Geoscience BC targets ‘hidden’ Central Interior copper-gold deposits

by Julie Matchett
Geoscience representative discussing info at open house with a man.

Geoscience BC recently held an open house in Prince George to announce the Central Interior Copper-Gold Research series. — Photo courtesy Lorne Clarke

Between the Mount Milligan and Gibraltar and Mount Polley mines exists a potential wealth of undiscovered copper-gold deposits. Hidden beneath glacial sediments left by receding glaciers, the deposits are the focus of a new collaborative series by Geoscience BC called the Central Interior Copper-Gold Research (CICGR) series. The project aims to better understand the potential deposits, attract investment and encourage mineral exploration across 50,700 square kilometres of British Columbia’s Central Interior.

Geoscience BC vice president, Minerals Christa Pellett commented, “The till that covers much of the Central Interior makes it hard to see the rocks hidden below. The Central Interior Copper-Gold Research series will help to understand the composition and thickness of the till, and to focus the search for copper-gold deposits.”

At a recent open house held at the Uda Dune Baiyoh House of Ancestors in Prince George, Geoscience BC unveiled the details of two initial projects. The CICGR: Surficial Exploration Project will combine new and existing till samples with high resolution satellite imagery to help identify areas of potential mineral exploration interest. The CICGR: Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia Project is using existing Geoscience BC and other publicly available geophysical data to identify, map and model prospective copper-gold deposits.

The results from both projects will be shared publicly and can also be used by communities and Indigenous groups to aid in land planning and economic development decisions, as well as guide future CICGR research.

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