Miners Queen Copper
Historic copper prospect with significant exploration potential
| Location | Historic Resources | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Skamania County, Washington |
225x100ftx50ft zone of Cu mineralization grading 0.65-0.72% |
Owned Outright |
Location and access
The Miners Queen project is located in Skamania County, Washington, 21 miles northeast of Yacolt. Access is via 14 miles of paved/gravel road and 7 miles of dirt road.
Geology
The Miners Queen deposit is situated within the Silver Star plutonic complex, which intrudes Eocene to Oligocene volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Mineralization is hosted in breccia pipes and fracture zones within granodiorite and quartz diorite porphyry phases of the complex.
The mineralized zone identified to date measures approximately 225 feet long by 125 feet wide. Chalcopyrite is the primary copper mineral, occurring with bornite, molybdenite, magnetite, pyrrhotite and pyrite. Higher grade mineralization of around 1% copper is found in highly brecciated areas. Alteration includes potassic, phyllic, argillic and propylitic assemblages, with intense tourmalinization associated with the breccia pipes. The deposit displays characteristics typical of a high-level porphyry copper-molybdenum system.
Exploration and Resources
Limited historical mining occurred in the early 1900s, with a small 11-ton shipment grading 3.4% copper made in 1952. Modern exploration began in 1955 when the US Bureau of Mines completed 5 diamond drill holes totaling 628 feet. This work outlined copper mineralization over a 225 ft by 125 ft area, with grades ranging from 0.65-0.72% copper over vertical depths of 35-60 feet in the southern part of the zone.
From 1974-1978, Amoco Minerals conducted extensive exploration including geophysics, geochemistry, geological mapping and several thousand feet of core drilling over a 5.5 square mile area. While results are not public, this work significantly expanded the prospective area. The deposit remains open, particularly at depth where grades may improve. With its excellent location and infrastructure, the Miners Queen represents an attractive copper-molybdenum exploration target with potential to host a significant porphyry-style resource.
Further information is available on request. Please feel free to get in touch with a member of our team, or fill out the form below.
| Hole | ft | Cu % |
|---|---|---|
|
DH1 |
36.4 |
0.65 |
|
DH2 |
9 |
3.11 |
|
DH3 |
2.2 |
1.59 |
|
DH4 |
29.3 |
0.72 |
|
DH5 |
54.9 |
0.66 |