Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/646629
12 S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 Photograph : Jiri Herriman /S eabridge Gold Inc . 1. ESKAY CREEK Initially spearheaded by the great Murray Pezim in 1987, this world-class deposit appears as a one-line note in the provin- cial government's Exploration in British Columbia 1988 review. Therein, the author states that 2,438 metres of drilling had been completed, and under deposit type it just says "Vein?" It took over 100 drill holes to reveal the potential at Eskay Creek, with the now-famous 109th hole returning a 208-metre interval grad- ing an average of 0.87 ounces gold, 0.97 ounces silver, 1.12 per cent lead and 2.26 per cent zinc. It has been subsequently identified as one of the most significant volcanic massive sulphide deposits in Canada and, although no longer in oper- ation, Eskay Creek remains a jewel in B.C.'s mineral crown. 2. BRUCEJACK The story of how Brucejack went from being the target of early precious and base metals prospecting in the late 1880s to closing construction financing in 2015 is one of perfect timing. Many compan- ies have looked at the area in the past, including Esso Minerals Canada Ltd., which explored the Brucejack Lake and West zones in the early 1980s, and the Newcana Joint Venture, which com- pleted a feasibility study in the early 1990s. Silver Standard Resources Inc. acquired the property in the late 1990s, but it took some interest from out- side parties to prompt exploration in the Snowfield area from 2006 to 2009. Finally, in 2009, Silver Standard discov- ered the Valley of the Kings zone, and Pretium Resources Inc. acquired the B.C.'s best THE TOP 10 MINERAL DEPOSIT DISCOVERIES IN THE LAST 35 YEARS By LiBBy Sharman T op-10 lists are frequently contentious to compile, and this holds true for this assessment of the 10 great- est mineral deposit discoveries in British Columbia in the 35 years of Mineral Exploration magazine's reporting. As many deposits were long known as showings or smaller- scale resources before their true potential was discovered, we've defined a deposit's discovery date as when something happened to declare it mineable. Many great B.C. deposits did not make this list as they were discovered before 1981, and there are several that were close (Snip being a notable mention), but in the end there was only room for 10.