Silbak Premier Mine, Stewart, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia, Canadai
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Silbak Premier Mine | Mine |
| Stewart | - not defined - |
| Skeena Mining Division | Division |
| British Columbia | Province |
| Canada | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
56° 1' 59'' North , 130° 1' 0'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart | 496 (2013) | 11.0km |
A gold-silver & minor lead-zinc mine producing 2.5 million oz. Ag/year (circa 1930). Ten year production to 1930 = > 1 million oz Au & 26 million oz. Ag.
An amalgamation of the Premier and Silbak mines, 700-2500 feet in elevation on the west slope of Bear River Ridge, 0.5 miles north of Alcan highway, 16 miles from Stewart.
The Silbak Premier mine, one of British Columbia’s largest epithermal silver-gold deposits, is hosted by Early Jurassic Unuk River Formation andesitic to dacitic volcanic rocks (Panteleyev 1991). Ore minerals include pyrite, sphalerite, and galena with minor tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, and local pyrrhotite. Bonanza ore contains native gold, electrum, pyrargyrite, polybasite, argentite, and native silver. Gangue minerals are quartz, potassium feldspar, chlorite, carbonates, and others.
The first gold claims that were to become the Premier mine were staked in 1910. Small-scale development began in 1918, accelerated, and by the end of 1935 (as the Premier mine) produced more than 1.4 million troy ounces of gold (Cooke 1946). The Premier property was amalgamated with the British Columbia Silver and Sibakwe properties in 1936 to become the Silbak-Premier mine, which continued operation until 1953. Since then the mine has seen sporadic minor production and exploration work.
Small crystals of electrum are known to occur in the massive polybasite-acanthite bonanza ore. These tend to occur as platy fissure in fillings and crude microcrystals. Steel wool-like aggregates of wirelike gold crystals in quartz are also known from this mine.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Acanthite Formula: Ag2S |
| ⓘ Anglesite Formula: PbSO4 References: |
| ⓘ Arsenopyrite Formula: FeAsS |
| ⓘ Aurichalcite Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 References: |
| ⓘ Cerussite Formula: PbCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S References: Dr. Günter Grundmann collectionIdentified by Dr. Günter Grundmann: Polarised-light microscopy |
| ⓘ Chalcophyllite Formula: Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 References: |
| ⓘ 'Chlorite Group' |
| ⓘ Covellite Formula: CuS References: Dr. Günter Grundmann collectionIdentified by Dr. Günter Grundmann: Polarised-light microscopy |
| ⓘ Cupropolybasite (TL) Formula: [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] Type Locality: |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar' |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' Formula: KAlSi3O8 |
| ⓘ Linarite Formula: PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au |
| ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum Formula: (Au,Ag) |
| ⓘ Native Silver Formula: Ag |
| ⓘ Polybasite Formula: [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| ⓘ Pyrargyrite Formula: Ag3SbS3 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Pyrrhotite Formula: Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
| ⓘ Spangolite Formula: Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O References: |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
| ⓘ 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold var. Electrum | 1.AA.05 | (Au,Ag) |
| ⓘ | 1.AA.05 | Au | |
| ⓘ | Native Silver | 1.AA.05 | Ag |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Acanthite | 2.BA.35 | Ag2S |
| ⓘ | Covellite | 2.CA.05a | CuS |
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrrhotite | 2.CC.10 | Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | Arsenopyrite | 2.EB.20 | FeAsS |
| ⓘ | Pyrargyrite | 2.GA.05 | Ag3SbS3 |
| ⓘ | 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' | 2.GB.05 | Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
| ⓘ | Polybasite | 2.GB.15 | [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| ⓘ | Cupropolybasite (TL) | 2.GB.15 | [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Cerussite | 5.AB.15 | PbCO3 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Aurichalcite | 5.BA.15 | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Anglesite | 7.AD.35 | PbSO4 |
| ⓘ | Linarite | 7.BC.65 | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Spangolite | 7.DD.15 | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Chalcophyllite | 8.DF.30 | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' | - | KAlSi3O8 |
| ⓘ | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| H | ⓘ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| C | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| O | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| O | ⓘ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Al | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Acanthite | Ag2S |
| S | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| S | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| S | ⓘ Polybasite | [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| S | ⓘ Pyrargyrite | Ag3SbS3 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| S | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| S | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| S | ⓘ Cupropolybasite | [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| Cu | ⓘ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Polybasite | [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Cu | ⓘ Spangolite | Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl · 3H2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| Cu | ⓘ Cupropolybasite | [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| As | Arsenic | |
| As | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| As | ⓘ Chalcophyllite | Cu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24 · 36H2O |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Acanthite | Ag2S |
| Ag | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Ag | ⓘ Polybasite | [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Ag | ⓘ Pyrargyrite | Ag3SbS3 |
| Ag | ⓘ Native Silver | Ag |
| Ag | ⓘ Cupropolybasite | [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Sb | Antimony | |
| Sb | ⓘ Polybasite | [Ag6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Sb | ⓘ Pyrargyrite | Ag3SbS3 |
| Sb | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| Sb | ⓘ Cupropolybasite | [Cu6Sb2S7][Ag9CuS4] |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| Pb | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
- Coast MountainsMountain Range
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- StikiniaVolcanic Arc
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Silbak Premier Mine, Stewart, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada