MAR 19660004: SOUTHWESTERN

Received date: Dec 31, 1966

Public release date: Jan 01, 1968

DISCLAIMER By accessing and using the Alberta Energy website to download or otherwise obtain a scanned mineral assessment report, you (“User”) agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions: a) Each scanned mineral assessment report that is downloaded or otherwise obtained from Alberta Energy is provided “AS IS”, with no warranties or representations of any kind whatsoever from Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Energy (“Minister”), expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, no warranties or other representations from the Minister, regarding the content, accuracy, reliability, use or results from the use of or the integrity, completeness, quality or legibility of each such scanned mineral assessment report; b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws, the Minister hereby expressly disclaims, and is released from, liability and responsibility for all warranties and conditions, expressed or implied, in relation to each scanned mineral assessment report shown or displayed on the Alberta Energy website including but not limited to warranties as to the satisfactory quality of or the fitness of the scanned mineral assessment report for a particular purpose and warranties as to the non-infringement or other non-violation of the proprietary rights held by any third party in respect of the scanned mineral assessment report; c) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Minister, and the Minister’s employees and agents, exclude and disclaim liability to the User for losses and damages of whatsoever nature and howsoever arising including, without limitation, any direct, indirect, special, consequential, punitive or incidental damages, loss of use, loss of data, loss caused by a virus, loss of income or profit, claims of third parties, even if Alberta Energy have been advised of the possibility of such damages or losses, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Alberta Energy website, including the accessing or downloading of the scanned mineral assessment report and the use for any purpose of the scanned mineral assessment report so downloaded or retrieved. d) User agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Minister, and the Minister’s employees and agents against and from any and all third party claims, losses, liabilities, demands, actions or proceedings related to the downloading, distribution, transmissions, storage, redistribution, reproduction or exploitation of each scanned mineral assessment report obtained by the User from Alberta Energy.

Alberta Mineral Assessment Reporting System I I I OWC IULdPLS I I I I PRELIMINARY GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION I OF I PHOSPHATE HOLDINGS I FOR U WESTERN WARNER OILS LTD. U CALGARY, ALBERTA I I I I I Prepared By F. A. Peel, P. Geol. I I I 000q I I I I WESTERN WARNER OILS LTD.. I CALGARY, ALBERTA I I I

I PHOSPHATE PROJECT

I PRELIMINARY GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION I I

• 1 I I Prepared by: I August, 1966 F. A. Peel, P. Geol. I

I 70o2$'9 IA/DZ4/ d)oe,,,iJT #ViJ fl)O22 I I INDEX I Page No. I I 1. INTRODUCTION 1-2 Plate I - Index Map 3 I 2. DISCUSSION 4-11

I (a) Location and Accessibility I (b) Methods of Field Investigation (c) Geology

I Plate II - Table of Formations

I 3. CONCLUSIONS 12-13

I 4. RECOMMENDATIONS 14 I I APPENDIX I Summary of Traverses Assays I Plate III - Outcrop of in Deadman's Pass I Plate IV - Fernie Outcrop in Area of Proposed Staking Bibliography I I I I I 1. INTRODUCTION I I In the past five years has experienced a tremen- dous growth in the phosphate fertilizer industry. Existing

I fertilizer producers are expanding their plants and new ones are I being built. In Western Canada the existing sulphur and natural gas needed in the production of phosphate fertilizer as well as a

I demand by prairie farmers has been a great stimuli. To date no I significant production of phosphate rock is carried out in Canada and the increased quantities demanded by the fertilizer industry

I are supplied by phosphate mines of and Florida. A I commercial rock phosphate deposit in Western Canada would have no difficulty in finding a market. I In the summer of 1965, Western Warner Oils Limited

I acquired two phosphate permits in'the vicinity of the Crowsnest I Pass, consisting of 89,779 acres, In the spring of 1966, I was I contacted by Mr. George Evans and asked to: (a) carry out a preliminary geological examination

I of the permits and locate any occurrences of I phosphate on these permits,

I (b) determine if further work, such as detailed geo- I logical mapping, trenching, sampling and drilling I - 1 - I I should be carried out to further evaluate the property, I (c) determine if othr areas may be of interest in that I they could yield an economic phosphate deposit. I The area investigated is shpwn on Plate I, and Map 1 I shows the location of each traverse. I' I I I I I I I I I I I I -2- -3-- I I 2. DISCUSSION U I (a) Location and Accessibility U Western Warner's phosphate permits are located near the Crowsnest Pass in . Permit No. 20,

I extends north of the Crowsnest Pass from Twp. 8 to Twp. 11, I W5M.,, while Permit No. 21, extends south from Twp 6, W5M., to Twp. 3, W5M. (Map lj Alberta No 3, a paved all-

U weather highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway both pass U through the Crowsnest area. Except for the more rugged areas along the Alberta-B.C. border, numerous forestry roads

U and seismic trails yield fair access into the area of the U two permits. I Transportation, water, sulphur and natural gas may be readily acquired in this area and therefore make it

I more economically. suitable.

U (b) Methods of Field Investigation

U Three weeks were spent in the field carrying out I the geological examination. During the first week a heli- copter was employed to speed up reconnaissance and to examine

I the less accessible areas. The final two weeks were spent I I - 4 - I I examining the remainder: of the area by four-wheel drive jeep. I Sections were chosen on the basis of exposure and wherever possible phosphate units were traced laterally

I noting any changes of thickness and grade. An attempt was I made to keep traverses within 3 or 4-miles of each other. I Phosphate rock was located by visual examination and the ammonium molybdate test was used as a check.

I Occurrences of phosphate were described and thicker units I sampled. These samples were sent to Atlas Testing Labor- atones in Edmonton and assayed for P205 content,. I Traverses are shown on the accompanying map and

I a summary of the phosphate occurrences' are included in I this report. I (c) Geology I Although phosphate was known to exist in Western Canada as.early as 1916 (Telfer, 1933) no deposit of

I commercial size has been located. Since the original dis- I covery of phosphate in the Rocky Mountain Formation, near the town of Banff, many geological papers dealing with the

I Front Ranges of the have noted minor occurr- I ences of phosphate. The most comprehensive report to date I is that of Telfer (1933), in which he recognizes four I -5-- I I phosphate horizons: - I 1. Near the base of the (Tipper Exshaw) 2. Near the top of the Rocky Mountain Formation () I 3. At the base of the (Jurasaic) I 4. Near the Middle of the Fernie formation (Jurasaic) Phosphate has also been noted to occur in the

Spray River Formation (). I The area under examination is composed of a series

I of northerly trending fault-blocks exposing beds from I to in age. Plate II, is a table show- ing the formations and their relationship to one another.

I In the area of Western Warner's Alberta permits rocks of Miss, I issippian age are the most likely to contain deposits of phosphate and therefore the geological examination centered

I around the Exshaw formation. In the Fernie I formation is the most potential. I During the investigation of the Exshaw formation on Western Warner's Phosphate Permits it was found that

I in the vicinity of Deadthan's Pass, two phosphate units I were present. These two phosphatic units are separated by 11-feet of thin bedded cherty . At this point the

I lower less phosphatic unit is 1.5-feet thick, dark gray to I I - 6 - I I PLATE II I TABLE OF FORMATIONS

I ERA PERIOD FORMATION

I Cenozoic Eoccne and/or Oligocene Kishenehn I Paleocene Porcupine Hills Mesozoic Paleocene and I Upper Cretaceous Willow Creek

Upper Cretacepus St. Mary River I earpaw I Belly River Wapiab i I Cardium Black Stone I Disconformity (?) Upper Cretaceous (?) Crowsnest

I Intrusive Contact I Lower Cretaceous Blairmore Lower Cretaceous I and Kootenay Jurassic Fernie I Disconformity Triassic Spray River I Palaeozoic Penn and Permian Rocky Mountain

I Mississippian Etherington Mount Head Livingstone I Banff Exshaw I Disconformity I - 7 - I I PLATE II (cont'd) I TABLE OF FORMATION I ERA PERIOD FORMATION

