New information for gold explorers in southeastern British Columbia

November 4, 2015 - New geological maps and a compilation of valuable historical data are now available for mineral explorers seeking the elusive source of the gold found in the streams around the Purcell Mountains near Cranbrook in southeastern British Columbia.

Prospectors from all over North America first descended on the Kootenay Valley in 1864. More than 10 million ounces of gold has been recovered from gold-bearing streams in the East Kootenay area and the locations of more than 50 gold showings are on the public record.

Mining the transported gold found in stream sediments continues to this day but the pursuit of a bedrock gold source has been ongoing for over a century with only minor success.

As part of Geoscience BC's ongoing Stimulating Exploration in the East Kootenays (SEEK) program, researchers Michael Seabrook and Trygve Höy spent over 40 days in the field during the summer of 2014 creating a set of detailed geological maps to help track down the source of the gold.

The main map covers the Kimberly Gold Trend, a prospective area between Cranbrook, Kimberly and Creston that hosts four gold-rich streams mined since the 1800s and many small gold deposits. Within this area the researchers chose three properties - the Quartz Mountain, Eddy and David properties - to create more detailed maps.

To date, most of the large scale, publicly funded, geological research projects have focused on the lead and zinc occurrences in the area, due to the attraction of the Sullivan mine near Kimberley. The purpose of this project is to identify important structural features that could control the location of the gold occurrences and to develop a model for the emplacement of gold within the Kimberley Gold Trend.

Download Geoscience BC Report 2015-13: The Structural Controls of the Kimberley Gold Trend or click below to explore the project in Earth Science Viewer




For more information, please contact Kylie Williams, Communications Manager at Geoscience BC, on 604.662.4147

Geoscience BC is a trusted partner providing earth science to encourage investment that benefits all British Columbians. www.geosciencebc.com
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