The Mount Diadem adit is located at an elevation of 900 metres, immediately above the head of No Man's Creek on the northern slopes of Mount Diadem.
The area lies within the Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex near its western boundary with the Insular Belt. The complex consists mainly of diorites, granodiorites, gneisses and migmatites enclosing a northwest trending belt (pendant) of Lower Cretaceous Gambier Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Only in the eastern and possibly basal part of the belt are mafic flows and interbedded tuff evident. These rocks have been metamorphosed to greenschist and less commonly to amphibolite grade. Structural deformation has been intense with the early development of tight, moderate to steep, north- plunging folds characterized by an axial planar cleavage. This has been overprinted with later, open style folds. Two shear orientations predominate, both of which appear to locally control massive sulphide mineralization. One is sub-parallel to regional banding and parallel to the penetrative foliation. The other set strikes 060 to 100 degrees and is steeply dipping.
Seven rock units have been defined locally. These are: (1) tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone and argillite; andesitic flows, lapilli tuff and chloritic schist and massive diorite, (2) green-grey, chlorite-rich tuff, tuffaceous sandstone; felsic lapilli and vesicular flows and breccias and massive diorite, (3) rusty to black weathering, thinly bedded argillite, (4) well- banded, grey-green interbedded argillite, siltstone, sandstone, black chert and lapilli tuffs, (5) siliceous argillite, tuffaceous siltstone, chert and lapilli tuff, (6) andesitic breccia and (7) feldspar-rich diorite, quartz diorite and granite.
The adit is collared at the contact of the volcanic rocks with the intrusive rocks. The adit penetrates the silicified, recrystallized volcanics for 12 metres, at which distance a 0.61-metre shear is intersected. Pods consisting of galena, sphalerite, pyrite and small amounts of chalcopyrite are exposed in the shear.
A 0.25-metre wide sample of the shear southeast of the adit assayed 0.017 per cent copper, greater than 1 per cent lead, greater than 1 per cent zinc, greater than 200 grams per tonne silver and 0.18 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11641). A grab sample from the adit assayed 4.9 grams per tonne gold, 264 grams per tonne silver, 8.89 per cent lead, 8.62 per cent zinc and 0.02 per cent copper (Assessment Report 11641).
Diamond drilling completed under option to Anaconda has tested up to 175 metres along strike, the contact between sheared argillite-chloritized volcanics. Three zones were believed intersected: the North, Central and South. The best drilling results were obtained from the Central zone. Diamond- drill hole 84-3 intersected 0.79 per cent copper, 2.74 per cent lead, 1.61 per cent zinc and 148.80 grams per tonne silver over 12.0 metres (Assessment Report 18207). The Central zone was also intersected by drill holes 84-1, 84-5, 84-6, and 84-8. The South zone was intersected in drill hole 84-9, approximately 60 metres below the surface. A 7.7-metre section yielded 0.1 per cent copper, 1.48 per cent lead, 1.53 per cent zinc and 44.91 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 18207). Mineralization in all intersections is hosted in intensely deformed argillite.
Work History:
Mineralization in the Mount Diadem area became known in 1928, when several massive sulphide showings containing pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite were discovered near the headwaters of No Man's Creek. Both Britain River Mining Co. Ltd. and Mount Diadem Mines Ltd. staked claims west and north of Mount Diadem. Numerous trenches were excavated where sulphide showings occurred in altered limestone and other sedimentary rocks. Some adits were driven and work continued sporadically over the years. The original claims lapsed and were restaked in 1947 by Nickel Mining Company of Canada Ltd. The new claims were optioned to Bralorne Mines Ltd. in 1949. Considerable work has been carried out since 1949 by various operators. Geological mapping, limited diamond drilling and sampling of old adits and trenches were performed by Sphere Development Corp. in 1967.
In 1970, Tiger Silver Mines Ltd. performed geophysical magnetic and geochemical soil surveys. Britain River Syndicate performed geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys in 1971. Some new anomalies were discovered. Minor rock sampling was conducted by Fury Explorations in 1980. The claims were transferred to Fury Explorations Ltd. in the early 1980s. In 1983, Anaconda Ltd. optioned these claims and conducted a drilling program, consisting of nine holes totalling 899 metres. In 1982, Anaconda Canada Explorations Ltd. performed a regional stream sediment survey in the Mount Diadem area. In the following year, an exploration program was carried out on the optioned Diadem and Fury, and other staked claims surrounding Mount Diadem.
In the late 1980s, Covenant Resources staked the Diadem claims, surrounding the claim owned by Fury Exploration and the Fox claim owned by R. Schmidt. White Channel Resources Inc. staked the Rox 1 to 5 claims and conducted property exploration in 1991 and 1992. In 1994, Noranda Exploration Company Limited optioned and explored the Rox claims. In 1995 and 1996, Navarre Resources completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and eight diamond drill holes, totalling 547.7 metres. Stirrup Creek Gold Ltd. optioned the property in 1998 and completed a program of geological mapping and ground electromagnetic and magnetic surveys on the area.
During 2001 through 2005, Fundamental Resources completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and 3.0 line-kilometres of ground electromagnetic and magnetic surveys on the area. In 2009, Sunshine Global Mining purchased the Rox claims and completed a minor program of sampling. In 2013, Fundamental Resources completed a program of rock sampling and geological mapping. In 2015, Asia New Energy Corporation completed 112.0 line-kilometres of combined airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys on the area.
