KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED REPORT GEOLOGICAL & GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS SEAN CLAIMS

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED REPORT GEOLOGICAL & GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS SEAN CLAIMS"

Britney Fox
5 years ago
Views:

1 KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED REPORT GEOLOGICAL & GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS SEAN CLAIMS Situated 24 mi. S20 E of Houston, Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia 54'05'N, 126'27'W Matti Tavela Under the general supervision of C.S. Ney, P.Eng. Work Done: Aug , Sept. 1,2,4,5,7, Oct. 20,21, and Oct. 22, 1970 July 30, Aug. 1,2,3, 1971 September 8, 1971

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION LOCATION AND ACCESS FIELD METHODS GEOLOGY Hazelton Group Rhyolite Welded Tuffs Andesitic and Trachytic Lavas Basalt Microdiorite and Andesite Sequence of Events Surficial Deposits GEOCHEMISTRY Rock Samples Soil Samples Stream Silts BOULDER TRACING GEOPHYSICS CONCLUSIONS STATEMENT OF COSTS MAP - Geochemical Sample Sites & Geology Sketch Map 1" = 800'

3 INTRODUCTION The Sean Claims were located for Kennco Explorations, (Western) Limited in August, 1970 on the strength of pyrite mineralization in outcrops, as well as one float boulder carrying chalcopyrite and molybdenite. An examination of the area was made in August, September, and October, 1970 and in August, 1971 by M. Tavela. This included geological observations, geochemical sampling and boulder tracing with trained dogs. This work was generally supervised by C.S. Ney. The cost of this work within the claim group was $2,

4 LOCATION AND ACCESS The claims are adjacent to Parrottand Poplar creeks, 24 miles S20 E of Houston, British Columbia. Coordinates of the centre of the group are Lat. 54O05'NY Long. 126O27'W. The area is characterized by a broad topographic trough extending through Parrott Lakes, draining southeasterly to Francois Lake. Flanking the trough the country is gently rolling at an average elevation of 3000 feet, and forested, so that it is moderately easy to traverse. The area is readily accessible by vehicle on secondary roads from Houston as far as the south end of lower Parrott Lake, two miles from the claims, then by a primitive dirt track along Parrott Creek.

5 FIELD METHODS Surveys were based on 1:50,000 topographic maps and on air photographs, supplemented by pace-compass and tapecompass traverses, lightly worked grids were employed locally. Geological observations are broadly recorded on the accompanying map on a scale of one inch equals 800 feet. Geochemical observations included samples of stream sediments, soils, float boulders, and bedrock. Samples were sent to Kemco laboratory in North Vancouver. They were screened 86 mesh or fine pulverized in the case of rocks, digested with aqua regia, and analyzed by atomic absorption Spectroscopy. Determinations were made for Mo, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, Ni, Co, Au, and Hg. Values are appended and sample sites only are shown on the map.

6 GEOLOGY Outcrops are scarce throughout the claims so that correlation and external relations of the various units are still incompletely understood. Rock units of Hazelton, Early Tertiary, and Late Tertiary are recognized in the vicinity along with a diorite intrusion of unknown age. Hazelton Group A small outcrop area of pyrobituminous shale east of the south end of Parrott Lake is thought by Tavela to be of the Hazelton Group. Volcanic rocks correlated with the Buck Creek division of N.B. Church occur to the immediate east in unknown relation to the supposed Hazelton sediments. Rhyolite Welded Tuffs A sequence of rhyolitic rocks is exposed along the Canyon of Poplar Creek for a distance of one-half mile. It shows a strong lamination of thin glassy layers separating thicker rhyolite bands. It is not certain whether or not this represents bedding of welded tuff or flow structure in a lava. The attitude of the lamination varies from near horizontal to a dip of 45 degrees east. The rhyolite is extensively altered to clay, with calcite, zeolites, and pyrite. In one exposure 6 x 30 feet, pyrite veinlets brecciate the rock in amounts up to 30%. The age of this rhyolite is not known but it is tentatively correlated with the Tip Top Hill volcanics of Church. ~avela's visual observations on fabric suggest that the rhyolite was propagated in a northeasterly direction from a centre to the southwest that may now be occupied by a diorite stock. Andesitic and Trachytic Lavas These rocks are exposed along Parrott Creek west of and through the north end of the claim group. Andesitic rocks are exposed in five outcrops for a distance of 300 feet on Sean 36 and 38 M.C.'s. It is a dark, fine-grained and dense rock without phenocrysts. Fragmental structure is common and

