A mineral map of BC’s Northwest was released this week.
“Geoscience BC” sent out a helicopter that took a magnetic survey of 6700 km2 between Kitimat, Terrace, and Smithers. The data is shown on a map which highlights all the mineral hot spots.
The airborne survey can find magnetic minerals below the earth’s surface even in areas covered by forests and sediments.
Geoscience BC’s Mining and Minerals Vice-President Bruce Madu says this map will help developers, researchers, and exploration companies with land use decisions.
“I can tell you already that we have a variety of people that are looking at the data, both resource sector and from communities in the area, and try to understand what the might mean for future land use,” he says.
He says this information will cut out a lot of painful trial and error researching.
“This is a needle hunt in a haystack and this information gets you into the right haystack so that you’re not spending your time looking in areas of lesser interest.”
This is just the first phase of the company’s $2.415 million research project. Madu adds this is the most detailed survey of the area since the 1960’s.
Map of Geoscience BC’s findings. The red is the highest mineral concentrations, blue being the least.