Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI32D04SW00060

Record: MDI32D04SW00060

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Secondary Commodities: Silver

Location

Township or Area: Gauthier

Latitude: 48° 7' 31.33"    Longitude: -79° 49' 4.59"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 587961.661   Northing: 5330910.371    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kirkland Lake

NTS Grid: 32D04SW

Point Location Description: No. 2 Shaft.

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: McBean and Anoki Properties are easily accessible via Highway 66, which cuts through the central part of the Anoki Property in a northwest-southeast direction. There is also a private road leading from the highway to the McBean open pit area to the east. This road can be accessed all year round. This private road also connects to the west towards the Anoki ramp area and further on to the Anoki shaft area.

Exploration History

from Ewart et al. 1928: McBean deposit discovered. 1928-1941: Murphy Mines developed the #1 shaft to 630 ft (192 m), with a 610 m lateral development on the 600-ft level and the #2 shaft to 100 ft (30 m) with 45 m of lateral development on the 94-ft level. 10 surface drillholes were also drilled. 1941: Queenston Gold Mines acquired the Murphy claims and drilled 4 surface drillholes with a total length of 716 m. The #2 shaft was developed to 272 ft (83 m), with 228 m of lateral development on the 125-ft and 250-ft levels. 41 underground drillholes totalling 846 m were drilled and a bulk sample shipped to the Upper Canada Mine (956 t at 5.73 g/t Au). 1946-1947: Queenston Gold Mines developed the #4 shaft to 267 ft (81 m) and established a level at 250 ft. 496 m of lateral development was also completed at the #2 shaft. 1947-1951: Qeenston Gold Mines developed the #4 shaft to 722 ft (220 m), as well as levels at 125 ft, 250 ft, 400 ft, 550 ft and 700 ft. Extensive surface and underground drilling was also undertaken during this time, along with lateral development. 1951: The mine was closed. 1976-1983: Canico optioned the property and completed surface drilling. 1984-1986: Under a joint venture with Queenston Gold Mines, Canico developed the open pit in the #2 and #4 shaft areas. 1983-1986: The upper portion of the McBean deposit was mined from an open pit by a joint venture partnership between Queenston and Inco Ltd. and processed at the refurbished Upper Canada mill. Production amounted to approximately 50,000 oz. of gold from 506,000 t grading 3.0 g/t with mill recoveries of 95% employing a cyanide leach circuit. Due to prevailing gold prices at the time ($400 US/oz) the underground exploitation of the remainder of the deposit below the pit was postponed (Queenston News Release dated December 16, 2009). 1993: Inco Exploration and Technical Services Inc. developed a closure plan subsequent to the operation of the McBean open pit. In 1993, the plan was finalized with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. 1996: Queenston purchased Inco?s interest in the mine assets and mineral rights. 1996-2001: Queenston - Franco-Nevada joint venture completed 29 drillholes over 22,698 m. 2002-2010: Queenston Mining carried out several phases of drilling throughout this period.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Abitibi

