Barite
Virtual Museum ID: 19-EKM14
Specimen Summary
Barite is a barium sulphate mineral that occurs in many different colours and crystal shapes. It occurs in a variety of sedimentary and metamorphic settings and often replaces other minerals or fossils. Despite its many forms, it is relatively easy to identify because of its heavy weight. In fact, its name comes from the Ancient Creek “barys”, meaning heavy. Examples of different forms of barite include golden yellow honeycomb barite and Desert Rose barite that has a flower-like appearance. Barite is also often found in hydrothermal veins with ores of antimony, copper, lead, manganese and silver. Barite is used to add weight to oil and gas drilling fluids to prevent blowouts, as well as in paints and automotive parts, ceramics, LED TVs and medical applications. Geologists can analyze the oxygen and sulphur isotopes in barite to investigate ancient seawater compositions.
Specimen Data
The information listed below relates to the current holding location or collection that the sample is from, and whether the item is viewable at that location or is part of a private collection. Coordinates are given as guides, and we remind you that collecting specimens from these locations is not allowed. Caution is advised visiting such sites and Below BC assumes no responsibility for any injuries or trespassing charges that may occur as a result of the viewer entering these sites.
Collection Details
Original Collection:
East Kootenay Chamber of Mine (EKM)Sub Collection:
-Collection ID:
EKM_14Virtual Museum ID:
19-EKM14Accessibility:
Date Added to VM:
2019-06-14Location Information
Sample Origin:
Golden, BCSpecific Site:
Jubilee MountainUTM Easting:
538082UTM Northing:
5642551Datum:
11 (NAD 83)Coordinate Accuracy:
ApproximateSpecimen Details
VM Category:
MineralPrimary Features:
BaritePrimary Mineral Formula:
BaSO4Primary Category:
sulphateSecondary Features:
Advanced Geological Information
The following section provides geological data relating to the specimen or the site it was collected from, when available. Information has been obtained from various sources including private and government datasets but may not be up to date. Any geological time periods or ages listed often relate to the primary geology of the area, and may not be the actual date of an event such as mineral formation.
Geological Formation:
Jubilee FormationGeological Period:
Upper CambrianStratigraphic Age:
508 - 521 Million YearsGeological Belt:
ForelandGeological Terrane:
Ancestral North AmericaMinfile ID:
082KNE079Site Details:
Galena, sphalerite and pyrite occur as disseminations, as irregular veins with barite, and with barite in vugs and cavities in massive to thin bedded limestone of the Middle to Upper Cambrian Jubilee Formation. Breccia zones with angular clasts of dense dolomite and limestone in a granular carbonate matrix that contain disseminated sulphides and numerous barite and sulphide-filled vugs is also present.
Drilling in 1974 intersected grades of 12.16 per cent and 16.92 per cent barite across widths of 18.6 and 10.7 metres, respectively (Buckley, R.A. 1976).
A few narrow barite veins are present in the overlying slates of the Upper Cambrian to Middle Ordovician McKay Group.
Art Louie holds the area as the Legacy claims. WWC Consulting Ltd. optioned the claims in 1998 and drilled 4 holes totalling 197 metres.
On Jubilee Mountain west of Spillimacheen, W.W.C. Consulting Ltd., an exploration subsidiary of Hydrotech Dynamics Ltd., continued to evaluate its optioned vein barite prospect. In 1999, the company drove two short exploration adits and shipped a few thousand tonnes of barite ore to a mill, which is owned by its parent company, at the Elkhorn barite property on Madias Creek south of Windermere. No further mining was done in 2000 but an aggressive program of surface diamond drilling tested several other veins and breccia zones on the property. A jig concentrator is being constructed at the mine site.
From 2001 to 2003 (inclusive) , Tiger Ridge Resources Ltd. continued underground development and surface exploration drilling on its Jubilee Mountain barite project. In these three years, Tiger Ridge drilled 3869 metres in 52 holes. They also completed 55 metres of drifting and 22 metres of raising in 2002. A 5556 tonne bulk sample was mined in 2001 and 1000 tonne bulk sample was taken in both 2002 and 2003. No work was reported for 2004 and 2005.
Additional Images