I Palliser Alexo Unconformity I Fairholme Unconformity I Cambrian Elko F1athea I I I I I

I I I I I I -8- I

I black, cherty and massive. Assays of samples were 8.7% and I 6.9% P205 . I The upper unit is 2.0-feet thick, dark gray to black, pelletal, siliceous in part, with a small amount of I flourite present, and weathers to a rusty brown. A bluish U white phosphate blume is nearly always present. The upper unit assayed 221% and 192.4%_P2 05 . Both units were traced 1 for some distance north (from traverse 412 to traverse 43) I and found to be fairly consistant in thickness and grade. Although at this point the grade tends'to decrease slightly

I as shown by assays. The upper unit assayed 15.9% P205, U while the lower unit assayed 4.52% P205. I North of traverse 4j3 at Race Horse Pass (traverse 44) there are thin, somewhat lenticular phosphatic units.

I Here it appears as though the two phosphate units seen to I the south have shaled out. I To the north of Race Horse Pass only the upper phosphate unit is present and it has thinned to a few

I inches in thickness and has become lenticular. In the U occasional outcrop it was found to be altogether absent. I On (traverse 414) the upper I unit was found to be only a few inches in thickness and I - 9 - I I although the lower unit was not found in outcrop samples of "float" indicate it to be of low grade and very nodular in I texture.

I Outcrops in the southern permit indicate the phos- I phate units have become very thin and lenticular. The major deposition seen to the north has become masked by I deposition.

I Fernie (Jurassic) does outcrop in a few places I near the southern end of Permit No. 21, but only in a thin fault slice and no evidence of phosphate was found..

I (Traverse #15 and traverse #16),

I In British Colunbia all investigations were I centered around the basal Fernie formation which is known to contain phosphate of fairly high grade and thickness.

I Thicknesses of this magnitude are generally due to repiti- I tion of the phosphate beds through faulting. (Telfer, 1933) I The Fernie forrpation, however, being for the most part a recessive shale, lies along the dip slopes and ex-

I tends into the valley. In most cases it is covered by I alluvium and talus varying from a few feet to many feet and good outcrops were not found. The Fernie-Spray River

I contact was walked at its outcrop through most of the area I I -10- I I under examination, and sporatic indications of phosphate were located. I In the Crowsnest Pass approximately 1-mile north I of the Alberta Gas Trunk pumping station, about 9-feet of I phosphate is seen outcroping in an old exploration trench.. The phosphate rock is dark gray to black, pelletal, slightly

I silty and would run about 22% + P 2 05 . The weathered surfaces I show the characteristic bluish white phosphate blume. Here at the Crow Mine, Telfer (1933) reports that repeating of

I the beds 4 or 5 times is not uncommon and reports widths up I to twenty and thirty feet in the Crow Mine. I Phosphate was found on the dump at an old explor- ation adit about 6-miles south of McGillivary, (traverse #19).

I Assays were extremely encouraging in that they ran 29.9% I and 35.6% P20. I In the area of Ridge, approximately six miles south of traverse #19, this same zone of phosphate

I was covered but small samples of pelletal phosphate were I found in the "float rock" and assays ran 15% P 2 95 . The thick- ness of this phosphate unit was not determined but Price (1965)

I reports a minimum of 3-feet near the northern end of Lime- I stone Ridge I I - 11 -. 1 I 3. CONCLUSIONS I I Of Western Warner's Alberta holdings the Exshaw "deposit" betwe€:n Deadrnans Pass and Racehorse Pass were the I most encouraging seen during their preliminary investigation. I At the present time this deposit of rock phosphate is marginal but should the price of phosphate increase there would be a poss- I ibility of economic exploitation.

