Minerals Report Sparks Interest

Monday, September 25, 2006 04:55 PM

Google Earth image of area south and west of Prince George, north-west of Anahim Lake that is said to be rich in mineral deposits

Exploration companies are paying very close attention to data in a Geoscience report. The report indicates that there are 60 base and precious metal occurrences in the Anahim Lake and Nechako River basin area.

In the Fawning Range and Ootsa Lake area, gold values up to 694ppb and copper up to 1536 ppm have been detected in sediment samples sending off a rush to stake out the areas.

Geoscience was established by the Government of BC with a grant to assist companies in the search for metals after the Pine beetle ravaged these areas and the government began to try and diversify the economy of the respective areas.

During 2005, a total of 2070 drainage sediment and water samples were collected from 1957 sites covering 19,500 square kilometers. Most of the samples were taken from lakes. Exploration for not only gold, copper and other precious metals has been hampered by glacial sediment and Miocene lava cover. These studies by Geoscience have turned up 60 base and precious metal occurrences in the area that they have studied.

One of Geoscience BC’s priorities is to accelerate data collection to help attract mineral and oil and gas exploration investment in forest dependent areas of central BC impacted by the Pine Beetle.

Geoscience is a non profit, non government organization formed in the spring of 2005 and funded by a $25 million dollar start up grant from the provincial government. In partnership with industry, academia, government, and communities, Geoscience BC funds projects such as geological mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys and the development of new Geoscience techniques and methods designed to improve understanding of the province’s geological features.

Major oil companies have not done any exploratory drilling in the Nechako basin although opinions suggest upwards of 5 billion barrels of oil exist. Geoscience has been doing exploratory work on this project hoping to have the oil companies drill in the area.

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Posted on Monday, September 25, 2006 04:55 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on September 25 2006 7:41 PM

Ya gotta talk to the First Nations people right away. Don't put it off. Don't delay. Don't hesitate. Don't pause. Don't ponder. Don't muse. It will take "many winters" that will make your grandchildren pensioners before you get any definate maybes for permission to do anything. Avoid burial grounds. They are a (pardon the pun) a death nell for any exploration. Good luck, oh potential miners. History says so.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on September 25 2006 11:13 PM

In the NWT the land claims process asked First Nations types to pick areas they considered traditional. Funny thing was it just turns out every diamond mine and gold claim was a traditional site that got put in as settlement area.

Some of the areas were so desolute and barren that their had not been a human track there until the white trash showed up.

It'll be the same with any mineral found under some logged off pine ridge that no one has ever been to. If the miners are smart they should first stake areas away from their mine site, let the Indians claim it. Once that is settled then "find" the mineral site that has the good stuff. Leave the Indians and the government with the salted property to quabble over.