Ontario Geological Survey
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MDI41I06NW00015
| Record Name(s) | Ellen Open Pit - 1961, Crean Hill No. 2 - 1900 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Compound |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Past Producing Mine Without Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1980-Jan-14 |
| Date Last Modified | 2023-Jan-12 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Nickel, Copper
Secondary Commodities: Silver, Gold, Selenium, Tellurium, Platinum, Palladium, Iron, Cobalt
Township or Area: Denison
Latitude: 46° 25' 48.09" Longitude: -81° 19' 22.38"
UTM Zone: 17 Easting: 475192.89 Northing: 5141878.53 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Sudbury
NTS Grid: 41I06NW
Point Location Description: Ellen Open Pit No.1
Location Method: AMIS Site Visit
Access Description: The Ellen Open Pit is located in Denison Township at the southwestern end of the South Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex 32 km west of the City of Sudbury, Ontario by road. Paved and unpaved roads connecting to highways 144 and 17 give access from the north, crossing over the Vermillion River, and from the south, respectively. ( First Nickel Inc. Lockerby Mine Depth Zone Technical Report NI43-101 - February 28, 2008, p. 5-1)
1886: The Ellen deposit is discovered by Rinaldo McConnell. Circa 1900 - 1915: Property was developed as part of the Crean Hill development program by the Canadian Copper Co. The Ellen deposit is originally known as Crean Hill No. 2. Work included stripping, trenching and sinking of pits. 1950: Inco acquired the property from the Canadian Copper Company. 1960: Development work at the Ellen open pit consisted of construction and installation of equipment. 1961: Work at the Ellen No. 1 Pit continued throughout 1961. In January, ore production commenced averaging 1,500 tons daily. 1962: Ore production continued to April 30th, 1962, after which production was suspended. A total of 78,998 tons of ore was mined at a rate of about 1,500 tons per day. 1964-1966: Pioneer Construction Ltd. - Operations resumed at the rate of 1,000 tons per day. 1966-1969: Operations were suspended. Production information from 1961 onwards included in Copper Cliff No. 1 (MDI41I06NE00003). 1970-1972: Carmen Construction - operations commenced with production varying from 400 - 750 tons per day. 2007: Crean Hill (Ellen Pit) production is slated for 2008.
Province: Southern
Subprovince: Sudbury Structure
Supergroup: Sudbury Igneous Complex, Main Mass
Geological Age: Paleoproterozoic
Nov 18, 2008 (D Scholtz) - The Sudbury ore bodies occur along the lower contact of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC), i.e., in the Contact Sublayer, the Footwall Breccia and/or the footwall rocks themselves, and in the Offset dikes. The SIC is a tripartite assemblage consisting of norite overlying the footwall breccia at the bottom of the SIC, gabbro and a granophyre magmatic body. A passive magmatic event of granitic plutonism affected the south of the Sudbury basin. Subsequently, at approximately 1450 Ma the Sudbury basin underwent southeast-over-northwest ductile thrust faulting which resulted in the formation of the South Range shear zone (SRSZ). The nickel-copper sulphide orebodies at Sudbury are closely associated with the basal layer of a norite-micropegmatite complex. Between the norite and micropegmatite, there is a transition zone, and beneath the norite there is the ore-bearing sublayer that includes the quartz diorite dikes called offsets. This layering is apparently due either to differentiation in place or to composite intrusion. The Ellen Open Pit, formerly known as the Crean Hill No.2, is located near the mutual contact of the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive, the Creighton granite, and the older Middle Precambrian mafic metavolcanics of the Elsie Mountain formation. The mineralized zone lies within 304.8 meters north of the east-northeast-trending Creighton fault, and originally was found to outcrop over roughly 0.4 kilometers. The ore is found in breccia at the nickel irruptive contact where this contact swings sharply northward. There is also sulphide mineralization along the contact to the east, Graham Township, and there is mineralization to the west in Denison Township. The norite contact dips about 80° north to the west of the pit and about 50° northwest to the northeast of the pit. The norite is sheared and brecciated along the contact and ore is found in both brecciated greenstone and norite. The ore is "rocky", containing abundant rock and mineral inclusions. The affinity of chalcopyrite for rock fragments is well-displayed. There is a quartz-carbonate vein exposed in the west wall of the pit. The carbonates are evidently ankeritic because they weather brown. Blebs and masses of chalcopyrite are found in the vein (R060, p. 29, 41, 42, 58) (OFR6109, p. 5, 6) (OFR5439, p.47, 48)
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Quartz Diorite | 1 | Quartz Diorite, Quartz Diorite Breccia | Hanging Wall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphibolite | 2 | Amphibolite | Footwall |
Jun 22, 2016 (A Wilson) - The mineralization occurs mostly in the leucocratic tonalitic sub-layer breccia at the base of the Sudbury Irruptive. The hanging wall consist of late Middle Precambrian quartz diorite and quartz diorite type breccia while footwall rocks are amphibolitic. The orebody can be subdivided into three zones: The Hanging wall zone, which makes up about 10% of the ore, is a series of discontinuous sulphide lenses in the hanging wall norite breccia. Most of the ore occurs as disseminated blebs but stringers and massive ore are also present. The Main zone, which contains 70% of the ore, consists of a series of ore lenses in a tonalitic breccia with numerous inclusions of gneiss and norite. The ore occurs mostly as breccia ore which consist of patches and stringers of sulphides. The Deep zone, which makes up the other 20% of the ore, is an irregular shaped concentration of massive sulphide stringers which are wholly enclosed in rocks of the granitic complex. This zone is separate from the main zone by at least 30.5 meters of granitic gneiss The Ellen Open Pit, formerly known as the Crean Hill No.2, is located near the mutual contact of the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive, the Creighton granite, and the older Middle Precambrian mafic metavolcanics of the Elsie