Three alkaline stocks, spaced at about 13 kilometre intervals, occur along a northeast trend. The Lewes River intrusion, located 4.8 kilometres southwest of Goosly Lake, is poorly exposed, but, the large stock to the east (093L 263) is described in detail.
The Lewes River Goosly Lake stock intrudes Lower Cretaceous Skeena Group rocks and Cretaceous Kasalka Lake Group andesitic volcanics. The Skeena Group rocks are comprised of a mixed assemblage of sediments and felsic volcanic fragmental rocks with intercalated shale, massive rhyolite lava and conglomerate. The Kasalka volcanics consist mainly of andesite, andesitic dacite lavas and pyroclastics.
The alkaline intrusive ranges from gabbro to syenomonzonite, consisting of 65 to 80 per cent plagioclase, 5 to 20 per cent augite, accessory biotite, apatite, and magnetite. Interstitial feldspar and traces of quartz are found in the more acidic varieties. The gabbroic phases are enriched in pyroxene and contain calcite and chlorite pseudomorphs after olivine with accessory feldspathoid minerals.
Several significant mineral occurrences are associated with the alkaline rocks of the Goosly Lake area. Approximately 3.2 kilometres east of Goosly Lake, at the east end of the intrusive belt, the Equity Silver property (093L 001) hosts a replacement sulphide de- posit consisting of lenses of pyrite-chalcopyrite-tetrahedrite located adjacent to the stock. Approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Goosly Lake, showings at the Silver Queen Mine (093L 002), thought to be related to alkaline dikes, are fissure veins of pyrite- sphalerite with galena and local concentrations of chalcopyrite with some tennanite.
In 1970, an analysis of the gabbro phase of the alkaline intrusion, located 4.8 kilometres southwest of Goosly Lake, showed 2.1 per cent ilmenite. As well, analysis of the syenogabbroic phase showed 2.8 per cent ilmenite and 1.0 per cent nepheline (Geology, Exploration and Mining in B.C. 1970, p. 124).
Work History
Exploration revealed a geological setting similar to the SG southwest Goosly Lake. Lewes River Mines Ltd. staked the adjoining Gail and GMGW claims in 1969 and soon after optioned the property to Newmont Mining Corp. of Canada (Assessment Report 2863). From 1970 to 1971 geological mapping was done on the property followed by a geochemical soil survey (200 samples) and a geophysical program consisting of an induced polarization survey (18.2 line-kilometres) and a magnetometer survey (23.3 line-kilometres).
Gillian Mines Ltd. subsequently re-staked part of the same ground (Gillian East and Gillian West claims). In the summer of 1976, a program of geological mapping, geochemistry and geophysics was completed then followed by percussion drilling (Assessment Report 6151). The work began with 49.9 km of line cutting, then mapping at the scale of 1:5000, a schedule of collecting 830 soil samples, plus induced polarization and VLF EM surveys. The drilling comprised eight holes totaling 686 m on the Gillian West claim. In September 1979 the work continued with an electromagnetic survey (16.5 kilometres). This was followed-up by two stages of diamond drilling on Gillian West - 3 NQ holes in 1979 and 33 more holes in 1980 (Leighton and Culbert, 1980 (private report cited in Assessment Report 31051)). The final work on the property was in 1981. This comprised a diamond drill program of 11 holes, totaling 2,339 metres, and a detailed magnetometer survey over the central part of the property (14.5 line-kilometres).
In 2009, Neil Church and Dave Haughton collected 15 rock samples and conducted 1.6 kilometre self potential survey on the Gillian Silver property. The survey a gave a broad negative millivolt response in vicinity of a previously detected zone of alteration and metal anomaly in Skeena Group rocks at the western margin of a Goosly-type stock.
In 2011 and 2012, Quartz Mountain Resources Ltd held the considerable Buck and Karma property which contained 6 mineral showings including the: Bob Creek (093L 009), Irk (93L 265), Lewes River (093L 261), John (093L 059) and Shelford Hills (093E 085). In 2011, the company conducted 3906 kilometres of aeromagnetic surveying (Assessment Report 33176). As a result, the company concentrated on 7 areas of interest designated from A to G. Area A contained the Bob Creek showing and Area D the Lewes River showing. (Note: the Lewes Creek showing location was moved several kilometres south (in 2015) to a more appropriate location.) In 2012, the company conducted 29.5 line-kilometres of induced polarization in work areas C and D (Lewes River showing vicinity). The company also collected a total of 1489 soil samples, 159 rock samples and 10 silt samples on the Buck and Karma properties. Of 7 areas tested with soil geochemistry, only areas A, C, E and G had elevated results (Assessment Report 34048).