I The phosphate units investigated to the north of I Racehorse Pass and south of Deadman's Pass are very thin and lenticular and of no economic importance. I Indications suggest Southeast B.C., as an extremely

I potential area for phosphate exploration. The thickness and I grade of Basal Fernie phosphate tend to be variable and under the right conditions could easily yield an economic deposit. I Due to the close proximity of known phosphate deposits

I that are thick or of high grade quality the Basal Fernie in the I areas of Leach Creek (Nap 1) and Crowsnest (traverse #17 and #18, Map 1) appears promising. A more detailed investigation is

I warrented in these areas.

I On account of the poor exposures, exploration would I I - 12 - I entail trenching in order to open up the phosphate zone and deter-

I mine exact thickness and grade If encouraging,trenching should I be followed up by diamond drilling to evaluate the phosphate at I depth. I Current prices, F.O.B. producing point are $6.00 and $8.00 per ton for rock phosphate, from $48.00 to $60.00 for I various triple super phosphate and $55.00 to $60.00 for phosphoric I acid,. Preliminary investigations indicate a substantial savings on freight rates from the Crowsnest Pass area to Calgary as com- I pared with Montana to Calgary.. The close proximity to abundant I supplies of sulphur, natural gas, water and electrical power as well as railway and highway transportation facilities greatly

I enhance the potential of this area as a rock phosphate producer. I I. I I I

I I I 13 - I I 4 RECOMMENDATIONS I I 1. The area between Deadman's Pass and Racehorse Pass appears to be the most promising of the Alberta holdings and a more I detailed study should beconducted

I 2. The area at the headwaters of Leach Creek (Map 1) should be I staked for Basal Fernie Phosphate. This would entail approx- imately 120 claims at a cost of about $2,000. Staking should

I be followed up by a trenching and diamçnd drilling program I to determine actual grade, thickness and tonnage of mineable rock. Price (1965) has included a detailed areal geologic

I map of this area in Memoir 336.

I 3. The area south of and in the vicinity of the hamlet of Crows- I nest should be acquired, if possible, under an Alberta Rock I Phosphate Permit and a program of trenching undertaken. I

I Respectively submitted. I I F. A Peel, P Geol. I I - 14 - I I I I I I I I I I APPENDIX I I I I I I I I I I I SUMMARY OF TRAVERSES I Traverse #1 - Exshaw I Phosphate zone covered by talus. Occasional piece of'black I pelletal silty phosphate rock found in talus (approximately 15% P205). Unable to predict thickness of phosphate zone. I Traverse #2 - Exshaw

I Two phosphate units 1octed near the top of the formation I (a) The lower unit 105-feet is a black cherty phosphatic shale.

I Assays: (a) P205 = 876% I (b) P205 = .6,79% I (b) The upper unit is 20-feet thick and separated from the lower one by 11-feet of black siliceous shale and

I is a black pelletal phosphatic rock with a bluish white I phosphate s Fluorite is found in small quantities. Assays: (a) P2 05 = 222%

I (b) E205 = 1924%

I Traverse #3 - Exshaw I Two units seen at Traverse #2 are present. I (a) Lower unit 1.5-feet hard black siliceous phosphatic shale.

I Assays: (a) P 205 = 4.52% (1526) I (i) I I Traverse #3 - Exshaw (contd) (b) The upper unit separated from the lower by about 11.5- I feet black siliceous shale is a black pelletal phosphatic I rock as seen in Traverse *2. Assays (a) P205 = 15.90% (15.29) I Traverse *4 - Exshaw I Fifteen feet. of black siliceous shale with four zones of I lenticular black pelletal, phosphatic rock were noted The phosphate lenticules varied in thickness from 2" to 6n and

I assays showed the P205 content varying from 1005% to 22,50%,,

I Traverse #5 - Exshaw I Black silicious shales si calcareous, sl,. phosphatic No phosphate rock noted. I Traverse *6 - Exshaw

I No phosphate unit noted. Black shales slightly phosphatic I in part. I Traverse #7 - Exshaw No phosphate noted. U Traverse #8 - Exshaw

U Occasional 1 11 to 2" stringer of black oolitic phosphate.

I Traverse *9 - Exshaw I 1" to 2" unit of black oolitic phosphatic rock. I (ii) I I Traverse #10 - Exshaw About 15' from base of unit a 3 1 zone of phosphatic shale. I but pelletal content very low, about 15% to 25% of shale.

