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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  11-Jun-2015 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 092L14 Au 1
Name BOBMAC 6, WHELAKIS, QC, SILTA, DORA, NUGGET QUEEN, NUGENT QUEEN, DUD Mining Division Nanaimo
BCGS Map 092L094
Status Past Producer NTS Map 092L14E
Latitude 050º 59' 50'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 127º 12' 34'' Northing 5651042
Easting 625646
Commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Bobmac and Nugget Queen (MINFILE 092L 178) occurrences cover a cluster of quartz veins near a pendant contact on the east side of Nenahlmai Lagoon, approximately 36 kilometres northeast of Port Hardy. Between them, the two prospects cover eight veins, seven of which were known in the 1930s. They were extensively explored and trenched by Mining Company of Canada Limited, in 1938. The eighth vein, a more recent discovery, was located by Solaia Ventures Inc. in 1996.

The area of the occurrence is underlain by granite and granodiorite of the Mesozoic Coast Plutonic Complex, and a northwest– striking sub-vertical roof pendant of undetermined age (probably Cretaceous). The roof pendant consists of intercalated sedimentary and volcanic rocks.

The three veins of the occurrence are referred to as the Number 6, 7 and 8 veins and are located 0.4 kilometre, 1.1 kilometres and 1.2 kilometres, respectively, southeast of the Number 5 vein, part of the Nugget Queen occurrence (MINFILE 092L 178).

The Number 6 vein, located in argillite, is of irregular width and is offset by several small displacement faults. The vein strikes northwest and dips steeply northeast. The vein matter consists of irregular masses of quartz containing partly replaced wallrock, locally heavily mineralized with galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. For 29 metres northwest from a creek the vein ranges from 0.5 to 1.7 metres wide and averages more than 0.9 metre wide. Much of it is well -mineralized with sulphides. A sample across 0.9 metre, 1.2 metres from the creek, assayed 21.77 grams per tonne gold and 37.2 grams per tonne silver (1938 Report in Property File).

Approximately 23 metres to the northwest, a sample across 0.3 metre measured from the footwall assayed 92.06 grams per tonne gold, 136.9 grams per tonne silver, and 2.5 per cent lead. The 0.6 metre adjacent to the hanging wall assayed 12.44 grams per tonne gold and 2.49 grams per tonne silver. From 29 metres to the end of the exposure, 56 metres northwest from the creek, the vein matter does not exceed 0.3 metre in width, and at the end of the exposure it has pinched to a narrow stringer. Some sulphides occur in small masses or stringers, but most of this part of the vein contains very little sulphide mineralization. A sample of quartz containing some fragments of wallrock but practically no sulphides assayed 1.87 grams per tonne gold and 49.8 grams per tonne silver (Property File).

In 1995, the best sample, taken across a 0.35-metre wide section of vein, returned 475.44 grams per tonne gold, 135.6 grams per tonne silver and "significant" copper, lead and zinc (Assessment Report 24334).

In 1998, sampling of the main showing (Vein 6) yielded up to 0.247 per cent lead, 0.612 per cent zinc, 13.9 grams per tonne silver and 15.7 grams per tonne gold (sample 28856), while a sample (28859) of dump material assayed 0.217 per cent copper, 2.06 per cent lead, 1.43 per cent zinc, 85.4 grams per tonne silver and 34.5 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 25884).

In 2000, a select sample (20767) of dump material from Vein 6 assayed 0.93 per cent copper, 1.58 per cent lead, 1.04 per cent zinc, 162.1 grams per tonne silver and 5.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26391).

In 2004, a grab sample (01518) assayed 16.1 grams per tonne gold, 0.601 per cent copper, 0.723 per cent zinc, greater than 1.0 per cent lead and greater than 100 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 27565).

No description is available for the Number 7 vein, located in granitic rocks.

The Number 8 vein, strikes 280 degrees, dips 85 degrees northeast, and has been followed for 20 metres along strike. The vein is mineralized milky quartz and is 2.5 metres at its widest part. Mineralization is fine- grained pyrite, minor galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite.

In 1996, the best chip sample (R44) across 1 metre of the vein returned values of 34.978 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24958).

In 2004, a discontinuous channel sample (1520) yielded 12.15 grams per tonne gold, 70.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.135 per cent copper and greater than 1.0 per cent lead over 2.0 metres (Assessment Report 27565).

