The Snell occurrence is located just north of the confluence of Kenny and Silver creeks, approximately 39 kilometres northeast of Takla Landing and 13 kilometres north of the Bralorne Takla mercury mine (093N 008). The showing was discovered in 1941 and intermittently explored up until the early 1970s.

The area is underlain by interbedded limestone, argillite, chert, tuff and schist assigned to the Carboniferous to Jurassic Cache Creek Complex, which in this area strike north and dip steeply to the east. These rocks are in contact with west-dipping andesite and sandstone of the Middle Triassic to Lower Jurassic Takla Group along a north-northwest trending section of the Pinchi fault zone. Further east, the Takla Group rocks have been intruded by granodiorite of the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous Hogem Intrusive Complex. A thick mantle of drift overlies most of these rocks in the vicinity of Silver Creek.

Mineralization in the form of cinnabar and minor stibnite occurs in cherty limestone in several locations, one along Silver Creek at the mouth of Snell Creek and another approximately 180 metres to the east (Assessment Report 11977, Figure 4). The former occurrence is approximately 12 metres long by nearly 2 metres wide and reportedly assayed 2 to 3 kilograms per tonne mercury. Drill results, however, suggest that the mineralization is faulted off at a depth of only 3.66 metres and that most of it is concentrated in a siliceous paystreak 10 to 15 centimetres wide (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 252, page 156). Another "low-grade" drill intercept was obtained on Silver Creek. The cinnabar here was hosted by cherty limestone and carbonate-quartz-mariposite rock at the contact between the limestone and altered serpentinite.

Hydraulic stripping along a creek parallel to and approximately 300 metres north of Snell Creek later exposed lenses of cinnabar in dolomitic limestone along and immediately west of the Pinchi fault zone. Boulders of "rich cinnabar ore" up to 60 centimetres in diameter were also reported to occur in rusty Tertiary gravels in the area.

WORK HISTORY

The claims were staked in the summer of 1941 by Mr. G. Snell & Associates, and subsequently optioned to Bralorne Mines, Limited. Following some surface exploration the company allowed the option to expire later in the year. Cominco Ltd held the property under option until 1944 and undertook extensive surface development and diamond drilling. It is reported that diamond drilling indicated two zones of mercury mineralization, one near the east bank of Silver Creek, and another approximately 180 metres east. It has also been reported that in 1943 and 1944 two attempts were made by Cominco to drive a crosscut to intersect the eastern zone. Both attempts encountered an old channel and the adits were abandoned.

From 1958 the ground was explored as a joint project by Bralorne Pioneer Mines Limited, Noranda Exploration Company Limited and Canex Aerial Exploration Ltd. Exploration work on the Amy group of 10 recorded claims in 1958 included the removal of some 14,000 cubic yards of overburden by hydraulicking and bulldozing, and geological mapping. In 1959, the property consisted of 30 claims held under the name “Snell Group”. Work during the year included, the hydraulic stripping of some 27,000 cubic yards of overburden, and 777 metres of diamond drilling in 13 holes; the stripping exposed a new surface showing some 180 metres farther north. With the exception of some hydraulic stripping in 1960, no further activity was reported until 1965 when geological and geochemical surveys were made and some trenching was done.

The Amy 1-10 claims were held in 1970 by El Paso Mining and Milling Company. Work included a geochemical survey of the property, and diamond drilling in 4 holes totalling 292 metres.

In 1983, Amir Mines Ltd contracted Bema Industries Ltd to examine the Snell property as part of the Kengold package Two days were spent on the property collecting specimens of float and of the cinnabar showings. The drill core in the collapsed half submerged cabin was also examined and sampled. Also in 1983, Golden Porphyrite Ltd. conducted geological and geochemical surveys on the area containing the occurrence. The survey established a number of areas with major anomalous gold and silver values.

In 1997, the property was visited by a company called 699858 Alberta Ltd in order to follow-up a previously taken soil sample containing anomalous gold values. Geological mapping, rock sampling and soil sampling (108 samples) were taken from the Vital Creek area and 6 soil samples were taken from the terrace above the Snell showings. Four rock samples were taken along loggings roads to the east of Silver Creek.