7 probably represents flow brecciation. Pyrite is weakly developed generally, and approaches 15% of the rock in local areas. The trachyte lavas are exposed immediately above andesite along a nearly horizontal flow contact. It has dull feldspar and biotite phenocsysts in a grey aphanitic groundmass; open cavities and fractures are common. It has no visible pyrite but carries magnetite irregularly distributed from zero to several percent. These rocks appear to be those mapped by Church as Tip Top Hill volcanics of Paleocene or Upper Cretaceous age. Basalt Columnar olivine basalt appears along Parrott Lake and Creek. West and southeast of the claim area there are buttes of similar basalt. An abundance of basalt float in tillcovered areas suggests that it is fairly extensive. This basalt is probably of the Poplar Buttes volcanics as defined by Church and assigned a Pliocene age. It is clearly flat-lying and unconformable on all other rocks. Microdiorite and Andesite Diorite is exposed in an area 100 x 250 feet south of the claims adjacent to the north of Tsichgass Lake. Northeast of this there are massive andesites that are apparently intrusive, and several andesite dykes. These andesites are thought to be genetically related to the diorite. On the basis of aeromagnetic maps, it is inferred that diorite occupies an oval area 11/2 mile long, mainly under Tsichgass Lake. Normal fine-grained diorite has gradational segregations of medium-grained gabbro and syenornonzonite with zoned plagioclase and a general slight deuteric alteration. The andesite, considered a later phase of diorite, takes the form of a swarm of dykes dipping 50-60' WNW, toward the central diorite. It is a light grey, fine-grained rock with secondary calcite, pyrite, and fluorite,

8 Sequence of Events I Tavela believes that older volcanic activity was associated with the intrusion of the diorite at Tsichgass Lake, which produced over a protracted period, late Mesozoic to mid Tertiary, a varied assemblage of bedded and dyke-rocks. Pyrite mineralization is associated with an older period of volcanism in the andesites, and a younger phase in the welded tuff. Surficial Deposits Except for a few widely spaced bedrock exposures the whole area is covered by Pleistocene glacial till, eskers, glacio fluvial and alluvial deposits. Ice transportation generally was toward the east-southeast, but locally along Parrott lakes the trend has been toward the south-southeast. The average thickness of superficial deposits may be as much as 60 feet.

9 The pyritized rocks of Parrott and Poplar creeks did not contain anomalous amounts of base or precious metals. Nevertheless, pyritization in these formations can be a lead to economic mineralization. Therefore, a geochemical reconnaissance was initiated inside and outside the claim group to test this possibility. Sample sites are indicated on the accompanying map and metal values are tabulated in an appendix. Rock Samples Parrott Creek pyritized exposures have slightly elevated Mo content of 2-5 ppm compared with a Clark value of 1-2 ppm. Other metals analyzed appear within the background range. Poplar Creek pyrite-bearing rocks have an elevated mercury content of 0.1 to 11.0 ppm but otherwise lack indications of economic potential. Soil Samples Lines spaced 2000 feet apart with samples at 400-foot intervals were run across the claims and soil sampled in addition to groups of samples for specific purposes. Almost all the samples are on transported overburden. All metal values are uniformly low, indicating thorough mixing, long transportation and dilution of possible metal values by barren material through the glacial activity. Stream Silts Metal values in stream silts proved to be equally as low as those in the sails, except in one drainage in the Parrott Creek area where values are ppm Mo.

