Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI32D12SE00186

Record: MDI32D12SE00186

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Location

Township or Area: Holloway

Latitude: 48° 31' 14.35"    Longitude: -79° 44' 50.07"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 592505   Northing: 5374929    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kirkland Lake

NTS Grid: 32D12SE

Point Location Description: Shaft

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: North of Hwy 101, less than 1 km east of the Harker-Holloway township boundary.

Exploration History

1922-38: Teddy Bear Valley Mines Limited: sank 300 ft shaft (at old Abitibi Mines No.2 shaft), stations at 150 and 276 ft levels; x-cutting (400 ft), drifting (200 ft) completed on 150 level; 8-DDH-2912.4 ft. 1939-40: Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company - trenching, sampling (yielded assays of 0.02 oz Au / ton). 1939-50: Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co.: trench sampling; surface exploration and damond drilling; geological mapping; magnetometer survey.1978: Amax Potash Ltd.: airborne geophysics; geological survey; DD-1-200.15 m. 1980: Lightval Mines Ltd. - outcrop stripping; geological mapping, VLF-EM survey, 12 Winkie drill holes. 1981: Canadian Nickel Company - airborne geophysics. 1981: Amax Potash Ltd.: 3-DD-426.5. 1981: Canadian Nickel Co. Ltd.: airborne geophys. survey; mag. VLF, HL EM surveys. 1984:Teddy Bear Valley Mines: 14-DD-9,609.1 ft. 1987-89: Newmont Exploration: IP surv., surf. DDH's (20,000 ft) on Teddy Bear Valley Mines and Lightval Mines Ltd. claims; suspended Canadian operations; formed joint venture with Noranda Exploration Ltd.1991-96; Noranda Exploration Co.:( joint venture with Freewest Resources Inc.) diamond drilling along strike of Teddy Bear Valley Mines claims; outlined at least three distinct auriferous zones along 1,900 ft of strike; bulk sampling; pre-production work; production begins 1996. 2006: mine closed (care and maintenance) at the end of April with exploration to continue. 2006-present: St. Andrew Goldfields purchased the property from Newmont Canada Limited. Intermittent mining from the end of 2006 by St Andrew Goldfields Ltd.; mine in production. The Holt Complex, consisting of Holt, Holloway and Taylor mines ceased production on April 2, 2020, as part of Kirkland Lake Gold's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst continuing the strategic review of the Holt Complex.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Abitibi

