Mineral Exploration

Peter Bradshaw Ursula Mowat Ron Britten 18 S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 Photographs : Velour Produc tions /AME BC H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award Excellence in Prospecting and Mineral Exploration Recipients: Peter Bradshaw, Ron Britten and Ursula Mowat Peter Bradshaw, Ron Britten and Ursula Mowat are the recipients of the H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in recognition of their efforts in identifying and commencing development of a new type of nickel deposit exemplified by the Decar project in central British Columbia. It is rare to identify a new deposit type and even more unusual to then become the first to significantly advance one. Mowat, after graduating from the University of British Columbia with a B.Sc. in geology and then working for several mining companies, turned to prospecting in the Mount Sidney Williams ultramaf ic complex. She acquired claims over the complex in 1986, which she optioned to a series of junior companies exploring for gold over the next decade. Aware of the potential for chromite, nickel and platinum group elements, Mowat noted that petro- graphic PhD work from Peter Whittaker indicated the presence of a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy called awa- ruite in several samples. She recognized the possibility for a bulk-tonnage, low- grade nickel deposit and convinced Peter Bradshaw and Ron Britten of First Point Minerals Corp. to joint venture her property. Exploration work in 1997 conducted by Mowat and funded by First Point was unsuccessful in recognizing awaruite mineralization and, because of the low price of nickel, the option was dropped the following spring. In 2007, with a dramatic rise in the price of nickel, First Point – at this stage a two-man company – decided to review all historical and new data on awaruite and acquire claims over several awaruite-bearing ultramafic bodies in northern British Columbia, including the Decar nickel project near Mount Sidney Williams. Bradshaw, a geologist/ geochemist, had worked for the Royal School of Mines, Barringer Research Ltd., Placer Development Ltd. and Orvana Minerals Corp., while Britten, an economic geologist, had worked with Sumitomo Corp., Esso Minerals and Homestake Mining Co. AME BC honoured its 2015 award recipients on January 27 at Mineral Exploration Roundup 2016. Every January, the Association celebrates the important achievements made by leaders in the min- eral exploration development community: in B.C., throughout Canada and internationally. And the award goes to… WINNERS OF THE 2015 AME BC AWARDS By the AMe BC AwArds CoMMittee, with introduCtion By JonAthAn BuChAnAn

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