Tungsten Deposits of British Columbia
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BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES Hon. E. C. CARSON, Minister . JOHN F. WALKER, Deputy Minister - BULLETIN No. 10 (REVISED)- Tungsten Deposits of British Columbia hl JOHN S. STEVENSON and Staff of Department of Mines 1943 VIDTORIA, 8.0. : PhotpoRset by CHARLESF. BANIIBU). Printer to the Kinn’n Most Excellent Majesty 1948. LIST OF TUNGSTEN OCCURRINCES. 1 . Tungsten and Wolfra- 42 . Brlrtol ........... 106 mite ......................... 51 43 . Ashla0 .- .. 106 2 . Devil's Elbow Mt. -... 52 44. 'Srakum Mf............. 107 3 . Little Pat. Badland and 45. Consolidated Nicola Hasback ......... ~ ....... 52 Coldfields. Ltd......... 107 4 . Lucille No. 1 . 53 46 . Granite .. 116 5 . LOVire end Dot ........ 53 47. Mammoth ............... 116 6. Molly B ..... 54 48. Hedley (Twenty Mile) 7 . Rainier ISilveradd .... 56 Creek.. .. 117 8 . Red Bluff Mt. .. 56 49 . Olslla ........... 117 9 . Erperanra .. 57 50. White Elephant ........ 117 10. Princerr Royal Island .. 57 51 . Elite .-...... 117 11. Bear andCub ........... 58 Other Occurrences ... 118 12. Thornhill Mt............ 58 52. Ole Bull-Orphan Boy- 120 13 . Black Bvll .. 58 53 . Rwal Silver .... 120 14. White Bluffs ~~ ........ ! 58 54. United Victory .... .- . 130 15. Lucky Luke 58 55. Lucky Boy ....... 131 16. Cordillera ................ 58 56. Meteor . ....... 155 17. Emma and I.X.L. -.... 58 57. Scranton 156 18. Ridge . 59 58. Alpine .................... 156 19. Gmtto ..... 59 59. Paorman ....... 155 20. Zona May .- 59 60. Vena090 ~-155 21 . Red Row - ....... 60 61. Royal Canadian 155 22. Black Prince .-.......... 67 62. Nevada .................... 155 23 . Raher Deboule .. 71 63. Acorn Iplaced .......... 155 24. Mohawk ................. 71 64. Spotted Horse ........... 155 25. Higgins 71 65. Pork Rico andEu- 26. Whitwafer -.......... 71 ohrates ..................... 155 27. Silver Cup -. 73 66. Old Timer .... 155 28. Ada and Silver ......... 73 67. Stexart .......... 150 29. Columbia rungstens. 68. Balram 150 Lfd. - 82 69. Emerald ........... 135 30. lrland Mounfain ...... 81 70. Molly .................. 146 31. Carib Gold.Quartz. 81 71. Jumbo 148 32. Rand 90 72. Clubine ............. 149 33 . Csriboo Hudson ......- 93 73. Little Keen .- ...... 149 34 . Paxton ... 96 74 . Reno ........................ 133 35. Taylor ...- ..... 98 75. Kootenay Belie ......... 155 36 . Limestone Point 100 76. Bayonne 134 37. runs,en Queen 101 77. Bunker Hill - 153 38 . Tungsten King ....... 105 78. Blue Eyer ......... 154 39. Bralome .- ............. 105 79. St . Elmo ._............ 154 40 . Pi.neer 105 80. Velw ................" 154 41 . B.R.X. 105 81 . Groundhw .............. 152 SHOWING PRINCIPALTUNGSTEN OCCURRENCES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA . 0 sa I_ XALE IMILES Key map showing principal tungsten occurrences in British Columbia . CONTENTS PREFACE Chapter I GENERAL. DISCUSSION OF TUNGSTEN INTRODUCTION :................................................................. 1 TUNGSTEN MINERALS 1 FIELD TESTS FORTUNGSTEN MINERALS ............................................................................................. 3 A DEPENDABLEMETHOD OF ASSAYING OREFOR TUNGSTEN .......................... 5 GEOLOGICALOCCURRENCE OF TUNGSTENMINERALS .................................................... 10 I11 FCRIPTION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF DEPOSITS.................................................................................................. 50 ATLIN AREA .. Tungsten and Wolframite ................................................ :........................................................................... 51 STIKINE AREA Devil's Elbow Mt .......: ............. ;............... :.................................................................... 1............................................... 52 PORTLANDCANAL AREA Little Pat, Badland and Hogback .................................................................. :........................ 52 53 Lucille No . 1................................................................................................................................................................... Louise and Dot ...................................................................................................................................................................... 53 54 Molly B .