During the last few years the Internet has given users the power to access a multitude of linked information sources. The Internet facilitates low cost distribution and quicker availability of our mineral inventory data. The right tool can help you effectively and efficiently retrieve mineral-related information, develop exploration strategies, conduct geoscience research, evaluate the resource potential of an area or plan for land-related decisions.

The purpose of this article is to describe and give examples of the many tools available for locating mineral-related information in British Columbia. Many of the products can be downloaded free from the Ministry of Energy and Mines website or purchased at minimal cost from Crown Publications Inc. in Victoria.

MINFILE contains geological, locational and economic information on over 12,100 metallic, industrial mineral and coal occurrences in British Columbia. MINFILE/www is a simple Internet search and report tool which accesses this database. The MINFILE/pc program is the PC-based tool for searching, viewing, updating, manipulating and extracting information from the database. MINFILE on CD-ROM contains complete text reports in searchable format. Mineral inventory maps are available in hardcopy and many geological maps are published on the Web.

The MapPlace is used for interactive viewing of MINFILE data, along with other Geological Survey Branch and Ministry databases, such as geological maps, geochemical surveys, assessment report index, mineral tenure and mineral potential.

The ARIS and Mineral Titles websites can be searched and used to obtain summary information on mineral exploration Assessment Reports and claim locations, respectively.

Several other products available are summary descriptions of map areas and mining camps; a complete table of deposits with reserves and resources; annual reviews of fieldwork and exploration; links to industry websites; and commodity and deposit type studies.

As technology improves, the amount and complexity of information increases. Clients for mineral-related data would like to access this information quickly and easily. Using and accessing large databases is becoming easier through electronic media, such as CD-ROMs and online access (Internet), transfers (FTP) and downloads. Once relevant information is accessed, choosing the right tool can help to efficiently meet your objectives. This will enable you to put information into a meaningful context. The right tool will allow you to customize, manipulate and adapt this information to specific needs.

You may be interested in basic information on a particular deposit or you may want data on a type of mineralization in an area of B.C. You may want to update the data, add your own data, present the data in a report or table, or create a map to display the data from your query. The tools described below will help you to decide which tool to use to achieve these goals. Hints, examples and direct web links are also given for each of the tools discussed.

The tools and examples operate on a personal computer with an Internet link. A typical configuration would be a Pentium 166 Mhz or higher CPU, 64MB Ram, 4.2 GB hard drive, 8X CD-ROM, 33,600 modem, Windows 95/98, printer (laser or ink jet) and software, including Word for Windows, Excel, graphics package, Netscape or Internet Explorer browser. Plug-ins, which are free from the vendors, include the Autodesk WHIP! Viewer to view AutoCAD maps, Adobe Acrobat Reader for reading PDF (Portable Document Format) files and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to use with The MapPlace.

If your browser is setup with the MapGuide Viewer, when you select the longitude/latitude field, a MapGuide window opens with the map centred on the selected MINFILE occurrence. You can manually turn on the MINFILE Status layer, and other layers, using the MapGuide legend. While you are at The MapPlace website, you can go directly to the MINFILE report for an occurrence by double-clicking on the point. See the section below for more information on The MapPlace or visit the website.

While in MINFILE/www you can quickly call up specific MINFILE Numbers. In the Capsule Geology and Bibliography report, you can edit the URL location to retrieve the same report on another MINFILE Number. Simply change the 9-digit MINFILE Number at the end of the URL script. Remember to add ++ for the two spaces in MINFILE numbers without NE, NW, SE, SW, use all CAPITAL letters, and include the ‘0’ for NTS 082, 083, 092, 093 and 094. For example, the following URL address will retrieve the report for Eskay Creek: www.em.gov.bc.ca/cf/minfile/search/search.cfm?mode=capbib&minfilno=104B++008. You can bookmark this address and then edit the last 9 characters to go directly to a new MINFILE report. For example, changing 104B++008 to 092INE038 will take you to the Getty North deposit report.

A few industry web page links are listed in the MINFILE bibliography, with the designation WWW. You can cut and past the URL script into your browser to go to the Company website. See the section called Industry Web Links in MINFILE and Mines Directory below for access to industry websites.

If you want quick access to prevalent parts of the MINFILE data, using commonly requested queries, pay a visit to MINFILE/www.

The MINFILE/pc program is the desktop computing tool for searching, viewing, updating, manipulating and extracting information. It is a FoxPro DOS application than can run as a DOS application in a Window on your computer.

Recent program features include: handling of location data in both NAD 27 and NAD 83 datums; output files and reports display either datum; new region fields; the ability to enter world-wide locations; new extract files, in ASCII, dBASE and Worksheet formats; and longitude/latitude in decimal degrees. System configuration changes include the ability to modify Code Tables; select your own text editor; select datums; specify coordinate working areas; and password security to restrict access to read-only.

