The reanalysis of archived stream sediment samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is accepted as a cost-effective means of obtaining new and improved regional geochemical information. This technique provides a significant upgrade from the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method routinely used for federal and provincial government-funded reconnaissance-scale drainage sediment surveys conducted before 1999. […]
The British Columbia portion of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) is far less developed than the Alberta portion. In the past decade this area has experienced tremendous growth, particularly in natural-gas exploration. Despite this fact many parts of northeastern British Columbia remain significantly under explored due to difficulties in accessibility and a lack of […]
The Cariboo Gold District (CGD) in east-central British Columbia contains lode gold occurrences of several different styles. Orogenic-style veins and gold-bearing sulphide mantos occur within medium grade metasedimentary units of the Barkerville terrane in the historic Wells-Barkerville camp, and orogenic veins and stratabound sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits are hosted by phyllitic carbonaceous metaclastic rocks of […]
The Middle Proterozoic Belt-Purcell Basin hosts the Purcell Supergroup in southeast British Columbia. The basin is believed to represent an intracontinental rift system that has been filled by both marine and fluviatile sediments. The Sullivan Mine, one of the world’s largest SEDEX Pb-Zn deposits, is hosted in the Aldridge Formation of the lower Purcell Supergroup. […]
The Nechako Basin in central British Columbia is considered an area prospective for oil and gas resources. The Skeena group, comprising several thousands of meters of Early to mid-Cretaceous non-marine sandstone and conglomerate, is the most prospective sedimentary unit. It is overlain by younger rocks, including recent volcanics and thick glacial deposits, which present problems […]
The area of mountain pine beetle infestation in central British Columbia has areas of highly prospective bedrock geology, but exploration has been limited due to thick cover of surficial deposits. Knowledge of the glacial history, specifically the ice flow history and dominant transport direction is vital to interpret geochemical surveys. Significant knowledge gaps exist in […]
The Babine porphyry copper district has hosted two producing porphyry copper mines (Bell and Granisle) and, as suggested by numerous showings and prospects, has high potential to host other porphyry copper deposits. Despite this, the district, relative to districts to the east and northwest, remains under-explored. The clay-sized fraction of 533 archived basal till samples […]
Geoscience BC’s Nechako Seismic Project focused on the Nechako Basin west of Quesnel, in the heart of the Mountain Pine Beetle affected area of interior BC. This project included a $2.5 million survey, totaling approximately 350 line-kilometres of new seismic data acquisition. It was funded with $2 million from Geoscience BC and $0.5 million from […]
GeoscienceBC’s QUEST Project, initiated in 2007, is a program of regional geochemical and geophysical surveys designed to attract the mineral exploration industry to an under-explored region of British Columbia between Williams Lake and Mackenzie. The QUEST Project is focused on the Quesnel Terrane, which has good potential for copper and gold porphyry deposits, but […]