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Rainier (Silverado) ................................................................................................................................................... Red Bluff Mt............................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Esperanza ................................................................................................................................... "" ............... 57 BIG BENDAREA Ole Bull and Orphan Boy ......................................................................................................................... 120 REVELSTOKEAREA Regal Silver ................................................................ :........................................................................................................ 120 .iv . -v- ILLUSTRATIONS. Page Keymap showing pr'incipal tungsten occurrences in British Columbia Frontispiece Plate I A Red Rose. Scheelite in ganguea of quartz and orthoclase feldspar I B Columbia Tungstens Company, Limited, (Hardscrabble).Nodules of solid scheelitephyllite in ".~ . "- -.170 I1 A Columbia Tungstens Company, Limited, (Hardscrabble).Disconnected patches and thin irregular stringers of scheelitequartz-carbonate in gangue ~ 171 I1 B Taylorproperty. Vein-matter showing scheelitebeing replaced by tungstite __ :.. 171 I11 A Tungsten Queen. Vein of scheelite con- taining chalcedonic quartz and ankeritic carb onate in serpentine in carbonate 172 111 B Regal5il.ver. Relatively pure scheelite in pyrite lens of No. 5 vein,as seen in the floor of No. 8 adit at a point fee t west240 feet Raise of A 172 IV A Regal Silver. Crushed graphiticslate and 1enticul.ar quartz in main fault-zone as seen in No. 8 adit .. 173 IV B RegalSilver. Ribbon texture as seenin quartz vein in theback of Raise B, No. 10 adit _ 173 V A Regal Silver.Fractured scheelite with quartz and pyrite. .The distribution of the scheelite is approximately parallel to wallto of enclosingpyritelens . 174 V B ,RegalSilve;. Disconnected patches of scheelite and quartz in pyrite of a pyrite lens - 174 - vi - Page Figure (1) Graph showing yearlyaverage price of tungsten for period 1898 to 1938, in- clusive and the.monthly .prices as of the first few days of each month for' period December, 1938 to December, 1940 _.._....___.._..I.._.... 27 (2) Logarithmiccurve showing worldpro- duct,ion of tungsten by years from 1895 to ,1937, inclusive :._ -- 36 (3) Red Rose. Plan showing surface workings and local geology: Barometer, pace' and compass survey __ 62 ,. (4) Columbia Tungstens Company, Limited .' (Hardscrabble).Plan of underground workings (after Company's plan) showing un derground geologyunderground -- ~ 84 (5.) Cariboo Hudson.Tape and compass surveyof scheelite showings onCunningham No. 1 and Cutler No. 1 claims_ ~ -.- 94 (6)Tungsten Queen. Plan showing surface workingsand local geology as of September, 1939; Tape and compass survey. ; 102 (7)Regal Silver.Plan of underground work- ings(after Company's plan) showing dis- tributionveinsof and faults face p. 121 (8) Emerald mine.Geological sketch-plan of part of property face-.p.to 137 (9) Emerald ore-zone.Plan and selected cross-sections as outlined by diamond- d rllllng to face p. face to drllllng .. 141 - vii -, Page .. Table IM+nerals Tungsten .......... 1 ., I1 Principal fluorescent minerals and their colours'in ultra-violet light............ : ....................................... :....................................... 1.7' ., ... 111 World production of tungsten ores ........................................................................ 37 ., ,. ., . IV Apparent.consumptionby countries of tungsten by the principal users of the metal .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 V United.States productionby States in 1940 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 VISummarized geological data.on several '. tungsten propertiesin the United States......................................... 46 - viii - PREFACE This Bulletin is a complete revision of One published in 1941 underthe same title. Expansionand revision Of Bul1etj.n No- 10 was ma& necessary by the manynew discoveries of scheelite made during the last two years, discoveries which have shifted the emphasis on certain sections of theProvince and on Certain types of deposit. The variousdata are brought as much as po:$sible UP to date of March lst, 1943, although it has beenimpossible to keep abreast of all current development. Tungsten is perhapsthe most important strategic metal in Canada and production has increasedtremendously during the last two years. The primaryreason for the increase is naturallythe