string(10) "[Minerals]"

Geological Mapping and Mineral Potential for Ultramafic Rock Occurrences, Port Renfrew Area, Southwestern Vancouver Island

Lead Researcher(s):  D. Canil

Project ID:  2005-052

Key Research Organization(s):  University of Victoria

Project Location:  Vancouver Island

Strategic Focus Area:  Minerals

Summary



Port Renfrew Study Area An anomalous occurrence of ultramafic rocks associated with high Ni, Cu, Cr and PGE anomalies in soils and streams is documented near the western edge of Wrangellia terrane, at its southern contact with the Jura-Cretaceous Pacific Rim terrane on southwestern Vancouver Island (NTS092C).

Rocks of this portion of Wrangellia belong to the Paleozoic- Jurassic West Coast Crystalline Complex, Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite and Triassic Karmutsen metabasalts. The area has only been mapped at 1:100,000 scale by Mueller (1977). Specific goals of this project are to undertake geological mapping at 1:10,000 scale of an area surrounding the anomalous ultramafic rocks near Port Renfrew, and to follow-up with geochemical and petrological study of the ultramafic rocks explaing processes for their occurrence. Stream sediment sampling of key streams draining the region of anomalous ultramafic rocks will be used to identify possible anomalies and host minerals for Ni, Cu or PGE, and to determine the nature and/or extent of Ni, Cu and PGE mineralization.

Geochronological information on pertinent rock units will put the area in a regional and stratigraphic context with that known for other parts of Wrangellia. Research at this detailed scale will be brought into the broader context to provide a better geological database outlining the process, age, tectonic setting and possible metallogenic significance for PGE, Ni, and Cu mineralization within the Wrangellia terrane on Vancouver Island.

Deliverables


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