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Kitsault, BC Moly, Lime Creek, Bell Moly, Roundy Creek, Ajax Moly |
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British Columbia, Canada |
| Main commodities:
Mo Au
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Super Porphyry Cu and Au
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IOCG Deposits - 70 papers
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All papers now Open Access.
Available as Full Text for direct download or on request. |
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The BC Moly Kitsault , also known as Lime Creek, is located in west-central British Columbia, Canada. It is one of a group of occurrences in the Alice Arm district, including Bell Moly (32 Mt @ 0.11% Mo), Ajax (197 Mt @ 0.07% Mo) and Roundy Creek (7 Mt @ 0.11% Mo), of which only BC Moly/Kitsault has been exploited. In each of these occurrences mineralisation is associated with Eocene plugs 2 to 10 km to the east of the early Tertiary (mainly Eocene) phases of the outcropping Coast Plutonic Complex. Many of these plugs have been localised at or near the intersection of the NNE and NNW trending faults of the district, while other are elongated in these directions. The intruded sequences include the lower to middle Jurassic Hazelton Group intermediate to acid volcanics and sediments, and the middle to upper Jurassic Bowser Group sediments (of the Bowser Basin). Similar plugs and associated Mo occurrences also cut the Coast Plutonic Complex to the west (Woodcock & Carter, 1976).
At BC Moly/Kitsault, molybdenite mineralisation is associated with a small elliptical stock of quartz-monzonite (adamellite) to quartz-diorite in composition which intrudes siltstones and greywackes of late Jurassic to possibly lower Cretaceous age within the Bowser Group. The main stock is around 1000 m in diameter and composed mainly of porphyritic rocks. An eastward extension protrudes around 500 m into the sediments from the southern margin, giving the plug a roughly overall L shape. The plug has a north-south elongated core of quartz-monzonite (adamellite) porphyry, flanked to the west and south-east by quartz-diorite, while dykes of alaskite and quartz monzonite to granodiorite porphyries and breccias cut both. The surrounding greywackes were converted to biotite hornfels, with biotitisation being developed over an annular zone varying from 500 to 1000 m outwards from the plugs margin. Hydrothermal alteration is represented largely by quartz, orthoclase and sericite forming an almost circular zone largely within the stock and centred on its northern half. Within the centre of this zone intense alteration produced a quartz-orthoclase zone around 1000 m in diameter, with a 600 m diameter core of quartz-orthoclase veining. This zone is abruptly surrounded by less intense sericitisation.
The zone of molybdenite mineralisation is an elliptical annular structure largely within the plug, with dimensions of 700 x 450 m and varying in width from 50 to 200 m, with a barren core 490 x 300 m. The mineralised annulus is developed within and outwards from the intense quartz-orthoclase alteration zone, and on its north-east and west side follows the margin of the plug, but cuts across it on the south. Molybdenite mineralisation occurs along the boundaries of 0.3 to 0.6 cm quartz veinlets and in hairline fractures, while disseminations are only found in the alaskite dykes. Quartz veins are closely spaced and appear to be randomly distributed in the stockwork, although in general the majority are near vertical and trend NNE. Pyrite also occurs as disseminations within the stock and in fractures and veins (Woodcock & Carter, 1976).
Published reserve and production figures include:
81 Mt @ 0.2% Mo, 0.01 g/t Au (Prod.+Res. 1984, incl. Prod. 45 mt, 1967-72, Dawson, etal. 1991).
For more detail consult the reference(s) listed below.
The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 1996.
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
© Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd. Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.
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Steininger R C 1985 - Geology of the Kitsault Molybdenum deposit, British Columbia: in Econ. Geol. v80 pp 57-71
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Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd (PorterGeo) provides access to this database at no charge. It is largely based on scientific papers and reports in the public domain, and was current when the sources consulted were published. While PorterGeo endeavour to ensure the information was accurate at the time of compilation and subsequent updating, PorterGeo, its employees and servants: i). do not warrant, or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency, or otherwise; and ii). expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or conclusions contained herein.
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