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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  22-May-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI 104A4 Au1
Name LITTLE WONDER Mining Division Skeena
BCGS Map 104A001
Status Prospect NTS Map 104A04W
Latitude 056º 03' 22'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 129º 51' 18'' Northing 6212654
Easting 446754
Commodities Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Stikine
Capsule Geology

The exact location of the Little Wonder showings is not known. The Little Wonder claims were reported to lie north of Bitter Creek, on the south side of Blackcurrent Creek, a north flowing tributary of the Bear River, just southwest of Mosquito Creek. The main showings are assumed to lie near the headwaters of Blackcurrent Creek, about 17 kilometres northeast of Stewart.

The area is underlain by north striking, contorted argillites and quartzites of the Middle Jurassic Salmon River Formation (Hazelton Group) (Bulletin 63). These rocks are extensively invaded by predominantly northwest trending dikes of quartz porphyry, feldspar porphyry, diorite, felsite and rhyolite. These belong to the Portland Canal dike swarm (Bulletin 58; 63).

Mineralization principally comprises quartzose fracture zones containing galena, sphalerite, pyrite and some tetrahedrite. The zones occur in sheared and silicified argillite close to the contact with intrusive felsic dikes. Pyritized quartz replacement zones, mineralized with pyrite, galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite, also occur in feldspar porphyry.

The main quartzose fracture zone trends 315 degrees and dips 45 degrees west. At 1158 metres elevation, an opencut exposes a width of 2 metres of brecciated quartzose vein with pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite. A 3.7 metre wide felsic dike, overlying graphitic argillite, forms the footwall. The hangingwall comprises pyritized and silicified feldspar porphyry containing some galena and chalcopyrite. A sample collected in 1928 from the main zone(?) assayed 6.9 grams per tonne silver and trace gold across 1.5 metres (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1928). Immediately to the east, a 0.4 metre wide branch vein trends north and dips 70 degrees west. The vein is hosted in sheared argillite and lies along the contact of a quartz porphyry dike. The vein is mineralized with sphalerite, galena and pyrite.

At 1283 metres elevation, stripping and opencutting have exposed another zone of pyritized and silicified feldspar porphyry across a width of 3.7 metres. The zone trends 280 degrees and dips 70 degrees. Mineralization comprises sphalerite and galena; low gold values are reported (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1931).

The Little Wonder claims were owned by Suppelca and Hunter in 1926. Several opencuts and tunnels were reported during 1926-32; no further work has been reported.

During 2005 through 2010, Auramex completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling and airborne geophysical surveys on the area as the Bear River-Surprise Creek property.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1926-93; *1928-105; *1931-42; 1932-59
EMPR ASS RPT 20379
EMPR BULL 58; 63
EMPR MAP 8
EMPR OF 1987-22; 1994-14
GSC MAP 28A; 216A; 217A; 307A; *315A; 9-1957; 1418A
GSC MEM 175, p. 128
GSC OF 2582; 2779
Metcalfe, P. (2013-08-17): Technical Report – Bear River-Surprise Creek Property

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