Ref.: Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 205, 734 & 753, 933.
The HB property is located on Aspen Creek, a tributary of Sheep Creek, 8 kilometres southeast of Salmo. The north end of the No. 1 orebody outcropped at an elevation of 1219 metres, west of Aspen Creek and almost a 1.6 kilometres north of Sheep Creek.
The HB orebodies are currently thought to be Kootenay Arc-type carbonate hosted sedimentary exhalative (sedex) deposits. The orebodies are located within dolomitized limestone of the Lower Cambrian Laib Formation, Reeves Member (correlative with limestone of the Badshot Formation). The east boundary of the Laib Formation is in contact with argillites of the Lower to Middle Ordovician Active Formation, on a fault contact, with the Active rocks overthrust from the east over the Reeves rocks.
The principal ore zones consist of three steeply dipping, parallel zones lying approximately side by side and extending as pencil-like shoots for about 900 metres along the gentle south plunge of the controlling structures. The largest and most easterly ore zone has a maximum height of about 140 metres and a maximum width of 30 metres. Within these zones are steeply dipping discontinuous ore stringers with a lead to zinc ratio of 1:5.
The mineralogy of the ore is relatively simple with pyrite, sphalerite and galena in order of abundance and minor pyrrhotite found locally. The northern portion of these bodies is exposed at surface, near the original HB claim, and are oxidized to a depth of about 100 metres at that point. Where the ore is protected by enclosing dolomite relatively little oxidation has occurred. Other secondary minerals include calamine, smithsonite, anglesite, and the rare zinc phosphate, spencerite.
Wallrock alteration is typical of lead-zinc deposits in the area. The ore zones are enveloped by a broad zone of dolomitization which is bordered along its contact with the limestone by a narrow zone in which limestone is replaced by fine-grained silica. Talc and tremolite alteration, thought to be pre-ore, is concentrated near the silica-rich zone resulting from the silicification of dolomite. An appreciable amount of talc is found locally within the ore zone.
A smaller zone, located to the southwest of the main HB mine, is known as the Garnet orebody (082FSW249). The Garnet zone was mined from the surface from a small open pit, whereas the main mine is entirely underground.
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Map Reference: 49°9'8"N , 117°11'55"W
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