Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D14SE00040

Record: MDI42D14SE00040

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Secondary Commodities: Copper

Location

Township or Area: Priske

Latitude: 48° 48' 38.65"    Longitude: -87° 11' 42.99"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 485663   Northing: 5406435    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D14SE

Point Location Description: Trenches and stripped areas approximated from maps in AFRI 42D14SE0007

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The occurrence is approximately 5.2 km east of Schreiber (see claim TB 698222, claim map G-631, Priske Township). Hays Lake is accessible from roads that branch off Highway 17 just east of Schreiber.

Exploration History

1921-24: First staked and explored by J.G. Cross. 1924-30: Restaked by W.S. Jackson who carried out surface work. 1932-33: G. Singleton restaked the showings. 1933-38: Singleton and R. Gray worked on the property exposing the showings in shallow pits and trenches (TB 11251). 1938: Property examined by G.A. Harcourt, Ontario Department of Mines. 1963: TB 108083 staked by W.E. Stringer; no work was recorded. (N.B. at this time, the damming of local rivers caused extensive flooding and the creation of Hays Lake; the property is likely under water). 1983: Staked by M.J. Deschene (TB 689922). All interest transferred to H.H.K. Hoiles. 1984: Combined airborne geophysical (EM, magnetometer, VLF EM) survey conducted by Aerodat Ltd. 1987: Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. carried out humus sampling. 1991: Occurrence was rediscovered by M. Joa in June 1991. Prospecting, stripping, trenching and sampling conducted. 2005: R. Renner carried out prospecting and sampling.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Schnieders) - (see Nelson).

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - Pits and trenches were sunk prior to 1936 on two narrow mineralized zones. The northernmost zone hosts a 1 to 4 cm wide, 'bull white', locally 'crack seal' textures quartz vein which pinches and swells along a 80 strike. The vein is exposed on the shoreline of Hays Lake and extends under overburden approximately 25 m west to a 2 by 2 by 3 m deep pit. The pit was sunk immediately south of the vein to intersect it at a depth as it dipped at 45 to the south. The host rock exposed in the pit is a grey to pink quartz feldspar porphyry. The vein is not exposed in the pit, perhaps due to the partial collapse of the pit walls. Pyrite occurs sparingly in the exposed portion of the vein and occurs as disseminated grains in the host porphyry. Harcourt (1939) noted that the fracture zone extended into mafic metavolcanic rocks where it consisted of a 5 to 7.5 cm wide alteration zone consisting of fine quartz, sericite, sulphides and some gold that assayed 0.06 ounce Au per ton. The southern zone occurs 45 m south of the northern pit and consists of a narrow structure striking between 50 and 75 which has been exposed in four pits and overburden stripping over a strike length of 45 m. The mineralized zone consists of 8 to 20 cm wide rusty, pyritiferous, gouge filled shear zone in massive, coarse grained, amphibolitic mafic metavolcanic rocks. Several smaller splaying shear zones up to 10 cm wide extend off of the main structure but are not as well exposed. In one pit, the mineralized zone (three narrow shears) has a maximum width of 1 m. In some places the rusty shear zone hosts a 2 to 4 cm wide quartz vein which is mineralized with pyrite. Native gold was noted in the quartz vein by Harcourt (1939). A small body of quartz feldspar porphyry occurs a few metres south of the main pits and one narrow quartz feldspar porphyry contained quartz eyes up to 10 mm in size and in one location phenocrysts were flattened, likely due to a narrow shear zone.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - A grab sample of alteration zone associated with fracturing on the north zone( taken by Harcourt, 1939) ran 0.06 ounces per ton in gold. The well mineralized part is only 6 feet (1.8 m) long. To the west the fracturing crosses porphyry and is barren; to the east it narrows before extending beneath the deep overburden of the creek bed. The south occurrence consists of a quartz vein 2 inches (5 cm) or less in width, which in at least one place carries native gold. A similar quartz vein 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wide occurs near the south boundary of claim TB 10, 893 and contains pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, and a gray telluride. A chip sample of the vein material taken from the dump was submitted to the Provincial Assay Office and gave 0.63 ounces per ton in gold. Schnieders et al (1992) list assay results ranging from trace to 0.558 oz/ton Au and nil to 1.00 oz/ton Ag. The best gold and silver value both came from a quartz vein in rusty gouge, Pit No. 3, west end (grab).

Jun 29, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - Samples collected by M. Joa in 1991 returned assays up to 45465 ppb (1.323 opt) Au and 68 ppm Ag (AFRI 42D14SE0007). The vein is exposed on the shoreline of Hays Lake and extends under overburden approximately 25 m west to a 2x2x3 m deep pit. The pit was sunk immediately south of the vein to intersect it at depth as it dipped at 45 degrees to the south. The host rock exposed in the pit is a grey to pink quartz-feldspar porphyry. The vein is not exposed in the pit, perhaps due to the partial collapse of the pit walls. Pyrite occurs sparingly in the exposed portion of the vein and occurs as disseminated grains in the host porphyry. A quartz vein similar to those described above was noted by Harcourt (1939) to the north of the main Singleton-Gray occurrence and returned 0.63 ounce Au per ton. Recent prospecting by M. Joa has led to the discovery of a vein approximately 500 m to the northeast, on the north side of Hays Lake, which is suspected to be this more northerly vein. A rich in chalcopyrite, malachite-stained grab sample returned 0.015 ounce Au per ton, trace Ag and 0.227% Cu. The rocks and geological setting of the Singleton-Gray occurrence are very similar to that of the Joa-Walton and Hays Lake (Derraugh-Jedder) gold occurrences. Gold occurs in altered mafic metavolcanic rocks and interflow metasedimentary units proximal to the Terrace Bay batholith, but is most notably concentrated in quartz-feldspar porphyry and quartz-carbonate veins, where it occurs with base-metal sulphides (Schnieders et al., 1992).

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - Alteration zones and quartz+/ carbonate veins commonly occur at the contact between quartz feldspar porphyry and the metavolcanic rocks and represent excellent exploration targets. However, the porphyry bodies themselves should also be considered as exploration targets. Alteration of the metavolcanic rocks and the porphyries can include silicification, carbonatization and potassic alteration commonly displayed by the development of sericite schist.

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Feb 13, 1997

Geologist: B Nelson

Notes: Resident Geologist personnel visited the occurrence July 17, 1991 and July 31, 1991.

References

Map - Nipigon-Schreiber, geological compilation series, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2232 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1973

Author: Carter M.W., McIlwaine W.H., Wisbey P.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Mono - Mineral Occurrences in the Nipigon-Marathon Area, Volumes 1 and 2.

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 250-256  Date: 1996

Author: Schnieders B.R., Smyk M.C., Speed A.A., McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Part - The southwestern part of the Schreiber area

Publication Number: ARV47-09.001 Page: 1-28  Date: 1998

Author: Harcourt G.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Article - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist's District-1991

Publication Number: MP158.007 Page: 135-137  Date: 1997

Author: Schnieders B.R., Smyk M.C., McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Schreiber area, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: ARM47J Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Bartley M.W., Harcourt G.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

File - Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Map - Schreiber-Duck Lake area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: ARM30A Scale: 1:63,360    Date: 1998

Author: Hopkins P.E., Tanton T.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of the Terrace Bay area, west sheet, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: P2417 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1981

Author: Carter M.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office