10 BOULDER TRACING Sample north of Parrott Creek on Sean No. 36 is from a float boulder of quartz monzonite. The value of 0.45% Cu presented an interesting challenge to discover the point of origin of the boulder. Efforts were made to locate other boulders by prospecting, then a systematic search of a 1000' square area was made using two dogs trained in sniffing sulphides. The dogs were worked with their trainers, accompanied by a prospector, for two days. The dogs located pyrite-bearing rocks but none similar to the original float.

11 GEOPHYSICS Magnetometer traverses along the pyritized exposures show that they do not have susceptibilities high enough to be distinguished from surrounding barren rocks. The mineralized float has a steady magnetite dissemination and its source might be traced by magnetic survey. The basalts of this particular vicinity have very low magnetite content. The trachytes have an irregular moderate magnetic expression. The intrusive stock has a steady low content of magnetite. The aeromagnetic anomaly shows that this stock is a well formed oval-shaped body with considerable downward extension.

12 CONCLUSIONS The Sean Claims are in volcanic rocks of late Mesozoic or early Tertiary age which flank an area of intrusive diorite and may be genetically related to it. Pyrite is developed to varying degrees in all the volcanic rocks except trachytes and basalts. A weak mineralization is also expressed by zeolites, carbonates, fluorite, and mercury. Other base and precious metals are so far lacking. Two outstanding anomalies are the mineralized float boulder, and the high molybdenum values in one creek. Vancouver, B. C. '. V \ 15 ~ Charles S. Ney, P.Eng. September 8, 1971 Matti Tavela

13 -11- STATmENT OF COSTS Wages & Board: M. Tavela Aug.27-31, ] 11 $48.00 $ Sept. 1-5,7, G. Stevenson II I I 11 $ G. Wint Aug ,31, $ G. Davies Oct , $ M. Tavela A. McKillop R. Maynard J. Maynard C. Thompson P. Dobie R. Purcell D. Spancers J. Lum July 30,Aug.l-3, $48.00 Aug. 1,2, $25.80 Aug. 1,2, $13.00 Aug. 1,2, $13.00 July 30,Aug.3, $14.50 Aug. 3, $16.10 Aug. 3, $11.20 Aug. 2, $12.10 Aug.20,21, Sept. 1, 2,3, $21.50 BOARD: 44 man $ Geochemical Analyses : 9 samples for 6 base metals + $ OO 68 samples for 6 base metals + $ samples for 6 base metals + $ samples for 6 base metals + $ Sample Shipments TOTAL

14 KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED ONE BENTALL CENTRE Sean tz30 - BURRARO ST*

15 KtIVIVLU txplukkrlun3, (WtS l EKN) LIMll tu ONE BENTALL CENTRE BURRARD Sf. VANCOUVER 1, 0. C. Sean

18 KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED ONE BENTALL CENTRE BURRARD ST. Sean

19 S Sample No. KENNCQ EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED ONE BENTALL CENTRE BURRARD ST. - - x**..aa m, -,-....A,. GEOCHEMICAL RESULTS - SET 1 Mo pprn Cu ppm Zn ppm Pb ppm Sean Ag ppm Ni ppm Co ppm Date Sept 22,

20 - KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED ONE BENTALL CENTRE Sean BURRARD ST. VANCOUVFR 1, R C. I 1 Date Aug. 12, 1971 Co ppm I Au ppn

21 -- KENNCO EXPLORATIONS, (WESTERN) LIMITED sean ONE BENTALL CENTRE

lat ' N Long ' W

lat ' N Long ' W 305 7 ec1;, REPORT ON THE JERY CLAIMS OF POLA RESOURCES LTD. NTS 93L/16 0 0 lat. 54 45' N Long. 126 22' W BABIXE LAKE AREA OMINECA MINING DIVISION, B.C. PAUL PLICKA CONSULTING GEOLOGIST DECEMBER 30, 1981