Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

British Columbia accounts for half of Canada's copper production and the bulk of that copper derives from*porphyry copper deposits. These deposits generally contain appreciable amounts of other metals such as gold,*silver, and molybdenum. They occur in mountain belts around the world and are most common in younger*belts such as the cordilleras of North and South America. These deposits are generally thought to be part of a*larger mineralizing system often with an epithermal deposit sitting directly above. Often the epithermal deposit*has been eroded away, directly exposing the porphyry copper deposit at surface. In some cases, another type of*copper deposit, a tourmaline breccia deposit, sits above the porphyry. Tourmaline breccia copper deposits in*the Los Bronces - Rio Blanco systems in Chile are typical economic versions of these deposits with porphyry*copper mineralization occurring deeper in the system. As the tourmaline breccia deposits sit above the copper*porphyry deposits, often at surface, they may provide a useful and more-distinct exploration target and are*desirable as they contain not just one, but two potential copper mines. The Giant Copper property in Southern*BC exhibits all the characteristics of a tourmaline breccia deposit, has excellent exposure, and acccess. To date*no economic copper-bearing tourmaline deposits have been found in the northern Cordillera. The aim of this*proposal is to support a PhD student, W. Fischer, to undertake a detailed comparison of the mineralogy,*chemistry, tectonics, and general geology of the Giant Copper property with the Chilean system to assess the*potential of tourmaline breccia veins, which are relatively abundant in BC, as a new exploration target for BC*and their value as an exploration vector to deeper porphyry copper deposits. The major outcomes of this project*are to develop a better understanding of the nature of copper and gold enrichment in the Giant Copper*exploration property, resulting in better exploration models for Imperial Metals Corporation's currently held*properties. It will also place them in an excellent position to acquire new properties and extend their holdings.*Results will ultimately be publicly available via W. Fischer's thesis and any resulting publications.