If you want access to all the data, have powerful searching capability, have flexible reporting and exporting, or modify and add data, use MINFILE/pc. You may want to add deposits from areas outside B.C., such as a group of deposits from the Yukon. The Region table can be used to tag a group of deposits for later manipulation, such as assigning the group to a particular mining camp. The Region table can be modified to add your own keywords. Using the new anomaly status, you can add geochemical or geophysical anomalies. The Exploration Projects module can be used to create your own exploration database and attach a group of deposits to a project.

The Coding Manual, Version 4.5 (Information Circular 2004-3) is a guide to data specifications and codes used in MINFILE. This 110-page manual is used by geologists to input information into the database. This manual is available for viewing on the Web. Coding Cards are available as PDF files.

BC MINFILE on CD-ROM is a complete record of all occurrences in B.C. in report format. The reports, encompassing almost 24,000 pages, contain all the data in MINFILE. This includes extensive information on location; mineralogy and alteration; geology and hostrocks; assay data, reserves and production records; references and other information on each occurrence. Each report also includes a text description of the geology and setting of each occurrence. MINFILE/pc is used to generate the Master and Production reports from the digital MINFILE Database. The CD-ROM is particularly handy if you want a quick digital copy of a nicely formatted MINFILE report.

This site provides you with details on mineral tenures and Free Miners in British Columbia. Search options include tenure number, free miner, tenures owned by a person or company, tenures staked by a person, tenures on a specific map, tenure by claim name or tag number, lot by lot number and land district. You can view mineral tenures on a map at The MapPlace. Once here, double clicking on a mineral tenure will link you to the Mineral Titles complete database. The Mineral Tenure site also has links to other mineral title information, such as guides to locating mineral claims, gold commissioner’s offices, information letters, Mineral Tenure Act, Coal Act, and other publications.

Geochemical inventories are a powerful mineral exploration tool and an important source of information for land-use and environmental assessments. This website directs you to various geochemical databases collected and maintained by the Geological Survey Branch. They include the Regional Geochemical Survey (RGS) Program, Till Geochemistry Surveys and Lake Sediment Geochemical Surveys.

The RGS program develops, maintains and disseminates a comprehensive geochemical database consisting of stream sediment, moss sediment, lake sediment, stream water and lake water analytical data plus field site observations. Data from joint Federal-Provincial reconnaissance-scale geochemical surveys have been systematically collected, compiled and published annually since 1976. You can use this high-quality baseline geochemical data to outline regional geochemical trends, assist mineral potential evaluation and aid regional metallogenic studies and geologic interpretations.

Till geochemistry surveys are targeted at regions of high mineral potential where glacial sediments cover and obscure the underlying bedrock. Till geochemical anomalies identify areas where glaciers eroded mineralized bedrock and redeposited the mineral debris in down-ice dispersal trains. They provide a cost effective target for mineral exploration programs in drift-covered terrains.

The RGS data and maps can be purchased at Crown Publications Inc. or the raw data can be downloaded from The MapPlace.

If you are interested in mining camps in British Columbia, there are a few articles posted on the Internet. These include the Beaton-Camborne, Bridge River, Greenwood, Slocan City, and Slocan mining camps. These articles include mining histories, geological settings, mineral deposit descriptions, metallogeny discussions, photos, geology and underground plan sketch maps, production tables and extensive reference listings.

This disk, updated to January 1999, documents all 1421 metallic mineral, coal and industrial mineral occurrences on Vancouver Island and adjacent islands. The website shows a plot of MINFILE occurrences with links to NTS map area summaries, reference lists, and mineral occurrence plots. Included in the set are 124 occurrences described in a publication by Rick Hudson (1997): A Field Guide to Gold, Gemstones & Mineral Sites of British Columbia, Volume I, Vancouver Island, Orca Book Publishers. This field guide describes geology and mining history of the Island, prospecting techniques, rock and mineral identification, and brief site descriptions with location maps. The Vancouver Island Special Edition disk is downloadable or is available for $7.50 from Crown Publications Inc.

This annual publication contains 2 maps at 1:2,500,000-scale; a separate MINFILE data disk is available. The disk provides data on 120 deposits including operating mines, projects in the Environmental Assessment Review, projects that have received Mine Development Certificates or have been Certified, and major exploration projects in British Columbia. The disk provides data on 108 of these mines or projects.

This annual publication provides an overview of mineral exploration activities in the Province of British Columbia for a given calendar year. It contains statistical information, tables, illustrations and location maps which summarize significant exploration and development projects in the province. The report documents mineral exploration expenditures, active exploration areas and the companies involved. 