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Abitibi

Tectonic Assemblage: Timiskaming

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Mar 10, 2010 (D Guidon) - from Ewert 2009 The Kirkland Lake Gold Camp (KLGC) occurs in the south-western portion of the Abitibi greenstone belt of the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian Shield and the regional geological setting of the Kirkland Lake area is typical of many gold camps located within the Superior Province. The KLGC occurs on the southern limb of the regional Blake River synclinorium, the northern and southern limbs of which are truncated respectively by the Destor-Porcupine Break ("DPB") and the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break ("LLB") with its associated deformation corridor (the LLDZ). The majority of the historical gold production in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt is spatially associated with these two major regional structures (Queenston, 2001 Annual Report). In the Kirkland Lake area, the LLB is considered to be a major east-west trending thrust fault that developed along the contact zone between mafic and ultramafic rocks of the Larder Lake Group to the south and mafic volcanic rocks of the Kinojevis Group to the north. Through recent age dating and review by the Ontario Geological Survey, these rocks have recently reclassified as parts of Tisdale Group and the Blake River Group respectively. Expansion along the LLB created a graben-like basin which was filled with calc-alkaline volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks that formed the Timiskaming Group. Later compression of this region created parallel and splay faults in both the Timiskaming and Lower Tisdale Group (Larder Lake Group) rocks, along which many of the gold deposits of the KLGC were formed. Today the LLB represents an unconformity between the Lower Tisdale Group rocks to the south and a 0.6 km to 5 km thick section of Timiskaming Group sedimentary and volcanic rocks to the north. Both the major rock groups in the area have been intruded by gabbroic and mafic-felsic intrusions, the most prominent are the Lebel Stock, Otto Stock, Murdoch Creek Stock and the Round Lake Batholith (Queenston, 2008 Annual Information Report). The Timmins-Kirkland Lake segment of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt has been divided into nine supracrustal assemblages, as described Assemblages are described in order of increasing age. Timiskaming - Contains sedimentary and alkali volcanic rocks including iron formation, such as Upper Canada and Macassa Mines. Porcupine - Comprises sedimentary and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks including iron formation. Upper Blake River - Comprised of mostly calc-alkalic volcanic rocks, such as at the Noranda Camp. Lower Blake River (Kinojevis) - Comprised of mostly tholeiitic basalts, such as at the Holt McDermott Mine. Upper Tisdale (Gauthier) - Comprised of calc-alkaline felsic to intermediate volcanics exhibiting flow and debris flow characteristics and associated volcaniclastics sediments. Lower Tisdale (Larder Lake) - Comprised of mostly komatiitic, tholeiitic and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks and iron formation, such as at the Kerr Addison Mine, McBean Mine and Anoki deposits. Kidd-Munro - Comprised of komatiitic, tholeiitic and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks. Stoughton-Roquemaure - Comprised of komatiitic, tholeiitic and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks. Deloro - Comprised of tholeiitic and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks and iron formation Pacaud - Comprised of komatiitic, tholeiitic and calc-alkalic volcanic rocks. Precious metal production in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp has exceeded 40 million ounces (Risto et al, 2008) from around 30 mines. Most of the gold production in the area has come from quartz veins associated with the Kirkland Lake Main Break ("KLMB"), which is interpreted to be a splay structure related to the LLB.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 10, 2010 (D Guidon) - from Ewert 2009 The McBean deposit is classified as lode gold type deposit were economic concentrations of gold derived from hydrothermal fluids are present in veining systems of epithermal or mesothermal origin. Most mineralization appears in veins, breccia or as dissemination and represents a strong structural component. Typically, gold bearing mineralization is characterized by the presence of 2-7% (by volume in core) disseminated and fracture controlled pyrite (Py) directly associated with 5 - 20% variably to irregularly oriented quartz-ankerite veins. All of the mineralized zones generally have some component or combination of sericitic, fuchsitic and carbonate alteration of the ultramafic protolith. The carbonated zones are typically stockworks with up to 60% quartz-ankerite and quartz veining. Siliceous to sericitic remnants of potential felsic intrusives are common in the better mineralized sections along with erratic felsite and syenite dykes. The intrusive remnants are normally mineralized with 3-5% disseminated pyrite, while the carbonated rocks contain minimal pyrite. Fine flecks of native gold are often present in the higher-grade lenses and tend to be associated with the quartz rather than the quartz-ankerite veins. Past and present drilling programs have confirmed the presence of many low- to high-grade gold intersections varying from metric to decametric in thickness. These gold bearing zones are typically observed inside the ultramafic and sedimentary sequences and often associated with the numerous syenitic and felsic units suggesting that these felsic rocks have played an important function in the gold deposition. In effect, a large proportion of the best gold intersections encountered are observed in these heterogeneous sections, presenting significant volumes of sericitic, hematized felsic rocks with moderate to strongly carbonated and fuchsitic ultramafic host units. The felsic or felsite rock component appears to be of both intrusive and sedimentary origin. Both types of rock are characterized by a higher pyritic background (up to 5% locally mostly in disseminated form). The best gold bearing intervals typically present moderate to strong Qz-Ak veining at variable core angles within these rocks. These observations suggest that the felsic rocks (dyke and felsites (sediments)) may have acted as a nexus for mineralizing fluids possibly through providing a ductility contrast in an otherwise easily and tightly deformed rock sequence. Visible gold is not frequently observed inside the McBean gold-bearing zones but appears locally as free gold within smoky quartz veins associated with green carbonate altered ultramafic rock.