Production between 1939 and 1949 is included with the Nugget Queen (MINFILE 092L 178). In 1939, three small test lots, with an aggregate dry weight of 0.867 tonne, were collected from the Nugent Queen property by E.M. Morrison. These samples are likely from the Nugget Queen occurrence and not the Nugent Queen (MINFILE 092M 005). Total production from 610 tonnes was 20,931 grams of gold, 44,882 grams of silver, 1759 kilograms of copper, 10,188 kilograms of lead and 234 kilograms of zinc.

In 1940 and 1941, R.C. McCorkell shipped 604 tonnes of 'higher -grade' material from a 15-metre long, 5-metre deep surface cut along the north west- trending Number 6 vein. A further 5 tonnes were shipped by J.T. Jefferies from the 'main' vein in 1949.

The property was first staked and extensively explored and trenched by Mining Company of Canada Limited in 1938. It was restaked as the Dud claim by R. Dudley Smith in 1939, and then as the Silta in 1940. The claim was purchased by R.C. McCorkell in 1943 and optioned to H.T. Jefferies in 1947. Between 1941 and 1949 work included the sinking of an 18 metre inclined shaft along the Number 1 vein.

The ground was staked in 1972 by Q.C. Explorations Limited as QC 1 to 40, with the Number 6 vein (MINFILE 092L 179) located on claim Q33. Between 1972 and 1974, trenching, sampling, short-hole drilling and an electromagnetic survey were done on the claims, mainly on the QC 3 claim. It was again restaked as the Whelakis claim group, including the Mine 1 and 2 claims, in 1979. In 1980, Frank Beban Logging Limited undertook additional geophysical and regional mapping programs. Three years later, the company drilled five winkie drill holes, totalling 157 metres, to test the previously bulk sampled, vein immediately to the west of the old sample site. The results were disappointing as the holes encountered argillite and quartz but returned low gold values. It was re-staked in 1990 as the Cherry 1 to 4 claims.

In 1995, Solaia Ventures Inc. optioned the property from the current owners and commissioned Ashworth Explorations Limited to conduct a variety of grid-based and other exploration programs. Over two years, it re-sampled the old trenches, collected stream sediment samples, conducted magnetometer and VLF-EM geophysical surveys over the main vein cluster, implemented both wide- spaced and in- fill soil geochemical surveys and hand trenched and sampled several areas of anomalous soil geochemistry. The soil survey located a pronounced polymetallic (gold, lead, zinc and arsenic) soil geochemical anomaly coincident with a newly discovered quartz vein approximately 80 metres to the south of the 'main' Number 6 vein. The anomaly displays an east- south east trend and extends for a minimum strike length of 225 metres. The work also identified coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies that indicate extensions of the No's 3, 5 and 6 veins. The work outlined a new soil anomaly parallel to the Main Showing. The 1995 mapping identified tuffaceous layers and slaty argillites interbedded with the sediments in the pendant. The mineralized vein system is parallel to a set of faults in the slaty argillite that strike 291 degrees and dip 74 degrees north east. The Malasapina Fault strikes 305 and lies immediately west of the claims.

In 1996 a geological, geochemical and trenching program was carried out to test the extension of the known gold-bearing mineralization between the Number 4 and 6 veins, and to test the 1995 geochemical anomaly by trenching. This led to the discovery of a new vein, Number 8. Solaia revisited the site in 1997, but little work was done. During 1998 through 2004, Pacific Topaz Resources completed programs of geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, prospecting and a 4.8 line- kilometre ground electromagnetic survey.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1939-41,59; 1949-218
EMPR ASS RPT 4252, 7991, *11283, *24334, *24958, *25884, *26391, 27352, *27565
EMPR EXPL 1980-276; 1983-338; 1997-63
EMPR FIELDWORK 1999, pp. 325-332
EMPR GEM 1973-263
EMPR PF (*Bobmac Mine, 1938; assay Plan #4 vein 1:240-1:480; Claim Map 1:6000; Geol 1:6000; *Report on Bobmac Property (circa 1938); Letter from J.T. Mandy (1944), in 092L 178-Nugget Queen)
EMR MP CORPFILE (Q.C. Explorations Ltd.)
GSC MAP 4-1974; 1386A; 1552A
GSC OF 722
GSC P 69-1A; 70-1A; 71-1A; 72-44; 74-8
Carson, D.J.T., (1968): Metallogenic Study of Vancouver Island with emphasis on the Relationship of Plutonic Rocks to Mineral Deposits, Ph.D. Thesis, Carleton University, Ottawa
EMPR PFD 812904, 886222

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