The Soo occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1020 metres on a west-facing slope, north of Hamilton Creek and approximately 8.5 kilometres east of Merritt.
The western belt of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group comprises volcanic flows, pyroclastics and interbedded sedimentary rocks. The area is underlain by dark-grey to green plagioclase porphyritic and locally amygdaloidal andesite, light-purple silicified breccia, tuff and volcanic siltstone striking 020 degrees and dipping 60 degrees east. A north-trending carbonate horizon can be traced for 350 metres. This unit consists of massive to poorly bedded grey chert, commonly fossiliferous limestone and associated limy sedimentary rocks.
Moderate to strong epidotization occurs as small patches and along irregular fractures or veins within andesite or tuff over an area of 24 hectares. Smaller zones of pervasive epidote-calcite-silica alteration are often associated with skarn. Skarns consist of crystalline limestone and up to 80 per cent massive magnetite, mantled by a zone of epidote and calcite with or without malachite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, limonite, hematite, chlorite or garnet. Traces of chalcopyrite and malachite also occur in the epidotized andesite unit.
By the mid 1970s, at least three areas of mineralization, referred to as the North, South and East zones, had been identified. The North zone comprises disseminated to massive magnetite and chalcopyrite in a calc-silicate skarn. The zone strikes north and dips east. The South zone is located approximately 270 metres south of the North zone and comprises a 15-metre wide area of disseminated to massive magnetite and chalcopyrite mineralized skarn exposed by trenching. The East zone is located approximately 180 metres northeast of the South zone and comprises magnetite, chalcopyrite and bornite mineralized skarn.
In 1976, sampling of the mineralized zones is reported to have yielded up to 3.2 grams per tonne gold, 79.3 grams per tonne silver and 10.68 per cent copper from a composite sample of high-grade skarn mineralization from the North zone; 2.38 per cent copper from a composite sample of mineralization peripheral to the massive magnetite on the South zone and 2.20 per cent copper from a composite of three grab samples from the East zone (Property File - 10753).
In 1987, a sample is reported to have assayed 2.78 per cent copper (Assessment Report 18256).
In 1988, rock chip samples from historical trenches yielded up to greater than 1 per cent copper, 12.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.22 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18256).
Work History
During 1959 through 1961, Copper Soo Mining Syndicate completed programs of geological mapping, trenching, ground magnetometer surveys and nine diamond drill holes, totalling 311.1 metres, on the area as the Soo, Verna, Bare and Vulgar claims. Also in 1961, the Craigbeth Syndicate completed a ground magnetic survey on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the Ralph claims.
In 1976 and early 1977, B.R. Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, rock sampling and drilling on the area.
In late 1979, Blue Diamond Resources Inc. completed an airborne electromagnetic, magnetic and radiometric survey on the area as the Ben claims. The following year, a program of geological mapping and a 17.5 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey was completed.
In 1988, Marici Resources Ltd. completed a program of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 30.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Moon claim.
In 1995, Cambridge Minerals Ltd. completed an 834.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the SK 1-16 claims.
In 2002, James McLeod completed a 2.4 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area as the Cube claims. The following year, Nustar Resources Inc. completed a 15.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the claims.
In 2011, Terry Garrow, on the behalf of Christopher Delorme, completed a 10.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electric survey on the area as the Cube property. In 2013, Dot Resources Ltd. completed a 5.2 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the property. The following year, a program of geological mapping was completed.