I Traverse #11 Exshaw I No phosphate noted,. I . Traverse #12 - Exshaw No phosphate noted. I Traverse #13 - Exshaw

I No phosphate noted.

I Traverse #14 - Exshaw I The upper unit has thinned to a 2 11 to 3" and appears to be very lenticular. Lower unit was not seen in outcrop but

I "float" indiciated it to have become nodular.

I Traverse #15 - Fernie I No phosphate noted I Traverse #16 - Fernie I No phosphate noted, Traverse #17 - Fernie

I No phosphate noted due to heavy foliage,

I Traverse #18 - Fernie I Nb phosphate noted. I (iii) I I Traverse #19 Fernie Old exploration adit. Two grab samples from the dump assayed I 29.9% P2O5 and 356% P0 5 .,

I Traverse #20 - Fernie I Small chips of dark gray to black pelletal phosphate rock found in talus. Assay - 15% p 0 Thickness of phosphate

I rock unit could not be determined. I I I I I I I I I I I I I (iv) I I List of Assay

I Sample Nq Traverse 4* Formation Represented % P0s I 1506 #2 Exshaw 15 8.76% 1507 #2 Exshaw 1,5 6.79% I 1504 #2 Exshaw 2.0 222% I 1505 #2 Exshaw 2.0 19.24% 1526 #3 Exshaw 15 452%

I 1529 #3 Exshaw 2.0 15.90% I 1532 4*4 Exshaw 05 20.90% 1533 #4 Exshaw 05 22.50%

I 1534 #4 Exshaw 0,4 10.50% I 1535 #19 Basal Fernie Grab Sample 29,9% 1536 #19 Basal Fernie Grab Sample 35.6%

I 1531 #20 Basal Fernie Grab Sample 14.13% I I I I I I I I (v) Plate III - Exshaw Outcrop in Deadznan Pass

Plate IV - Fernie outcrop in area of Proposed Staking

(vi) I

I BIBLIOGRAPHY I

I Price, R.A.,, 1965, Flathead Map-Area,

British Columbia and Alberta, Geol. I Sur. of Can. Mem. 336 I Telfer, L. 1933, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, I Trans., Vol e 36 I I I I I I I I I I I U (vii) I

I CERTIFICATE I I This is to certify that I, Frederick A. Peel: - 1 l Am a resident of Calgary Alberta, and live at 2 Am a graduate of Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, I B. Sc. in 1961 with one year of graduate studies at Stanford University, California, I 3, Am a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of I Alberta. 4. Have no interest either direct or indirect in the properties I or securities of Western Warner Oils Ltd, nor do I expect to have any other than that which I may purchase on the open I market 5. Have written this report on a personal examination of the I area and assistance of those reports included in the Bibliography. I I I F. A. Peel, P. Geol. I I I I I

CROWSNEST PASS AREA WESTERN WARNER OILS LTD. SCALE 1; 260,000 8 4 0 MAGNETIC DECLINATION MAP F. A. PEEL &51 114 Rock Phosphate Prospecting Permit No. 21 was issued September 29, 1965 to Western Warner Oils Ltd., Calgary. The permit was cancelled without ' any lease(s) being selected no report was submitted.

(Some information on Permit 21 can be found in the report submitted For

Permit 2O, ie. "Pre Rminary Geological Examination' by F.A. Pee I) A N SCALE ROCK PHOSPHATE PROSPECTING PERMIT NO. 20

•1

4

TP 10

TP. 9

IP. 8

I it R.5 R.4 R.3 W.5M.

/ ,*ROCK PHOSPHATE PR!SPECTING PERMIT NO. 20 (tA-w44)

) .;.- 4 -

rp. 10

TP. 9

TP. 8

R.5 R.4 R.3 W.5M. ROCK PHOSPHATE PROSPECTING PERMIT NO. 21

P.6

P. 5

IP.4

TP. 3

R. . R. Z W. b M. R. 5 R.4 3