MINERAL DEPOSITS OF VANCOUVER ISLAND By Jacques Houle
MINERAL DEPOSITS OF VANCOUVER ISLAND By Jacques Houle, P. Eng. May 2014
Data Sources BC MINFILE http: //www. empr. gov. bc. ca/Mining/Geoscience/MINFILE/Pages/default. aspx BC Map. Place http: //www. empr. gov. bc. ca/Mining/Geoscience/Map. Place/Pages/default. aspx BC Mineral Deposit Profiles http: //www. empr. gov. bc. ca/Mining/Geoscience/Mineral. Deposit. Profiles/Pages/default. aspx
Highly Varied Deposit Types
Few Long Life Producers
Highly Varied Deposit Types
+95% Wrangellia
• • • 50% Volcanic: 1% Miocene (Alert Bay) 3% Eocene (Metchosin) 10% Jurassic (Bonanza) 30% Triassic (Karmutsen) 6% Devonian (Sicker)
• • • 20% Sedimentary: 9% Cretaceous (Nanaimo) 9% Triassic (Quatsino / Parson Bay) 2% Permian (Buttle Lake)
• • • 25% Intrusive: 1% Miocene (Klaskish) 5% Eocene (Mt. Washington) 15% Jurassic (Island) 3% Triassic (Mt. Hall) 1% Devonian (Saltspring)
5 % Metamorphic • 3% Post-Jurassic (Leech River) • 2% Pre-Jurassic (West Coast Complex)
10% Quaternary Sediment Cover
MINFILE Totals
MINFILE Totals • • • Dimension Stone deposit data incomplete to absent Coal deposit data limited but tonnage is significant Metallic deposit data extensive and interesting Copper, Gold, Zinc and Iron most significant metals >C$55 Billion in 185 metal deposits at todays prices
Producers & Past Producers
Producers & Past Producers • • • Dimension stone deposit data largely absent Coal deposit data historically very significant Metallic mineral deposit data dominates Copper, Gold, Zinc and Iron most significant metals >C$25 Billion in 123 metal deposits at todays prices
Developed Prospects
Developed Prospects • • Limestone deposits on Texada Island & Northern Vancouver Island dominate industrial minerals data Coal data dominated by Comox area deposits Copper and Gold most significant metals >C$30 Billion in 64 metal deposits at todays prices
MINFILE Metallic Mineral Totals
MINFILE Metallic Mineral Totals • • Copper primarily in Porphyry Deposits Gold mainly in Porphyry Deposits, but Exhalative (VMS) Deposits contribute significantly as well Zinc entirely in Exhalative (VMS) Deposits Iron almost entirely in Skarn Deposits
Metallic Producers & Past Producers
Metallic Producers & Past Producers • • Copper mainly from Porphyry and VMS deposits Gold mainly as by-product from VMS Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag. Au and Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits, with some from Au Quartz Veins Zinc entirely from VMS deposits Iron mainly from Fe-Cu Skarn deposits
Metallic Developed Prospects
Metallic Developed Prospects • • Copper mainly in Porphyry deposits, with some in VMS deposits Gold mainly in Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits, with significant amounts in both VMS Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au and Au Quartz Vein deposits Zinc almost exclusively in VMS deposits Iron almost exclusively in Fe-Cu Skarn deposits
Mineral Deposit Settings 1. Convergent Plate Boundary – Island Arc: Porphyry, Epithermal, Skarn, Veins 2. Divergent Plate Boundary – Spreading Centre: VMS (Exhalative)
Mineral Deposit Models
Porphyry/Skarn/Vein Deposit Settings Clustered Together!
Porphyry/Skarn/Vein Deposit Models/Profiles Co-genetic and Co-spatial Relationships! Current Erosional Level determines Deposit Depth!
Skarn Deposit Settings
Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Deposit Settings
Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) Deposit Models/Profiles
Key Points � � � Widely varied commodities and deposit types Copper, Gold, Zinc, Iron are metals of greatest value Metallic production >C$25 Billion at todays prices Metallic developed prospects >C$30 Billion! Metallic deposit types to target: 1. 2. 3. Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au (Jurassic, Eocene, Miocene) VMS Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au (Devonian) Fe-Cu Skarn (Jurassic, Eocene, Miocene)
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