per cent.

Occasional samples have assayed as high as 12.34 grams per tonne gold and 61.71 grams per tonne silver but are generally much lower (McDougall, 1964). In 1964, three pack sack drill holes yielded values up to 27.4 grams per tonne gold and 43.5 grams per tonne silver over 1.52 metres (Hole 2; Assessment Report 16866).

In 1969, Falconbridge completed a ground self potential geophysical survey on the Faith and Rim claims to the north west of Faith Lake. In 1987, Falconbridge completed a program of geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and rock and soil sampling.

Bibliography
EMPR ASS RPT 2053, *16866
EMPR EXPL 1988-C91
EMPR FIELDWORK 1988, pp. 61-74
EMPR PF (McDougall, J.J. (1962): Report on Rim Gold Deposit 1962;
*McDougall, J.J. (1964): Report on Faith Lake Gold-Copper 1963;
McDougall, J.J. (1964): Report on Faith Lake Gold 1964); Geology
maps, 1962 and 1964; Self potential map, 1969)
GSC MAP 2-1965; 17-1968; 1386A
GSC OF 463
GSC P *68-50, pp. 39,45; 72-44
*Carson, D.J.T. (1968): Metallogenic Study of Vancouver Island With
Emphasis on the Relationships of Mineral Deposits to Plutonic
Rocks, Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Carleton University
Falconbridge File
EMPR PFD 7472, 600011

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