New Research Identifies Potential Mineral Targets in Central British Columbia
Vancouver, BC – January 31, 2022 – New research from Geoscience BC and the University of British Columbia’s Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) identifies potential copper-gold porphyry host rocks hidden beneath glacial overburden in British Columbia’s Central Interior.
Published at the AME Roundup 2022 conference today, the report and models from the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project forms part of Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research (CICGR) series. The project covers an area between the Mount Polley (Quesnel), Gibraltar (Williams Lake) and Mount Milligan (Mackenzie) mines, which includes part of a belt of rocks known to geologists as the Quesnel terrane. The other part of the CICGR series, the Surficial Exploration Project, is generating new surficial maps, reanalyzing archived till samples and conducting new till geochemical and mineralogical surveys.
Dianne Mitchinson, Research Associate at MDRU and Dave Sacco, Surficial Exploration Manager at Palmer, will provide updates on their CICGR projects at AME Roundup on Tuesday, February 1st at 9:00 am as part of the Additions to the Geoscience Toolbox technical session.
Geoscience BC Vice President, Minerals Christa Pellett said: “Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research projects are providing valuable data that focus and encourage mineral exploration and investment for metals like copper, which play an important role in meeting demands resulting from a transition to a net zero emissions economy.”
Dianne Mitchinson, Mineral Deposit Research Unit said: “These models and targets are the result of careful integration of public geological knowledge and geophysical data from central British Columbia. We hope that the work will spur exploration activity within this prospective part of B.C., and that it will provide useful guidance for explorers to make decisions with more confidence.”
In central BC, sediments deposited by receding glaciers (“overburden”) obscure rocks of the Quesnel terrane. As the Quesnel terrane is known to host significant mineral occurrences elsewhere in the province, it is believed that undiscovered mineral deposits may lie beneath this overburden.
The project built an overburden thickness model and, through geophysical characterization and modelling, identified potential copper-gold porphyry host rocks. Geophysical modelling that sees ‘through’ the overburden can help to increase the efficiency and focus of mineral exploration, while reducing costs. The public information from this project can also be used by communities, Indigenous groups, governments and others.
The public information from this project has been shared with communities and Indigenous groups in the project area. Geoscience BC encourages anyone planning mineral exploration work to first contact local Indigenous communities.
Accessing Data
Information about the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project is available from the Geoscience BC Booth at the AME Roundup 2022 conference (booth #312), from the Geoscience BC project pages and the Mineral Deposit Research Unit website.
View project page View project in Earth Science Viewer
About Geoscience BC
Geoscience BC generates independent, public geoscience research and data about British Columbia’s minerals, energy and water resources. This advances knowledge, informs responsible development, encourages investment and stimulates innovation.
Our collaboration with the resource sectors, academia, communities, Indigenous groups and government develops and shares unbiased and credible earth science research and data.
Geoscience BC is a not for profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act.
Visit www.geosciencebc.com or follow us @GeoscienceBC to find out more.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Truman
Geoscience BC
604-662-4147/778-929-1662
truman@geosciencebc.com
Published at the AME Roundup 2022 conference today, the report and models from the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project forms part of Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research (CICGR) series. The project covers an area between the Mount Polley (Quesnel), Gibraltar (Williams Lake) and Mount Milligan (Mackenzie) mines, which includes part of a belt of rocks known to geologists as the Quesnel terrane. The other part of the CICGR series, the Surficial Exploration Project, is generating new surficial maps, reanalyzing archived till samples and conducting new till geochemical and mineralogical surveys.
Dianne Mitchinson, Research Associate at MDRU and Dave Sacco, Surficial Exploration Manager at Palmer, will provide updates on their CICGR projects at AME Roundup on Tuesday, February 1st at 9:00 am as part of the Additions to the Geoscience Toolbox technical session.
Geoscience BC Vice President, Minerals Christa Pellett said: “Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research projects are providing valuable data that focus and encourage mineral exploration and investment for metals like copper, which play an important role in meeting demands resulting from a transition to a net zero emissions economy.”
Dianne Mitchinson, Mineral Deposit Research Unit said: “These models and targets are the result of careful integration of public geological knowledge and geophysical data from central British Columbia. We hope that the work will spur exploration activity within this prospective part of B.C., and that it will provide useful guidance for explorers to make decisions with more confidence.”
In central BC, sediments deposited by receding glaciers (“overburden”) obscure rocks of the Quesnel terrane. As the Quesnel terrane is known to host significant mineral occurrences elsewhere in the province, it is believed that undiscovered mineral deposits may lie beneath this overburden.
The project built an overburden thickness model and, through geophysical characterization and modelling, identified potential copper-gold porphyry host rocks. Geophysical modelling that sees ‘through’ the overburden can help to increase the efficiency and focus of mineral exploration, while reducing costs. The public information from this project can also be used by communities, Indigenous groups, governments and others.
The public information from this project has been shared with communities and Indigenous groups in the project area. Geoscience BC encourages anyone planning mineral exploration work to first contact local Indigenous communities.
Accessing Data
Information about the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project is available from the Geoscience BC Booth at the AME Roundup 2022 conference (booth #312), from the Geoscience BC project pages and the Mineral Deposit Research Unit website.
View project page View project in Earth Science Viewer
About Geoscience BC
Geoscience BC generates independent, public geoscience research and data about British Columbia’s minerals, energy and water resources. This advances knowledge, informs responsible development, encourages investment and stimulates innovation.
Our collaboration with the resource sectors, academia, communities, Indigenous groups and government develops and shares unbiased and credible earth science research and data.
Geoscience BC is a not for profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act.
Visit www.geosciencebc.com or follow us @GeoscienceBC to find out more.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Truman
Geoscience BC
604-662-4147/778-929-1662
truman@geosciencebc.com