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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  06-Mar-1990 by George Owsiacki (GO)

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NMI 092F15 Cu2
Name COPPER QUEEN (L.40), COPPER QUEEN, VAN ANDA, VANANDA Mining Division Nanaimo
BCGS Map 092F078
Status Past Producer NTS Map 092F15E
Latitude 049º 45' 11'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 124º 32' 47'' Northing 5512322
Easting 388610
Commodities Copper, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum, Tungsten Deposit Types K01 : Cu skarn
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Wrangell
Capsule Geology

Northern Texada Island is underlain by Karmutsen Formation pillowed and massive basaltic flows with thick units of pillowed breccias conformably overlain by massive limestone of the Quatsino Formation, both formations of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group. Various stocks and minor intrusions (Middle Jurassic) ranging in composition from gabbro through diorite to quartz monzonite, intrude the volcanics and limestones, and are locally associated with iron and copper-gold skarn mineralization. A major episode of folding (F1) has resulted in the limestones and, to a lesser extent, the underlying volcanics, being deformed into a series of broad, northwest trending open folds that plunge northwards. Three subparallel northwest striking lineaments are also recognized and coincide with the Ideal, Holly and Marble Bay faults. These faults cut a set of northeast striking faults. The Marble Bay fault, and to a lesser extent the Ideal fault, have apparently controlled the emplacement of some of the Jurassic intrusions and their associated skarn mineralization.

The Copper Queen occurrence area is underlain by massive, recrystallized limestone of the Quatsino Formation intruded by several porphyritic diorite dykes and an occasional quartz diorite dyke. The Marble Bay fault occurs nearby to the southwest.

Mineralization at the Copper Queen mine consists of irregular pipe-like skarn bodies that plunge moderately, subparallel to the contacts between limestone and intrusive rocks. Two orebodies have been historically exploited by underground development and occur along the contacts of porphyritic diorite dykes and limestone. Mineralization consisting predominantly of bornite and chalcopyrite occurs in a gangue of garnet-diopside-calcite-epidote skarn and within cavities in limestone. The mineralized skarn is also observed to extend into the dykes. Less common minerals include tetrahedrite, molybdenite, native silver and native gold (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 58, page 61).

The property produced intermittently between 1907 and 1917 during which 749 tonnes of ore yielded 32,417 kilograms of copper, 75,238 grams of silver and 9,891 grams of gold (Mineral Policy Data).

Production from 1902 to 1904 is included with Cornell (092F 112). The property is held by Consolidated Van Anda Gold Ltd.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1896-553; *1897-463,560-562; *1898-1135,1136,1144,1160; *1899-607,800-806,816; 1900-925,943; 1901-1102,1105,1109; 1902- H23; 1903-H26,H204; 1904-G27,G246,G247; 1905-J25,J214,J221; 1906- H26; 1907-L164,L215; 1908-J153,J154; 1910-K166; 1913-K324; 1914- K378,K381,K420,K511; 1915-K368; 1916-K353,K431,K519; 1917-F258; 1918-K306; 1919-N254; 1922-N235; 1925-A284,A288-A290; 1928-C384; 1929-C393; 1944-A66,G163,G164
EMPR ASS RPT 5077, 6770
EMPR BC METAL MM00154
EMPR BULL 101, p. 166, Appendix 6
EMPR EXPL 1974-180; 1975-E101,E102
EMPR FIELDWORK 1989, pp. 257-270
EMPR INDEX 3-193
EMPR OF 1988-28; 1990-3
EMPR PF (*Plan maps of underground workings; Consolidated Van Anda Gold Ltd. Website (Apr. 1998): Texada Island Mines History, 3 p.)
GSC EC GEOL 3, pp. 86-102
GSC MAP 1386A; 17-1968
GSC MEM *58, pp. 60-62
GSC OF 463
GSC P 68-50
GSC SUM RPT 1924 Part A, pp. 106-144

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