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Abitibi

Tectonic Assemblage: Kidd-Munro

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Jun 22, 2010 (D Guidon) - From Valliant and Bergen (2008) The Holloway and Holt mines lie within the southern Abitibi greenstone belt (SAGB) of the Superior Province in northeastern Ontario. In very general terms, the Abitibi Subprovince consists of Late Archean metavolcanic rocks, related synvolcanic intrusions, and clastic metasedimentary rocks, intruded by Archean alkaline intrusions and Paleoproterozoic diabase dikes. At a regional scale, the distribution of supracrustal units in the SAGB is dominated by east-west striking volcanic and sedimentary assemblages. The structural grain is also dominated by east-west trending Archean deformation zones and folds. The regional deformation zones commonly occur at assemblage boundaries and are spatially closely associated with long linear belts representing the sedimentary assemblages. The dominant regional fault in this area is the Destor-Porcupine (DPDZ). The current locations of these regional deformation zones are interpreted to be proximal to the locus of early synvolcanic extensional faults. Belt scale folding and faulting was protracted and occurred in a number of distinct intervals associated at least in the early stages with compressive stresses related to the onset of continental collision between the Abitibi and older subprovinces to the north (Ayer et al., 2005). Throughout the history of the Abitibi Subprovince, there was repeated plutonism defined by three broad suites: 1) synvolcanic plutons, 2) syntectonic intrusions that range in age from 2695 Ma to 2680 Ma and include tonalite, granodiorite, syenite, and granite, and 3) post tectonic granites that range in age from approximately 2665 Ma to 2640 Ma (Ayer et al., 1999). The southern part of the Abitibi greenstone belt, in the general vicinity of the Holloway-Holt Project, consists of three major volcanic lithotectonic assemblages and two unconformably overlying primarily metasedimentary assemblages (Ayer et al., 2002). From oldest to youngest, these assemblages are the Stoughton-Roquemaure (2723 Ma-2720 Ma), the Kidd-Munro (2719 Ma-2711 Ma), the Blake River (2704 Ma-2696 Ma), the Porcupine (2690 Ma-2685 Ma), and the Timiskaming (2676 Ma-2670 Ma). The three oldest assemblages are all volcanic with plume, island arc and rifted island arc affinities, have conformable contacts, and were developed by volcanic construction in variably extension to compression tectonic environments. On a belt scale, these form a broad synclinorium cored by the Blake River assemblage. The deformation history of the area is defined by five events. The earliest episode of regional D1 deformation (compression and extension) predated the Porcupine angular unconformity at 2690 Ma. The D2 event (compression and extension) postdated the Porcupine assemblage and resulted in localized folding and thrusting and early south-side up, dip-slip, ductile deformation on regional deformation zones. Broadly synchronous with the syntectonic opening of the Timiskiming basins in dilational jogs was D3 folding that resulted in significant left lateral slip movement along the DPDZ. The D4 folding event created synclines within the Timiskaming assemblage rocks and right-lateral strikeslip displacement along the DPDZ. The D4-D5 event represents the final stage of transpressional deformation along the DPDZ (Ayer et al., 2005). Gold mineralization in the Holloway-Holt area is interpreted to be early D3 in age. Lightning Zone replacement mineralization is cut by an intermineral dike with an age of 2672 ± 1.9 Ma, which is overprinted by a later auriferous quartz-carbonate veining event (Ropchan et al., 2002). The bulk of the gold in the Timmins area was related to late D3 events.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Jun 22, 2010 (D Guidon) - From Viallant and Bergen (2008) The evolution of the SAGB in the region of the Holloway-Holt Project spans a period of at least 60 Ma from approximately 2723 Ma to approximately 2660 Ma and includes volcanism, sedimentation, and plutonism. All rocks are at greenschist to upper greenschist grade of metamorphism. The oldest rocks in the area are the Stoughton-Roquemaure assemblage (2723 Ma-2720 Ma), which consists of thick magnesium and iron-rich tholeiitic basalt sequences with localized komatiites and felsic volcanic units. These are overlain by the Kidd-Munro assemblage rocks (2719 Ma-2711 Ma) which have been subdivided into two distinct suites: 1) an upper tholeiitic to komatiitic portion which consists of komatiites, magnesium and iron-rich tholeiites and 2) a lower calcalkaline portion consisting of intermediate to felsic pyroclastic rocks. These are in turn overlain by the Blake River assemblage (2704 Ma-2696 Ma) comprised of calc-alkaline mafic to felsic volcanic rocks in the Ontario portion of the assemblage, but also including tholeiitic basalt and FIII rhyolite in Quebec. After 2696 Ma, the tectonic regime shifted from volcanic construction to that dominated by deformation, plutonism, and erosion accompanied by development of localized basins infilled by sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Ayer et al., 2005). The Porcupine assemblage (2690 Ma-2685 Ma) consists predominantly of wacke, siltstone, and mudstone displaying Bouma sequence subdivisions indicating predominantly distal deposition by turbidity currents (Born, 1995). The bulk of the Porcupine assemblage turbidites may represent distal sedimentation related to early faulting. Contact relations imply that the Porcupine assemblage basal contact is conformable with the Blake River assemblage in some localities, but unconformably overlying older assemblages in other parts of the Abitibi greenstone belt. The Timiskaming assemblage (2676 Ma-2670 Ma) typically occurs as a narrow band of clastic sedimentary rocks deposited unconformably on older assemblages in proximity to the DPDZ. The assemblage consists of polymictic conglomerate and sandstone deposited in subaerial alluvial-fan, fluvial, and deltaic environments (Born, 1995). Coeval with the Timiskaming assemblage and spatially associated with the DPDZ are younger syntectonic intrusions (2680 Ma-2670 Ma) occurring as small stocks, dikes, and sills.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Jun 22, 2010 (D Guidon) - From Valliant and Bergen (2008) Gold mineralization at the Holt and Holloway Mines comprises replacement carbonate-pyrite-albite-quartz alteration that overprints mafic volcanic rocks in, and adjacent to, D3-D4 high strain zones. The Holloway deposit is hosted by the 30 m-150 m wide Holloway unit, a south dipping band of Fe-tholeiitic mafic volcanic rocks that is bounded to the south and north by south facing turbiditic sedimentary rocks and komatiitic ultramafic volcanic rocks, respectively. Mineralization occurs where a 200 m to 300 m wide corridor of east-northeast trending D2-D3 high strain zones obliquely crosses the Holloway unit, resulting in a deflection in its strike to east-northeast trends, from east to west-northwest trends that are more typical at the property scale (Rhys, 2005a). Lightning and Blacktop mineralization comprises replacement carbonate-quartzalbite-pyrite zones developed adjacent to and within the high strain zones that overprint earlier formed albite-hematite alteration that preferentially replaces variolitic flow units. Mineralized bodies trend east-northeast. First order plunge of the Lightning Zone is moderately to the southeast. Second order steeply plunging mineralized shoots correspond to the intersection line of high strain zones with the Holloway unit. Lightning Zone replacement mineralization is overprinted by a stacked set of shallow dipping, semibrittle faults, with top to north-northwest displacements of up to 100 m, which cause segmentation of the Holloway unit and offset of earlier Lightning Zone mineralized shoots. These structures are partially filled with quartz vein systems, and are coeval with a set of moderate to shallow north-northwest dipping quartz extension veins that are developed at a high angle to the stretching lineation. There has probably been an upgrading of the older mineralization by the veining event (Rhys, 2005a).

