EXPLORATION and MINING in British Columbia 2004
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Ministry of Energy and Mines Mining and Minerals Division EXPLORATION AND MINING in British Columbia 2004 %ULWLVK&ROXPELD0LQLVWU\RI(QHUJ\DQG0LQHV 0LQLQJDQG0LQHUDOV'LYLVLRQ EXPLORATION AND MINING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA - 2004 Ministry of Energy and Mines Mining and Minerals Division Front Cover: Western Keltic Mines Inc revived exploration on the Kutcho Creek volcanogenic massive sulphide property during 2004. Photo shows the exploration crew transporting drill core by helicopter at the property. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Main entry under title: Exploration and Mining in British Columbia – 1998- Annual. Continues: Exploration in British Columbia. ISSN 0823-2059 ISSN 1491-4646 = Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 1. Mines and mineral resources – British Columbia – Periodicals. 2. Prospecting – British Columbia – Periodicals. 3. Geology, Economic – British Columbia – Periodicals. 4. British Columbia. Mines Branch TN270.B74 622’.1’09711 C99-805843-3 VICTORIA BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA January 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING AND MINERAL Okanagan ......................................................... 59 EXPLORATION OVERVIEW 2004 Fraser River-Merritt ......................................... 60 Introduction ...............................................................1 Revelstoke........................................................ 60 Mining Highlights......................................................2 Shuswap-North Thompson .............................. 61 Major Development Projects .....................................6 Aspen Grove-Princeton-Keromeos .................. 61 Mineral Exploration...................................................9 Acknowledgments................................................... 61 British Columbia Exploration and Mining KOOTENAY REGION Initiatives..............................................................15 Summary and Trends .............................................. 63 Mineral Exploration and Development Outlook Operating Mines and Quarries ................................ 63 for 2004................................................................16 Metals............................................................... 65 NORTHWEST REGION Coal.................................................................. 65 Summary and Trends...............................................19 Industrial Minerals ........................................... 66 Mines and Quarries..................................................20 Exploration Highlights ............................................ 67 Metal Mines......................................................20 East Kootenays................................................. 67 Industrial Minerals............................................24 East Kootenay Coalfields................................. 70 Mineral Exploration.................................................24 West Kootenays ............................................... 70 Atlin Area.........................................................24 Boundary District............................................. 71 Tulsequah-Taku Area .......................................25 Outlook for 2005..................................................... 72 Cassiar Area .....................................................26 Acknowledgments................................................... 72 Turnagain-Upper Stikine Area .........................26 SOUTHWEST REGION Telegraph Creek Area.......................................27 Summary and Trends .............................................. 73 Kinaskan Area ..................................................28 Mines and Quarries ................................................. 73 Iskut District.....................................................29 Metals............................................................... 73 Stewart District.................................................31 Coal.................................................................. 75 Terrace-Kitimat Area........................................32 Industrial Minerals ........................................... 76 Smithers-Hazelton Area ...................................33 Limestone / Dolomitic Limestone............. 76 Babine Area......................................................33 Aggregate.................................................. 76 Houston-Tahtsa Area........................................34 Silica-alumina and Silica Rock................. 76 Industrial Minerals and Gemstones .........................34 Shale, Clay and Sandstone........................ 77 Coal Projects............................................................34 Dimension Stone / Construction Rock...... 77 Acknowledgments ...................................................35 Pumice, Tephra and Lava Rock ................ 77 CENTRAL REGION Exploration Trends.................................................. 77 Summary and Trends...............................................37 Exploration Projects................................................ 78 Mines and Quarries..................................................39 North Island ..................................................... 78 Placer Operations.....................................................42 Campbell River ................................................ 78 Exploration Summary..............................................42 Ucluelet / Port Alberni ..................................... 78 Toodogone Camp .............................................42 Port Renfrew / Jordon River / Sooke ............... 79 Omineca Mountains..........................................44 Texada Island................................................... 79 Nechako Plateau ...............................................46 Coastal Mainland ............................................. 80 Cariboo.............................................................46 Chilliwack / Harrison Lake / Hope .................. 80 Outlook for 2005 .....................................................48 Outlook for 2005..................................................... 81 Acknowledgments ...................................................48 Acknowledgments................................................... 81 THOMPSON – OKANAGAN REGION NORTHEAST REGION Summary and Trends...............................................49 Summary and Trends .............................................. 83 Mines and Quarries..................................................51 Coal Mines .............................................................. 83 Metals...............................................................51 Willow Creek................................................... 85 Coal ..................................................................54 Dillon Mine...................................................... 85 Industrial Minerals............................................55 Exploration and Development Projects................... 86 Exploration Highlights ............................................57 Exploration Projects................................................ 87 Kamloops-Highland Valley..............................57 Outlook for 2005..................................................... 88 Southern Cariboo-Chilcotin..............................58 Acknowledgments................................................... 88 Gold Bridge ......................................................58 iii iv BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING AND MINERAL EXPLORATION OVERVIEW 2004 Ministry of Energy and Mines Tom Schroeter, PEng/PGeo; Michael Cathro, PGeo; David Grieve, PGeo; Robert Lane, PGeo; Jamie Pardy, PGeo; Barry Ryan, PGeo; George Simandl, PGeo; and Paul Wojdak, PGeo INTRODUCTION coal. For example, gold reached a 16-year high of over US$450 per ounce in early December. Mineral British Columbia’s mineral resources are strategically exploration expenditures increased to their highest level located to play a role in the international mining industry, since 1991 and are estimated at $120 to $130 million for particularly for North American and Asian markets. The 2004 (Figure 1). The number of new mineral claim units province has a well-defined potential for a wide variety of recorded in 2004 is 47 232, an increase of 30% from the minerals and deposit types. The geoscience database is previous year (Figure 2). The number of total mineral extensive and easily accessed and the provincial units in good standing as of January 1, 2005 was 184 464, government is committed to aggressively improving that up about 18% from 2003. The number of forfeited units in data and encouraging new developments. With attractive 2004 was 12 209, down 10% from 2003. This is the fifth energy costs, a well-developed, all-weather highway year in a row that there has been an increase in new system, rail links and a number of deep-water ports, mineral units recorded and a decrease in forfeited claims, British Columbia has the infrastructure to get coal, another indicator of sustained and growing interest in the minerals and resulting products to markets. province’s mineral resources. Mining is a strong component of the British Both the Mining Exploration Tax Credit Program Columbia economy with 7 metal mines and 9 coal mines, and Exploration Investment Tax Credit for flow-through approximately 27 industrial minerals quarries and mines, investors provide extra incentives to attract risk capital to numerous placer mines and more than 1100 aggregate pits the province. in operation.