The Cone occurrence is a minor copper showing in part of the historical Aspen Grove copper camp, between Merritt and Princeton, where exploration dates back to the turn of the twentieth century. It is located just northeast of the former Ski group of claims, 3 kilometres east of Quilchena Creek, 9.5 kilometres northeast of the community of Aspen Grove (Bulletin 69; Assessment Report 925).

The Cone occurrence is located in the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which regionally consists of alkalic and calcalkalic volcanics and intrusions of island arc origin, and which is the principal component of the Quesnel Terrane in southern British Columbia (Geological Survey of Canada Maps 41-1989, 1713A). This belt has been of major economic interest because of its potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization.

The occurrence is one of many in the Aspen Grove area. It lies in the Central belt or facies of the Nicola Group (after Preto, Bulletin 69). This belt of rocks mainly consists of subaerial and submarine, red or purple to green augite plagioclase porphyritic andesitic and basaltic flows, volcanic breccia and tuff, and minor argillites and limestone. The volcanics are intruded by bodies of comagmatic diorite to monzonite of Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic age. The area is characterized by long-lived, primarily north-striking faults and related fracturing, which originally controlled intrusion emplacement. East-striking faults are subordinate, and commonly offset intrusive contacts.

Little information is available on the Cone occurrence itself. It is centred on an outcrop of augite plagioclase porphyritic volcanic rocks of andesitic to basaltic composition (Bulletin 69; Preliminary Map 15). Mineralization at the showing consists of chalcopyrite, pyrite and malachite (Preliminary Map 15; Assessment Report 925). The nature of the mineralization is not specified but in other showings in the area minerals are characteristically disseminated or hosted in quartz veinlets.

Work History

In 2001, the Douglas Lake Cattle Co. staked the area and completed a limited program of geological mapping and geochemical sampling in 2002. The claims were re-staked in 2005 and 2006 by R. Billingsley, G. Richards and G. Diakow. In 2007, Etna Resources Inc. completed a 366 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Aspen Grove property. In 2009, a further program of geological mapping, soil sampling and 48.8 line-kilometres of ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys were completed on the property.

In 2013, Richard Billingsley completed a photo geological structural (lineament) analysis on the area. Also in 2013, New Chris Minerals Ltd., on the behalf of Richard Billingsley, completed a program of rock and soil sampling on the area as the Aspen Grove property.