Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI000000001139

Record: MDI000000001139

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Platinum Metals

Location

Township or Area: McCart, McCart

Latitude: 48° 46' 11.73"    Longitude: -80° 52' 16.13"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 509468.003   Northing: 5401887.999    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Timmins

NTS Grid: 42A15SW

Point Location Description: Large outcrop with several prospector pits

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: Access to this mineral occurrence is via Berlinghoff Road that leads west through McCart Township from Hwy 11, north of Iroquois Falls. Proceed west on Berlinghoff Road for exactly 5 km. Outcrops are on the north side of the road and are easily visible from the road.

Exploration History

In 1916, the property was referred to as the Don O'Conner property covering Lot 7, Concession 3, from where Baker (1917) reported a 3% Ni assay. In 1950, Arrow Timber Company (Calstock Exploration and Development Company) did geological mapping and magnetic surveys centered over Lots 6 and 7, Concession 5 McCart Township. In 1961 Union Mining Corporation drilled holes to test the previously reported nickel mineralization on Lot 7 Concession 5. O'Brien Gold Mines Limited conducted magnetic and EM surveys in 1965 over Lots 7 and 8, Concession 4 and 5. Drill testing of one conductor confirmed the presence of graphitic sediments with minor sulphides as the target. An airborne magnetic and VLF-EM survey was flown over large parts of McCart to Mann, Little and Dundonald Townships in 1986 by Angela Developments Ltd. but no further work was reported. An OGS airborne survey flown in 1988 covered McCart Township. Cunnison and Pyke completed geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and geochemical investigations on the intrusive rocks from 1990 to 2006.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Abitibi

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Abitibi

Tectonic Assemblage: Stoughton-Roquemaure

Geological Age: Archean   Geochronological Age: 2704 =/-4.9 MA   Geochron. Age Ref.: Barrie, 1999

Metamorphism Type: Regional

Metamorphism Grade: Greenschist

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 23, 2011 (B Atkinson) - This is a localized area of good exposures of outcrop in which the various lithological units can be examined. Prospector trenches expose serpentinized peridotite with minor sulphide mineralization consisting of pyrrhotite with minor pyrite and chalcopyrite.

May 30, 2022 (Q Unknown) - Cunnison and Pyke (1994) completed petrographic analysis and electron microprobe work on select samples from the property. Probe work on chromites indicate a chemical zonation including a grey core zone enriched in Mg and Cr and depleted in Fe, Ti and Mn enclosed by a ferritchromite shell. Rather than a typical evolving crystallization history, the chromite crystallization indicates a two stage process including an abrupt chemical transition from core to outer margin. The chemical change coincides with a concentric fracture pattern at the core interface boundary and an increase in zinc content during the later stage crystallization. Wispy chrome-rich magnetite rims many of the chromite grains. See Timmins assessment file T3438 (2.15377). Bridgeport Ventures Inc. completed a diamond drilling program consisting of 780 m in 5 holes on the property in 2008. The drill program was designed to explore for nickel mineralization at the basal part of the Mann intrusion. All drill holes had an azimuth of 140/50 dip. Drilling was collared in peridotite and passed through the peridotite contact into komatiitic basalt, graphitic argillite and greywacke before encountering more komatite basalt and peridotite. The drill core was sampled and assayed for Au, Pt, Pd, Ni, Cu and Co. Two drill intersections encountered anomalous nickel mineralization including 0.35% Ni over 1 m and 0.31% Ni over 1 m in drill hole MC08-5. Sulphide mineralization occurs as disseminated to net textured pyrrhotite with trace pentlandite hosted by cumulate peridotite.

Assay Samples

Mineral Record Details

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Site Visit Information

Date: May 03, 2010

Geologist: B Atkinson

Notes: Outcrops expose serpentinized dunite and peridotite with impressive columnar joints, polysuturing, polygonal jointing and characteristic zipper fracture patterns. Ultramafic intrusive rocks are in contact to the east and north with komatiite to tholeittic mafic flows. Varioles are noteworthy in some of the mafic flows. At the contact, several old pits and trenches expose sulphide mineralization consisting of pyrrhotite and minor pentlandite and chalcopyrite hosted by graphitic argillite that forms a thin, east-trending unit at the north base of a large rounded outcrop. Outcrop location of the graphitic unit is UTM NAD 83, Zone 17, 508947E, 5402313N. A whole rock analysis of a sample of peridotite from NAD 83, Zone 17, 509369E, 5401790N gave the following results in weight % for each element: Al2O3 :2.26%, CaO:0.06%, Fe2O3:10.07%, K2O:0.01, MgO: 36.04%, MnO: 0.17%, Na2O:<0/01%, P2O5: 0.02%, SiO2: 36.53%, TiO2: 0.14%, LOI: 13.92%, Total 99.15%.

References

Publication - Geology of the Mann Intrusive Complex and Evidence for Pt-Rich Hydrothermal Platinum-Group Elements, in The Giant Kidd Creek Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide Deposit, Western Abitibi Subprovince, Canada. Economic Geology Monograph 10, p. 613-625.

Publication Number: EconGeol Mono10 Date:

Author: Good, D.J. and Crocket, J.H. 1999

Publisher Name: The Economic Geology Publishing Company

Location: Timmis Resident Geologist Office

Mono - Investigation of Mafic-Ultramafic Intrusions in Ontario and Implications for Platinum Group Element Mineralization: Operation Treasure Hunt

Publication Number: OFR6102 Date: 2003

Author: Vaillancourt C., Sproule R.A., MacDonald C.A., Lesher C.M.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Publication - The Kidd-Munro Extension Project, Year 3 Report, Unpublished Report, 263p.

Publication Number: Date: 1999

Author: Barrie, C.T.

Publisher Name:

Location: Timmins Resident Geologist Office

Map - Geological Compilation: Brower, Duff, Fournier, Hanna, Lamarche, Little, Mann, McCart, Newmarket, Reaume, St. John and Tully Townships

Publication Number: P3391 Scale: 1:50,000    Date: 1999

Author: Barrie C.T.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Publication - Ontario Bureau of Mines, 1917 Annual Report, Vol. 26, p.270-271

Publication Number: OBM 1917 Date:

Author: Baker, M.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Timmins Resident Geologist District Office