Geoscience BC revealed new project data at the AME Roundup conference today will likely spark investment in mineral exploration and guide land planning in northern BC.
The Search Phase III project data highlights where mineral deposits may be with more accuracy than ever before. This will help the exploration sector, communities, First Nations, and governments to plan future land use and attract investment.
Search Phase III covers a remote 9,600 km2 area of north central and northeastern B.C. from the proposed Kemess Underground mine south to near Mackenzie. Helicopters equipped with ultra-sensitive magnetometers flew at a constant elevation of 80 metres for more than 40,000 km in the area – the equivalent of flying around the Earth. The data was then collated for release at this week’s AME Roundup conference.
Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Michelle Mungall welcomed the publication of the results.
“Globally, the increased demand for technologies like smartphones and electric cars is also increasing the demand for metals and minerals produced in British Columbia. Geoscience BC projects like this are critical to sparking exploration, discovery and ultimately the production of metals such as copper which are used for these items every day,” she said in a news release.
Commenting on the release of the results, Geoscience BC Vice President of Minerals and Mining Bruce Madu saidthe project highlights new potential deposits containing metals like copper in a region that has been home to several mines in the past.
“It’s an exciting example of how new science can be used to drive investment and stimulate our economy,” he said.
Northern Development Initiative Trust provided part of the project’s funding.
“The mining sector in British Columbia is gaining as commodity prices recover, creating new potential investment opportunities that will benefit communities across northern B.C.,” said Joel McKay, CEO. “This data is critically important to informing mineral exploration decisions, and helping our region capitalize on global trends. We continue to value our partnership with Geoscience BC and commend them for their work on Search Phase III.”
Now that results are published, Geoscience BC will continue to work with First Nations and other communities in the project area to demonstrate how they can best use the new data. All results – from raw data to a series of summary maps – are available publicly for free.
The Geoscience BC team is available to discuss the data and other projects at AME Roundup Conference in the Vancouver Convention Centre West until Thursday January 25.