This address list of active mines and companies is published yearly. The directory includes metal mines, coal mines, industrial mineral operations and mineral products. The Web edition contains active links to company pages and to the MINFILE database. A simplified map of Operating Mines in BC is available on the Web.

The MINFILE Bibliography includes mining industry web links. A summary of these link are available as a table on the Web; attempts are made to keep them current. The table is sorted by MINFILE number or name, which are also linked to the Capsule Geology/Bibliography report. Good summaries of several developed deposits can be found.

This site tracks major updates and new additions to the MINFILE database as it changes and grows. The table will list these additions beginning from the last major publication of the database. The table includes MINFILE Number, Name, Status, Commodities, NTS Maps, Latitude, Longitude, Deposit Type and Date Added. The MINFILE number is actively linked to the Capsule Geology/Bibliography report and the latitude/longitude is linked to the occurrence location in The MapPlace.

Property File contains hard-copy reports and maps that are generally unavailable elsewhere. These documents, which can be extremely valuable to researchers, typically include unpublished reports; theses and papers; field notes; company prospectuses and pamphlets; historical information; geochemistry, geophysics and drill information; claim maps, sketches of workings and photographs. Property File also contains general information on each NTS area, the National Mineral Inventory information, topographic maps and some work histories. The research material is indexed by MINFILE number and cross-referenced in the MINFILE Database. Property File may be viewed at: Ministry of Energy and Mines Library, Main Floor - 1810 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC; Tel: (250) 952-0583.

This Open File briefly reviews the abundance and diversity of silver lode deposits in British Columbia. The report includes summary tables of reserve and production data and deposit types for close to 300 major producers, past producers and developed prospects. The location of these deposits, their current status with respect to production, and deposit type are shown on a map.

The Open File is available from Crown Publication Inc. for $25.00. Copies of the data files and a plotfile (~10Mb) for the map are available for download from the Web.

Gold-quartz veins related to Cretaceous age granitic intrusions in Alaska and the Yukon have created the Cordillera's latest gold rush. The initial interest was sparked by the opening of the Fort Knox open-pit mine in the Fairbanks District in Alaska and discoveries in the Yukon, such as Dublin Gulch and Brewery Creek. The discovery of the Pogo gold-quartz vein in Alaska has attracted more exploration activity. Similar mid-Cretaceous and other granitic intrusions are found in British Columbia. The map (1:2,000,000 scale) shows their locations, identifies known intrusion-related gold-tungsten-bismuth mineralization and highlights prospective areas for exploration. A diskette contains dBASE files with selected mineral occurrences. The Open File is available for $25.00.

The British Columbia Geological Survey has been working on descriptions of many of the mineral deposit types that can be found in the Canadian Cordillera. The descriptions (called profiles) provide concise overviews of different deposit types. You can use the profiles to review the key characteristics of different deposit types including typical examples, tectonic setting, mineralogy, alteration, genetic models, associated deposits, typical grades and tonnages and exploration guides. Sixty profiles for metal and coal deposits have been published (Open Files 1995-20 and 1996-13). Many of these are posted on the Web.

You can find a discussion on Coal in BC on the web. Other interesting articles at the Economic Geology website include New Mineral Deposit Models for the Cordillera, Characteristics of Gold Skarns, and Metallogeny of Volcanic Arcs (abstracts). Contact Dave Lefebure, Tel: (250) 952-0404, or visit the Web site for more information.

There are many web search engines available that can lead you to company profiles, new releases, annual reports, environmental studies and project summaries.

The MINFILE staff are always ready to help you with any of our programs and products. We can provide you with custom datasets and searches. Examples of past requests and inquiries include: production tables for deposits located within the Kootenay terrane; lists of copper and gold deposits in Jurassic rocks; list of all jade and soapstone deposits in B.C.; where did Sebakwe operate in the early 1900s; number of producing mines operating in each of the last 6 decades; location of the magnetite suppliers in B.C.; a plot of mineral occurrences within the Cassiar-Iskut-Stikine Land Resource Management Plan; non-published documents available for the Huckleberry area; number of occurrences and assessment reports existing within a Treaty negotiation area; document of MINFILE occurrences associated with the sale of Reverted Crown grants; output from The MapPlace of a colour plot of mineral potential, mineral occurrences, rivers, roads and claims for the New Polaris region; a list of producers and past producers suitable for recovery of minerals by leaching tailings. These show the diversity of our various tools for retrieving mineral-related information.

The Internet is a dynamic tool for accessing, displaying and distributing our mineral-related databases as they grow and are updated. The Ministry will continue to be innovative in implementing these tools to aid you in your quest for information.

For additional information please contact:

Most publications of the BC Geological Survey are available for purchase through: