Lucky Mike tungsten occurrence, Swakum Mountain, Merritt area, Nicola Mining Division, British Columbia, Canadai

Regional Level Types
Lucky Mike tungsten occurrence	Occurrence
Swakum Mountain	- not defined -
Merritt area	- not defined -
Nicola Mining Division	Division
British Columbia	Province
Canada	Country

The Lucky Mike tungsten occurrence is located near the summit of Swakum Mountain, about 22.5 kilometres north-northeast of the small city of Merritt, or 48 kilometres south-southwest of Kamloops, British Columbia, in the Nicola Mining Division.
There is a description of the property, including regional geology, on the British Columbia “Minfile” site, current to 2021. That portion relative to the general geological setting is quoted below:
“The area around Swakum Mountain consists of folded Upper Triassic Nicola Group volcanic rocks with interbedded sedimentary units. These rocks are intruded by large north-trending felsic to intermediate intrusions (batholiths) east and west of the mountain. Nicola Group rocks on the mountain strike north to northeast with generally steep dips. For a large part they consist of andesitic flows and tuffs, agglomerates, and occasional basalts and rhyolites. A break occurs in the volcanic stratigraphy and is comprised of a mixed volcanic-sedimentary unit consisting of a thick sequence of felsic volcanic flows, lithic and crystal tuffs, limy sediments and a prominent limestone. This unit has a northeast strike and crosses the mountain for a 2.5-kilometre strike length. The unit has been historically used as a marker horizon in interpreting a large, asymmetrical, south-plunging anticline with its north-trending axis near Swakum Mountain summit. Narrow quartz porphyry dikes locally intrude the Nicola Group sequence. To the east of this marker unit are a thick, unconformable wedge of immature sediments, predominantly coarse polymictic conglomerates (fan-type) and grits with minor cherty units. Most of the old workings on the mountain occur in close proximity to or within this volcanic-sedimentary unit. The Swakum Mountain deposits consist of polymetallic skarn-type mineralization, lead-zinc-silver bearing quartz veins and replacements, and polymetallic quartz veins.
On the Lucky Mike property, polymetallic skarn mineralization is associated with altered sections of the marker horizon unit of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. Limy volcanics, tuffs and limestone of this marker unit have been in part, converted to garnet-epidote-calcite skarn with associated copper, tungsten, silver and minor gold and zinc mineralization. Recent drilling has indicated that tungsten mineralization is widespread in the garnet skarn while copper-zinc- gold-silver values tend to be restricted to late crosscutting structures.”
Giles Peatfield comments:
I have chosen to present this property because of the presence of scheelite. The occurrence was tested during WWII, by the Canadian “Metals Controller” (refer to Wikipedia, “Department of Munitions and Supply”). In the event, no viable deposit was found, and the claims were allowed to lapse (Cockfield, 1948). Later operators have expanded the work to include a search for scheelite and molybdenite in skarns, adjacent to the original tungsten discovery.
The Lucky Mike has had a very small amount of production. In 1917 and 1924, the original base and precious metal occurrence was mined and the material apparently shipped to a smelter (not named). Dr. J. D. Scott points out that at this time, given copper and lead credits, the smelter was almost certainly ASARCO’s facility at Tacoma, Washington. Total production was 24 tonnes (26 tons), yielding 137 troy ounces of silver; 2 troy ounces of gold; 876 kilograms (1,931 pounds) of copper and 795 kilograms (1,753 pounds) of lead.
Giles Peatfield comments on the minerals reported:
I have made specific comments about only some of the minerals reported. Many others are common and have either been reported by several workers, or were identified in polished thin sections. Specific comments follow:
Amphibole group: Reported by Wells (1989) and Turner (2015), as “hornblende”, with no specific data. Leitch (2016) found actinolite in polished thin sections.
Aragonite?: Turner (2017) mentioned aragonite in drill core, but gave no specific data regarding the identification; the mineral should be regarded as tentative for the locality.
Bornite?: This was reported by Turner (2017) in one example in drill-core logging. There are no confirmatory data; the mineral should be regarded as tentative for the locality.
Chlorite group: This has been reported by all workers, but with no specific mineralogical data.
Galena: This was not reported by earlier workers, who were discussing the original tungsten occurrence. Turner (2016, 2017) and Leitch (2016) in polished thin section, found it in drill core from the more recent drill area to the west.
Garnet group: Garnet was reported by all workers, with no specific data except for Wells (1989) who described it as “andraditic”, presumably based on its colour.
Gypsum: Reported only by Turner (1917) in drill core.
Hematite: Reported by all workers. Hedley (1943) described it as “specular”.
Laumontite?: Reported by Turner (2017) in drill core, but with no specific data; the mineral should be regarded as tentative for the locality.
Malachite?: Turner (2017) reported malachite in a shear in drill core, but at a depth of about 440 metres, which makes it seem unlikely.
Marcasite: Leitch (2016) found a small amount of marcasite in a polished thin section.
Pyroxene group: Cockfield (1948) mentioned pyroxene, but gave no specific data.
Scheelite: This is the mineral of primary mineralogical interest for the occurrence; it has been reported by all workers. Of interest is a comment by Hedley (1943) who noted that “Scheelite occurs in the garnetite as small disseminated grains whose fluorescent colour varies from nearly white to distinctly yellow.”, suggesting that powellite may be present locally.
Giles Peatfield comments on the rock types reported:
All these rock names are based on field identifications. In some cases, two names may refer to the same rock type, with the difference depending on the reporter.

Other Databases

Link to British Columbia Minfile:	092ISE027

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References