Grant: Alliance Grants

A number of critical metals listed in Canada's critical mineral strategy, including zinc, gallium, germanium, indium, uranium and cobalt are enriched in sedimentary rocks. The western Cordillera of Canada and Alaska contain several basins that contain sedimentary rocks of varying age from the Upper Paleoproterozoic to Late Cretaceous. These basins also contain significant deposits of Pb, Zn and Ag, alongside various critical metal byproducts including known Ga, Ge and In, as well as potentially Co and other critical metals. However, the tonnage, grade and ratios of byproduct critical metals to main commodity metals (e.g. Pb, Zn, Ag) vary significantly, which impacts the economic and strategic significance of these critical metal resources. We propose a multi-scale project operating from the basin to mineral scale that seeks to determine: (1) What controls does depositional environment and basin history play on critical metal endowment at the basin scale? (2) What controls the relative enrichment of Ga, Ge and In relative to Pb and Zn which typically are associated with these elements in the form of galena and sphalerite? (3) What opportunities for critical mineral recovery exist in historically produced mine tailings such as those at Sullivan in southern BC? These findings will be used to inform decision making by mineral explorers, and to help inform provincial and federal government about the opportunities that exist within historical mining operations. We will partner with a successful junior exploration company (Fireweed Minerals) who are currently drilling out a new discovery of Pb-Zn-Ag in the Selwyn Basin, Teck Resources who produce Zn, In, Ga and Ge from the Red Dog Deposit in Alaska and are exploring for Zn resources and associated critical metals at Cirque and other properties in the Cordillera, and the provincial geological surveys of British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.