Exploring the Emancipation Mine

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• published: 02 Aug 2015
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The former Emancipation mine is located 1 kilometre west of the Coquihalla River, between Fifteen Mile and Ladner creeks. Hope located approximately 15 kilometres to the southwest. The Emancipation mine was developed by five adits (adits 1-4 and A) concentrated along a series of gold-bearing quartz ±carbonate veins that cut the Spider Peak Formation. These veins were the principal ore source of the mine. However, two of the lower workings (adits 3 and 4) were driven on a talc-bearing zone within the Hozameen fault that was apparently barren. In 1933, a drift on the No. 4 level intersected a 3.35-metre wide vein directly beneath the ore zone in the No. 2 winze. The central part contained abundant sulphides and a chip sample across 2.44 metres yielded 13.71 grams per tonne gold and 3.43 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 23492). A picked sample from the face yielded 72.68 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23492). There are essentially three sets of quartz± carbonate veins at the mine. These include the Boulder vein and the Dike vein, separated by a set of irregular, reverse- dipping, flat veins. Both the Dike and Boulder veins typically follow reverse fractures and vary markedly in attitude and character along strike and with depth. The flat veins apparently follow second order sigmoidal tension fractures. On the surface, close to adit 2, the Boulder vein strikes north and follows the faulted contact between the Spider Creek Formation and the Ladner Group. Farther north, the vein system splays, swings to a northeasterly strike and is locally hosted entirely within Ladner rocks. It is the widest vein on the property, varying between 0.5 and 4.6 metres in width, and dipping from 50 to 65 degrees west. It contains mainly milky to clear massive quartz, and minor amounts of calcite. The vein carries sporadic traces of disseminated pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite, but little or no gold. Locally, the margins of the Boulder vein grade outward into brecciated zones up to 3 metres wide. These comprise fragments of Ladner rock with disseminated sulphides set in a vein matrix that contains minor to trace amounts of albite, calcite, dolomite, siderite, gypsum, pyrrhotite and marcasite. Surface drilling north of the Emancipation mine was conducted to delineate geological contacts, structures, quartz veins and mineralization. The drill holes intersected similar structures and rock types as were intersected during underground drilling. This drilling was favourable for sulphide replacement zones but no significant altered or mineralized zones were found. In 1910, the construction of the Kettle Valley railway opened the area to prospecting and mineral exploration; this led to the discovery and staking of the Emancipation claim in 1913. Intermittent production occurred at the Emancipation gold mine between 1916 and 1941. By 1921, a considerable amount of underground development work had been carried out and a 5-stamp mill installed with a 4.53 tonne per day capacity. The operator at this time was Liberator Mining Co. Between 1922 and 1933 ownership changed hands several times, with Dawson Gold Mines Ltd. as the main operator. Kettle Valley Gold Mine Ltd. conducted limited work in 1937. The mill operated at 22.68 tonnes per day with ore mined from the No. 2 level. In 1971, Aquarius Resources Ltd. restaked the Emancipation as the Hope claim group and renewed exploration on the property. In 1972, the underground workings were surveyed, mapped and sampled. Surface geological mapping was carried out in 1973. From 1974 to 1976, an extensive surface exploration was carried out under the supervision of Cochrane Consultants Ltd. In 1980, an all-weather road was constructed and further underground mapping and sampling was carried out. A surface and underground drilling program was carried out in 1981 by Aquarius Resources Ltd. Underground drilling consisted of 31 drill holes, totalling 1177 metres. Surface drilling consisted of 10 drill holes, totalling 901 metres. In 1991 and 1992, Homegold Resources, under option from Anglo Swiss Mining, conducted considerable underground refurbishing on the No. 3 and 4 levels. Three underground drill holes were completed, totalling 81.38 metres. During 1994 through 2001, Homegold Resources completed programs of geological mapping and prospecting. In 2008, Module Resources prospected the area. The Emancipation gold mine was active between 1916 and 1941, producing 18,818 grams of silver, 90,104 grams of gold, 61 kilograms of lead and 85 kilograms of zinc from a total of 1158 tonnes mined.