The Galore Creek region is mainly underlain by Upper Triassic volcanics and sediments of the Stuhini Group. This area is flanked to the west by Juro-Cretaceous quartz diorite to granodiorite of the Coast Plutonic Complex. Middle Triassic sediments with Permian sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are at the northern and eastern limit of the area. Permian limestone is the dominant rock. North trending faults define boundaries between Upper and Middle Triassic rocks and between Paleozoic and Triassic rocks. Strata is folded into a linked series of anticlines and synclines with east or northwest trending axes. Younger folds with north-northwest trending axis transect the earlier formed structure. Syenite (orthoclase porphyry) intrusions of Juro-Triassic Age disrupt the stratigraphy and structural trends. These intrusions form a series of dikes, sheets and stocks. Eocene Age quartz monzonite form stocks, and is the youngest rock in the area.
Copper mineralization occurs along Galore Creek in Stuhini Group rocks and in Middle to Upper Permian limestone, separated from each other by a major northwest trending fault. The Stuhini rocks are described as being composed of andesitic to rhyolitic flows, banded and massive tuffs, as well as agglomerates and minor argillite. The limestone forms a pure buff coloured band 300 to 600 metres wide.
Quartz and quartz-carbonate veins hosting specks and blebs of chalcopyrite cut the volcanics, and in one place, the limestone. These veins range from 2 to 60 centimetres in width but are seldom traceable for more than 15 metres. A quartz-carbonate vein from 15 to 30 centimetres wide and 30 metres long is apparently emplaced along a fault in the limestone. A grab sample of a quartz vein in volcanics containing pyrite and chalcopyrite contained 2.57 per cent copper and a trace of gold (Assessment Report 621).
Work History
The CW group of 167 claims, extending west from a position roughly 3 kilometres up Galore Creek from Scud River, was staked early in 1964 by Conwest Exploration Company Limited. During 1965 induced potential and magnetometer surveys were carried out in an area on the east side of Galore Creek. By 1966 the property had been reduced to 69 claims; induced potential and geochemical soil and silt surveys were carried out during the year.
Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Ltd optioned the CW group, reduced to 16 claims, in 1970. Work during the year included geological mapping, and 916 metres of diamond drilling in 5 holes on CW 141 and 143, which covered the area of the CW - East showing.
Pioneer Metals Corporation staked the Grace 1 and 2 claims in 1987 and carried out ground programs from 1987 to 1993 concentrated on the Gale showing (104G 067) (Assessment Reports 18054 and 23050). A limited geological mapping and geochemical soil sampling program was performed in 1987 and 1991. An airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey was flown in 1990 over the Grace claims totalling 163 kilomtres (Assessment Report 20846) and some trenching and further soil sampling done in 1992. In 1993 there was a program of line cutting, geological sampling. The Gale showing was trenched with hand tools. Values of 0.19 per cent copper were obtained over a 6.0 metre chip sample. A remote sensing airphot interpretation was done by Pioneer in 1999 Assessment Report 26071).
Refer to Grace (Gale) (104G 067) for further details.