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Apr 28, 2010

Geologist: D Guidon

Notes: Property visit with Gary Grabowski and James Suma-Momoh, April 28, 2010 Photos: Photo Number Description 731445 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - C cut - mafic volcanics with shallow dipping structure and mienralization 731446 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - C cut - mafic volcanics with shallow dipping structure and mienralization - albite alteration 731447 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - C cut - ultramafic volcanics with shallow dipping structure and mienralization - albite alteration 731448 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - C cut - James Suma-Momoh 731449 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - C cut - Gary Grabowski 731450 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - A cut (incorrect on scale) - mineralization 731451 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -510 level - A cut - mineralization 731452 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -490 level - very flat vein filling fault 731453 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -490 level - north-trending fault with left side down 16 m to left of James - fault is steeply dipping toward James 731454 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -490 level - folded vein (not ore) east-trending and south dipping - folded 731455 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - south dipping fault controlling the ore - steeper in this area 731456 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - ultramafics above, mafics below in ore zone - not veining below fault 731457 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - close up of mineralization in mafics below fault 731458 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - close up of mineralization in mafics below fault 731459 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - graphitic zone in the mafics 731460 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - graphitic zone in the mafics - note py nodules 731461 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - graphitic zone in the mafics - note py nodules - close-up 731462 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - variolites in mafics 731463 Holloway Mine - Blacktop zone - -430 level - larger ovoid of alteration possibly related to py and qtz veining 731464 Holloway Mine - Gary Grabowski and James Suma-Momoh at the station Samples: 10301 - bleached mafic volcanic with 5-7% disseminated py - -510 m level 10302 - bleached mafic volcanic with 5-7% disseminated py, py finer than samples 10301 - -490 m level Cage to -550 m level and rode in a truck out to the Blacktop Zone. Production from the Blacktop is about 1000 t per day. The upper zone averages 6-7 g/t Au and the lower zone 5-6 g/t Au. Mineralization in the Blacktop zone is shallow dipping to the south. On the -510 m level, mineralization was mined using 3 subparallel cuts. The mineralization follows the strike of shallow dipping faults that dip to the south. Mineralization is in albite altered mafic volcanic rocks. Level plans show the mineralized is under 100 m of strike length. Sample collected is about midway on the south cut. The ultramafic-mafic contact is to the north of the mineralization. Development much grades 2-3 g/t Au. On the -490 m level, the mineralization is almost flat in places. A north-trending fault terminates the mineralization on the western side. The continuation of the mineralization has been down dropped about 16 m. The western end of the drift contains a folded, south dipping barren vein. The -430 m level was mined using 5 north-trending cuts. We examined the most eastern cut (430 BTFW DP5). A south dipping fault, that is steeper, controls the ore. Ultramafic rocks overlie ore-bearing mafic rocks. At the south end of a short cut to the west of 430 BTFW DP5, a graphite fault contains pyrite nodules. To the east of the fault, mafic volcanic rocks are variolitic. Also present are large ovoids of bleaching, possibly related to pyrite and narrow quartz stringers. On the -410 m level, ultramafic rocks overlie mafic rocks and dip south.

