Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI000000000958

Record: MDI000000000958

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Platinum, Palladium, Copper, Nickel

Location

Township or Area: Greenwich Lake Area

Latitude: 48° 45' 56.22"    Longitude: -88° 56' 34.56"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 357227   Northing: 5403222    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 52A15

Point Location Description: Location map in 43-101 report

Location Method: Data Compilation

Access Description: The project is approximately 50 kms NE of Thunder Bay. The property is accessible using a series of logging roads branching from Armstrong Hwy 527, which in turn branches from the Trans-Canada Hwy 11/1 a short distance E of Thunder Bay.

Exploration History

Pre-1976: Early exploration in the area concentrated on uranium, more specifically the Christianson (1949) showing located about five kilometres east of Current Lake, near the western shoreline of Greenwich Lake. 1976: Rio Tinto optioned the Christianson showing from MW Resources Ltd. in January 1976, and staked additional claims that extended west from Greenwich Lake to cover northern Current Lake and the Steepledge and Ray Lakes areas. Rio Tinto completed a program of field mapping and diamond drilling. 1993 to 1998: G. Harper, G. Wilson, and F. Manns began rock and soil sampling in addition to petrographic and geochemical research within the Onion Lake, Tartan Lake and Greenwich Lake areas. 1999 to 2000: G. Harper and G. Wilson completed prospecting, lithogeochemistry, soil sampling, and ground magnetic surveys in the vicinity of Current Lake. 2001 and 2002: G. Wilson and G. Harper staked the original core of the TBNP early in 2001 after discovering mineralized ultramafic (peridotite) boulders along the western shoreline of Current Lake that contained very good Pt-Pd-Cu-Ni grades. Pacific North West Capital Corporation (“PFN”) optioned the property in 2001 and completed ground-magnetic and electromagnetic surveys that same year. A six hole diamond drill program, totalling 813.5 metres, was completed in 2002. This drilling did not intersect any mineralized ultramafic rocks. Magma Metals optioned the Current Lake Area in 2005. MM completed airborne and ground geophysical surveys, reconnaissance activities, drilling (211 DDH totalling 18,854 m), mineral resource estimates (2009) and a preliminary assessment (2011). Magma Metals was acquired by Panoramic Resources in a corporate takeover in 2012. 2015: Rio Tinto entered into an option agreement to earn 70% in the project by spending up to $20 million over 5 years. 2015-26: Rio drilled 7 DDH totalling 2418 m and flew a HeliSAM survey.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Quetico

Terrane: Quetico Basin

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic   Geochron. Age Ref.: 1110 to 1090 Ma

Metamorphism Grade: Unmetamorphosed

Geology Comments

Dec 06, 2010 (N Bennett) - The TBN project is in the northern part of the 1.1 billion years old Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift region, an important emerging Ni-Cu-PGM province. The geology of this region is analogous to that of the giant Norilsk - Talnakh Ni-Cu-PGM camp in Russia. Mineralization has been known in the Midcontinent Rift for many years; however, up until recently it appeared to be mostly of relatively low grade. The Eagle (3.6Mt at 3.5% Ni, 3.0% Cu & 1.6g/t Pt+Pd+Au) and Tamarack discoveries in the USA, as well as Magma's TBN discovery, all made this decade, have demonstrated that higher grade mineralization is also present and that the province has significant potential to become a major North American Ni-Cu-PGM camp. Ultramafic boulders containing abundant disseminated sulphides were located within the southern part of the TBN claim block in July 2001. The glacially transported boulders are large (metre-scale) and angular indicating a proximal source. The boulders are mainly composed of peridotite containing 2-5% disseminated sulphides. Assays range from 1.6g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.2% Ni & 0.2% Cu to 9.5g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.3% Ni & 1.0% Cu and average 3.8g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.2% Ni & 0.4% Cu. The Pt:Pd ratio of the mineralization is characteristically 1:1. Another extensive occurrence of boulders was found on the east shore of Current Lake in 2006. These boulders appear to be in-situ, with some minor movement, possibly due to frost heave. Assay values for 22 samples of these boulders ranged up to 9.4g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 1.2% Cu & 0.4% Ni with an average of 2.3g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.2% Cu & 0.2% Ni. An aeromagnetic survey of the TBN claim block was undertaken in July 2006 and identified a prominent linear anomaly beneath Current Lake. This was interpreted to reflect the source intrusion for the mineralized peridotite boulders. The survey also located an intense reversely magnetised "bulls-eye" magnetic anomaly southeast of Current Lake on the adjacent Beaver Lake claim. Drilling of the magnetic anomaly at Current Lake in December 2006 confirmed that it reflects a peridotite intrusion and is the source of the mineralised glacial boulders. The discovery drill-hole, TBND001, completed in December 2006 returned an intersection of 10.5m @ 2.8g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.5% Cu & 0.3% Ni.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 17, 2020 (Dorothy Campbell) - The 437 Zone was discovered in early 2012 and comprises a separate and distinct mineralized zone located ~300 m southeast of the Beaver Lake East Zone within the western part of the SEA area of the Current Lake Intrusion. The intrusion in this area consists of a moderately southwest-dipping sill that is between 10 and 30 m in thickness. Sulphide mineralization essentially identical as that observed within the Beaver Lake and Beaver Lake East zones and is disseminated, ranging from a few percent to >25% sulphides, and is interstitial to the silicate gangue.

