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Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI42C02NE00018
| Record Name(s) | Josephine Mine - 1926, Josephine Iron Range - 1899 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Partial |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Past Producing Mine With Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1984-Aug-31 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Oct-20 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Iron
Township or Area: Corbiere
Latitude: 48° 7' 2.23" Longitude: -84° 37' 15.55"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 677055.6 Northing: 5332073.6 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Sault Ste. Marie
NTS Grid: 42C02NE
Point Location Description: Abandoned headframe symbol SW corner of twp.
Location Method: Conversion from MDI
Access Description: The property is accessible by driving to the end of the Loonskin Lake road (Bauldry/Scott Lake turn-around), a distance of approximately 20 km from the east end of Wawa Lake. From there the mine is accessible by either an overland traverse or by following the abandoned railway spur for a distance of approximately 3.5 km to the south side of Parks Lake. The headframe was still standing in the summer of 1992. The Josephine Mine is situated at approximately the mid-way point of the Josephine Iron Range.
The original discovery of the iron range was made by Alois Goetz in 1899. Three drill holes were drilled prior to 190 (618 feet)1, and between 1900-1914, E. V. Clergue et al. had 21 drill holes completed (11,788 feet). Lake Superior Corporation (Algoma Steel Corporation Limited) completed 2 shafts between 1901 and 1903. The one on the south side of Parks Lake was 150 feet deep and the one to the east of Parks Lake was 50 feet deep. Five more diamond drill holes were drilled by Algoma Steel Corporation between 1913-1914 (4817 feet). In 1941, Frobisher Exploration Company Limited optioned the property from A. Goetz and completed 6494.2 feet of diamond drilling from Greenstone Island in Parks Lake. In February 1942 a 3 compartment shaft was begun and it reached a depth of 1055 feet. Parks Lake was drained by October 1942 and underground development took place at the mine between 1943 and 1944. The shaft was eventually deepened to 1225 feet with a sump cut at the 7th level. Production at the mine began in 1945 but ceased suddenly in October 1946 when a stope on the 600-ft level caved to surface, permitting the workings to flood. Michipicoten Iron Mines completed a drill program east of the property in 1950-51, 18 ddh (8822 feet). Algoma Steel Corporation completed a drilling program on a property adjoining the Josephine in 1950-51, 4 ddh (3087 feet). A reserve figure for the mine was estimated in 1951 by Algoma Steel.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| Corbiere-0019 | 42C02SE0779 | 42C02SE0779 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Wawa
Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi
Belt: Michipicoten
Geological Age: Neoarchean Geochronological Age: 2750 MA Geochron. Age Ref.: OFR 5888
Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - The Josephine Iron Range representsa portion of the uppermost formation in the second cycle of volcanism in the Wawa area. The Michipicoten Iron Range, of which it is a part, is the most economic of the iron ranges in the Michipicoten greenstone belt. The iron formation is a continuous stratigraphic hoirison that has been segmented by faulting and folding. The range caps north-facing intermediate to felsic metavolcanic rocks of the first volcanic cycle. The range is overlain by intermdediate to mafic massive and pillowed metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks. The upper contact of the formation is likely a zone of strike slip fauling associated with the magpie River faullt.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Magnetite Ironstone | 1 | Chert-Hematite | Breccia | Host |
|---|
Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - The iron formation in outcrop consists of massive and thin bedded chert cemented with iron oxide. The hematite ore zone occurred in the footwall of the iron formation and consists of a hemattie cemented breccia. Lenses of massive hematite were reported at depth in the mine. The quartz mass of the iron formation has beeen brecciated and the fractures and interstices filled with hematite. Both hard and soft hematite is reported to be in the ore zone.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hematite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Pyrolusite | Economic | Gangue |
Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - Hematite ores were encountered to the depth of the present workings (1000 feet) and have been encountered in drilling to depths of 1500 feet.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sedimentary |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Breccia |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 480 | 300 | 40 | 90 | 2750 MA | OFR 5885 |
Date: Mar 24, 1999
Geologist: A Wilson
Notes: The Josephine Iron Range is part of the Michipicoten Iron Formation. It is a continuous stratigraphic unit that approches 90-130 m in width and a length of 80 - 100 km when reconstructed.
| Zone | Year | Category | Tonnes | Reference | Comments | Commodities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josephine Iron Range | 1951 | Possible | 2934289 | WP ESQUEGA.33, | Total possible reserves 3,234,500 tons @ average 51.3% Fe | Iron 51.35 % |
| Josephine Iron Range | 1949 | Possible | 3596987 | OFR 5587 P. 275 | 3,965,000 tons at 51.65% Fe, 14.92% Si 1.88% S | Iron 51.65 % |
| Year | Tonnes | Commodities | Reference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 191712 |
Iron |
OFR 5587, P. 275 | MINE OPERATED FROM 1944-45, CLOSED DUE TO CAVE IN |
File - Resident Geologist files WP Corbiere-13, WP Corbiere-21, WP Corbiere-7, WP Esquega-33
Publication Number: Date:
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: SSM RGP office
Folio - Corbiere Township, District of Algoma
Publication Number: GDIF297 Date: 1997
Author: Sault Ste Marie RGO
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Geological map of the Michipicoten iron range, Ontario
Publication Number: ARM11A Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1998
Author: Coleman A.P., Willmott A.B.
Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines
Location:
Map - Goudreau gold area, District of Algoma, Ontario
Publication Number: ARM40E Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1997
Author: Moore E.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Publication - Michipicoten Iron Ranges; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 147
Publication Number: GSC Memoir 147 Page: 121-123 Date: 1926
Author: Collins, W H; Quirke, T T; Thomson, E
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/100849
Map - Josephine-Bartlett iron range, Township 28, Range 25 [Corbiere Township], District of Algoma, Ontario
Publication Number: M1946-08 Scale: 1:9,600 Date: 1997
Author: Moore E.S., Armstrong H.S., Morrison W.F., Collins W.H., Quirke T.T., Thomson E.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology, Corbiere Township, Algoma District
Publication Number: P2607 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1984
Author: Sage R.P., Calvert T., Epstein R., England D., Koscinsko K., Worona R., Oudkerk G., Inasi J., Lockwood M.B., Thomas D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Part - Iron deposits in the District of Algoma
Publication Number: ARV55-04.001 Page: 37-58 Date: 1997
Author: Moore E.S., Armstrong H.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Iron deposits of Ontario
Publication Number: MDC011 Page: 57 Date: 1968
Author: Shklanka R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Wawa mineral deposits data base
Publication Number: OFR5775 Page: 51-52 Date: 1991
Author: Frey E.D., Stewart R.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of Abotossaway, Corbiere, Leclaire and Musquash Townships and Part of Dunphy Township, District of Algoma
Publication Number: OFR5587 Page: 265-276 Date: 1993
Author: Sage R.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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