References

Journal - Host rock and structural controls on the nature and timing of gold mineralization at the Holloway Mine, Abitibi Subprovince, Ontario, pp. 291-309.

Publication Number: Econ. Geol. 97 Date: 2002

Author: Ropchan, J.R., Luinstra, B., Fowler, A.D., Benn, K., Ayer, J., Berger, B.,

Publisher Name: Economic Geology, 97,

Location: Kirkland Lake RGO

Map - Precambrian Geology of the Highway 101 Area, East of Matheson, Ontario

Publication Number: M2676 Scale: 1:50,000    Date: 2003

Author: Berger B.R., Luinstra B., Ropchan J.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

MonoMap - Geological Synthesis of the Highway 101 Area, East of Matheson, Ontario

Publication Number: OFR6091 Page: 82-84  Date: 2003

Author: Berger B.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - North part of the Township of Holloway, District of Cochrane, Ontario

Publication Number: M1953-04 Date: 1997

Author: Satterly J., Hogg N.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Part - Geology of the north half of Holloway Township

Publication Number: ARV62-07 Page: 33-36  Date: 1997

Author: Satterly J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Book - Technical report on the Holloway-Holt project, Ontario, Canada

Publication Number: Date: 2008

Author: Valliant, W.V. and Bergen, R.D

Publisher Name: Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., 274p. (SEDAR)

Location: SEDAR

Mono - Overview of Results from the Greenstone Architecture Project: Discover Abitibi Initiative

Publication Number: OFR6154 Date: 2005

Author: Ayer J.A., Thurston P.C., Bateman R., Dubé B., Gibson H.L., Hamilton M.A., Hathway B., Hocker S.M., Houlé M.G., Hudak G., Ispolatov V.O., Lafrance B., Lesher C.M., MacDonald P.J., Péloquin A.S., Piercey S.J., Reed L.E., Thompson P.H.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Book - Structural study of the Holloway and Holt-McDermott deposits, Ontario, with exploration implications

Publication Number: Date: 2005

Author: Rhys, D.A.

Publisher Name: unpublished report for Newmont Canada Ltd., 79 pages plus appendices

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 2009, Resident Geologist Program, Kirkland Lake Regional Resident Geologist Report: Kirkland Lake District

Publication Number: OFR6248 Date: 2010

Author: Guindon D.L., Grabowski G.P.B., Wilson A.C., van Zeyl D.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Structural Geology of the Holloway Mine, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Ontario

Publication Number: OFR6045 Date: 2001

Author: Luinstra B., Benn K.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Report an Error

We are continuously updating our assessment file / technical report information. If you notice errors in the data, please contact us.

Terms of Use

Please review our Terms of Use agreement for this data product.

Ministry Contact Information

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