Nov 22, 2012 (Shannon Zurevinski) - Current Lake zone is 30m x 30m to 50m wide and 70m tall (and is in general, flat lying). The zone consists of olivine metagabbro with disseminated pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, rare cubanite and violarite. Beaver Lake Zone exhibits a shallow east-southeasterly plunge and increases from 100m width and 15m thickness to 550m width and 200m thickness towards the east. Mineralization in olivine melagabbro and lherzolite. Mineralization is disseminated similar to the Current Lake Zone.

Dec 17, 2020 (Therese Pettigrew) - The discovery hole TBND001, completed in Dec 2006, returned an intersection of 10.5 m @ 2.8 g/t Pt+Pd+Au, 0.5% Cu and 0.3% Ni. Mineralization discovered on the Project to date is considered to be typical of orthomagmatic nickel–copper sulphide deposits, in particular part of the sub-class of deposits associated with rift and flood basalts and their associated magmatic conduits (Noril’sk type). Most of the presently known mineralization is hosted in the Current Lake and Steepledge Lake intrusions, which are just two of at least 5 Keweenawan (Mesoproterozoic) age magmatic conduits that formed within the Project boundaries along the failed continental margin rift that comprises the MCR system. This group of related intrusions have been collectively termed the Thunder Bay North (TBN) Intrusive Complex. The TBN Intrusive Complex hosts at least six mineralized zones, four of which comprise the historical resources of the Current Lake PGE-Cu-Ni Deposit. The TBN Intrusive Complex hosts at least six mineralized zones. The first four listed below comprise the historical resources of the Current Lake PGE-Cu-Ni Deposit: 1) The Current Lake Zone, discovered in late 2006 by Magma Metals, occurs within a flat-lying to gently south-southeast plunging, narrow, oval to bell-shaped magmatic conduit (or chonolith) ranging from 30 to 50m in width and up to 70m in height that mainly underlies Current Lake. The olivine melagabbro to feldspathic lherzolite within the conduit contains sulphide mineralization consisting of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and rare cubanite and violarite. The sulphide mineralization is predominantly finely disseminated, ranging from a few percent to >25% sulphides that are interstitial to the silicate gangue. 2) The Beaver Lake Zone, discovered in late 2007 by Magma Metals, mainly occurs within the larger, tabular, Beaver Lake part of the intrusion. It exhibits a shallow east–southeasterly plunge and increases from a width of 100m and a thickness of 15m to a width of 550m and a thickness of 150 to 175 m in the east. Mineralization is primarily developed in the basal portions (bottom-loaded) of the intrusion within olivine melagabbro and feldspathic lherzolite. The sulphide mineralogy is similar to that of the Current Lake Zone and includes pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and rare cubanite. Sulphide mineralization is finely disseminated, ranging from a few percent to >25% sulphides, and is also interstitial to the silicate gangue. 3) The Bridge Zone connects the Current Lake and Beaver Lake zones and is designated based on a morphology change within the magma conduit from tube-shaped to a stubby tabular-shaped body. Mineralization is generally similar to the Current Lake and Beaver Lake zones; however, there are several small, elongated, net-textured to massive sulphide pools within the Bridge Zone. This zone becomes primarily bottom-loaded to the east where it joins with the Beaver Lake Zone. 4) The Beaver Lake East Zone comprises the southeasterly extension of the Beaver Lake Zone past that portion of the system that was included within the 2010 AMEC historic resource estimate. The intrusion in this area is up to 200 m thick and about 550m in width. This zone exhibits the same shallow plunge and extends the Beaver Lake mineralization a further 630 m to the east-southeast. Mineralization is finely disseminated, ranging from a few percent to >25% sulphides, and is interstitial to the gangue. 5) The Cloud Zone was discovered in 2008 and is present only within the Beaver Lake portion of the intrusion. It comprises a diffuse, irregular, very finely disseminated cloud of sulphides that occurs within the uppermost portions, usually near the roof, of the intrusion. The sulphide mineralization is very difficult to see in hand specimen and consists of <25% sulphides, and is interstitial to the silicate gangue.

Mineral Record Details

References

Publication - 43-101 Technical Report

Publication Number: 2009 43-101 Date: 2009

Author:

Publisher Name: Magma Metals/SRK

Location: www.magmametals.com

Publication - 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Assessment

Publication Number: 2011 43-101 Date: 2011

Author: Thomas, D.G., Melnyk, J., Gormely, L., Searston, S., Kulla, G.

Publisher Name: AMEC for Magma Metals

Location: SEDAR

Publication - Technical Report on Thunder Bay North and Escape Lake Properties

Publication Number: 2020 NI 43-101 Date: 2020

Author: Clark, J.G.

Publisher Name: Clean Air Metals Inc.

Location: SEDAR

Publication - NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate on the Thunder Bay North Project, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: 2021 NI 43-101 Date: 2021

Author: Kuntz, G., Jones, L.

Publisher Name: Nordmin for Clean Air Metals

Location: SEDAR

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