Alteration Comments

Mar 10, 2010 (D Guidon) - from Ewert 2009 The Kirkland Lake Gold Camp is essentially defined by a 5 km corridor around the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break (LLB). This major, east-trending, south-dipping, regional structure has juxtaposed Tisdale assemblage of mafic to ultramafic rock against much younger alkali rock and sediments of the Timiskaming assemblage. The Blake River and Porcupine assemblages are absent in the immediate area of the break. The McBean property is intimately associated to the Larder Lake Break. The dominant geological feature on the McBean property is the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break. In this area, the break strikes east-south-easterly sub-parallel to the project base line at 107o and dips south. The LLB tracks along the ultramafic members of the Lower Tisdale assemblage, separating the komatiitic to tholeiitic sequences into its hanging wall (south) away from Timiskaming alkali volcanic and sediment assemblage to the north. Slip movement direction of the break is suggested to be dextral, south-side-up, along a plunge of 40o to 60o east based on stretching lineation (Ispolatov, 2003). The Lower Tisdale package is highly sheared and deformed, and varies from 30 to 120 m thick. Timiskaming assemblage rocks are also highly deformed up to 300 m to 400 m within the footwall to the break. Two main faults are present into the LLDZ. The first and most important one is located just below the hanging wall gabbro (hanging wall fault). This fault is intersected in most holes and can be seen to affect the first ultramafic rocks intersected below the hanging wall gabbro. The hanging wall fault is characterized by gougey breccia, gravelly and/or highly fractured material within the upper ultramafic component of the deformation corridor. The fault is oriented sub-parallel to the deformation corridor which dips to the south at 65-70 degrees and strikes SSE. Many smaller brittle structures are present in vicinity of the main hanging wall fault. These smaller faults appear to be sub-parallel to and related to the main hanging wall fault. The second most predominant fault (footwall fault) is intersected near the base of the deformation corridor in a rock package dominated by altered sediment (mostly greywacke) which is interpreted as part of the Tisdale assemblage. This fault appears to be a subsidiary or splay of the dominant hanging wall fault. These faults merge together east of the open pit around line 10700E in the area of the C19 zone. Most McBean ankerite-fuchsite (Ak-Fu) altered gold bearing zones are located between these two main faults on the west side of the deposit and are not significantly affected by brittle deformation located in proximity to these structures. East of L10700E, the footwall fault swings south and merges with the hanging wall fault. In this particular area the (Ak-Fu) gold zones are fractured by the merging structures beyond this intersection and to the east the bulk of the altered (Ak-Fu) gold mineralization associated is located north of (footwall to) the hanging wall.

Mineral Record Details

References

Publication - Technical report and resource estimation for the McBean and Anoki deposits of the Kirkland Lake project, Gauthier Township, Kirkland Lake northeastern Ontario, Canada for Queenston Mining Inc.

Publication Number: Date: 2009

Author: Ewart, W.D., Armstrong, T., Yassa, A. and Purritch, E.

Publisher Name: P&E Mining Consultants Inc.

Location: SEDAR

Book - Northern Miner 83-06-16, Mcbean, p. A21

Publication Number: NMINER Date: 1983

Author:

Publisher Name: Northern Miner

Location:

Book - Northern Miner 84-05-31, Mcbean, p. 1, 2

Publication Number: NMINER Date: 1984

Author:

Publisher Name: Northern Miner

Location:

Part - Geology of Gauthier Township, east Kirkland Lake area

Publication Number: ARV50-08 Page: 20-21  Date: 1998

Author: Thomson J.E., Griffis A.T.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Mineral resources and mining properties in the Kirkland Lake-Larder Lake area

Publication Number: MDC003 Page: 61-62  Date: 1964

Author: Savage W.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Gold deposits of Ontario, part 2, part of District of Cochrane, districts of Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Timiskaming, and counties of southern Ontario

Publication Number: MDC018 Page: 133  Date: 1979

Author: Gordon J.B., Lovell H.L., de Grijs J.W., Davie R.F.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Preliminary report on the Timmins-Kirkland Lake area, gold deposits file

Publication Number: OFR5467 Page: G0173  Date: 1983

Author: Hodgson C.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

File - Res/Reg Property Visit Report #60

Publication Number: PV-60 Date: 1978

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Kirkland Lake RGP office

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