Extracts from MINFILE No.: 082FSW211, and MINFILE No 082FSW355.
Development status: Undeveloped Prospect
MINFILE No.: 082FSW211:
Name: MAMMOTH (L.14694), MONARCH, KENO, MARIPOSITE
The Mammoth occurrence is located 15 kilometres south-southwest of Nelson. The area has been explored since 1917.
The area is underlain by sediments of the Hall Formation and volcanic rocks of the Elise Formation both of the Lower Jurassic Rossland Group. These have been intruded by the Middle to Late Jurassic Nelson Intrusions.
Erratic but widespread molybdenum-copper, with minor lead- zinc-silver mineralization and traces of gold, occur within and around skarn and contact zones. The skarn zones, containing scattered mineralization, are hosted in volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Mineralization primarily occurs as disseminated pyrite, molybdenite, and chalcopyrite in skarn zones within augite porphyry and agglomerate of the Elise Formation adjacent to the Bonnington pluton. Locally, minor veins carry sulphides but further to the north (Keno 082FSW349) significant mineralization similar to the Fern mine (082FSW183) occurs. Tungsten was reported by Little in 1959 but this has not been verified except geochemically.
Silicification, potassic alteration and skarnification are most common in the volcanic rocks. Most of the sulphide-rich areas are at or near contact zones of volcanics with intrusive rocks. Although the hornfelsed argillites of the Hall Formation host significant disseminated pyrite and some pyrrhotite locally, no economic mineralization in these rocks is reported.
Recent samples taken from surface trenches assayed up to 0.066 per cent molybdenum, 1.66 per cent copper, 15.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.08 per cent lead, 0.143 per cent zinc and 0.1260 per cent nickel (Assessment Report 10416). Old drill core samples returned higher molybdenum values but the mineralization is very erratic. Only traces of gold have been reported.
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