Mountain formation. The mineralized zone lies within 304.8 meters north of the east-northeast-trending Creighton fault, and originally was found to outcrop over roughly 0.4 kilometers. The ore is found in breccia at the nickel irruptive contact where this contact swings sharply northward. There is also sulphide mineralization along the contact to the east, Graham Township, and there is mineralization to the west in Denison Township. The norite contact dips about 80° north to the west of the pit and about 50° northwest to the northeast of the pit. The norite is sheared and brecciated along the contact and ore is found in both brecciated greenstone and norite. The ore is "rocky", containing abundant rock and mineral inclusions. The affinity of chalcopyrite for rock fragments is well-displayed. There is a quartz-carbonate vein exposed in the west wall of the pit. The carbonates are evidently ankeritic because they weather brown. Blebs and masses of chalcopyrite are found in the vein. The ore is found in breccia at the nickel irruptive contact where this contact swings sharply northward.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chalcopyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Pentlandite | Economic | Ore |
Jun 22, 2016 (D Scholtz) - The ore, consisting largely of chalcopyrite and pentlandite, is found as sulphides cementing breccia fragments of norite (inclusion sulphide) at the nickel irruptive contact where the trend of the contact swings sharply northward from roughly east-west to nearly north. Along the norite contact, the rock is sheared and brecciated with ore being found in both mafic metavolcanics and norite. The ore is of a rocky nature, bearing abundant rock and mineral inclusions. A quartz-ankerite vein in the west wall of the pit is accompanied by blebs and masses of chalcopyrite.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Igneous Contact |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Breccia |
| 2 | Sheared |
| 3 | Vein |
| Year | Tonnes | Commodities | Reference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 154860 | ODM ARV76, 80,81; Annual report for the year 1966, p. 115 | ||
| 1970 | 70195 | SMDR0897; ODM ARV76, 80, 81; Annual report for the year 1966, p. 115 | ||
| 1966 | 217257 | ODM ARV76, Annual report for the year 1966, p. 115 | Production figure from January - November. | |
| 1965 | 328436 | ODM ARV75, Annual report for the year 1965, p. 99 | ||
| 1962 | 71665 | CMH 1963, p. 146 |
Book - Canadian Mines Handbook 1961
Publication Number: CMH1961 Page: 118 Date: 1961
Author: Dr. M.E. Hurst
Publisher Name: CMH
Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario
Map - Geology, Sudbury bedrock compilation, Ontario
Publication Number: OF 4570 Scale: 1:50,000 Date: 2005
Author: Ames, D E; Davidson, A; Buckle, J L; Card, K D
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/221501
Book - Canadian Mines Handbook 1963
Publication Number: CMH1963 Page: 146 Date: 1963
Author: Dr. M.E. Hurst
Publisher Name: CMH
Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario
Map - Denison Township, District of Sudbury
Publication Number: P0202 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1997
Author: Card K.D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Book - Canadian Mines Handbook 1976-1977
Publication Number: CMH1976 Page: 166 Date: 1976
Author: F.M. Fielder, ed
Publisher Name: CMH
Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario
Map - Sudbury mining area, District of Sudbury
Publication Number: P0405 Scale: 1:63,360 Date: 1997
Author: Card K.D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Book - Canadian and American Mines Handbook 2007-2008, Business Information Group, Toronto, Canada, 2007, p. 307
Publication Number: CMH2007 Page: 307 Date: 2007
Author: D. Giancola, ed
Publisher Name:
Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario
Map - Denison-Waters area, Sudbury District
Publication Number: M2119 Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1967
Author: Card K.D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Book - Sudbury Timmins Algoma Mineral Program, Project 1: mineral inventory of the Sudbury-Timmins-Sault Ste. Marie region, Ontario
Publication Number: GSC OF 1087 Page: 25 Date: 1985
Author: Rose, D. G.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/129999
Map - Sudbury mining area, Sudbury District
Publication Number: M2170 Scale: 1:63,360 Date: 1969
Author: Card K.D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Sudbury-Cobalt sheet, geological compilation series, Algoma, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Sudbury and Timiskaming districts
Publication Number: M2188 Scale: 1:253,440 Date: 1971
Author: Card K.D., Donovan J.F., Lovell H.L., Lumbers S.B., Meyn H.D., Savage W.S., Thomson R., Thomson J.E.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Mono - Seventieth annual report of the Ontario Department of Mines, volume 70, mining operations in 1960, statistical review of the mining industry for 1960
Publication Number: ARV70 Page: 95 Date: 1998
Author: Kelly T.J., Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Sudbury-Cobalt, geological compilation series, Algoma, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Sudbury and Timiskaming districts
Publication Number: M2361 Scale: 1:253,440 Date: 1977
Author: Card K.D., Lumbers S.B.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Annual report of the Ontario Department of Mines for the year 1961, volume 71, statistical review of the mineral industry and mining operations for 1961
Publication Number: ARV71 Page: 101, 104 Date: 1998
Author: Kelly T.J., Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Mineral deposits series, Ontario mineral potential, northern part of Sudbury sheet and part of North Bay sheet, districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin
Publication Number: P1512 Scale: 1:250,000 Date: 1998
Author: Springer J.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Annual report of the Ontario Department of Mines for the year 1962, volume 72, statistical review of the mineral industry and mining operations for 1962
Publication Number: ARV72 Page: 102, 105 Date: 1998
Author: Kelly T.J., Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Compilation series, Sudbury mining area, western part, Sudbury District
Publication Number: P2602 Scale: 1:50,000 Date: 1983
Author: Dressler B.O.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Annual report for the year 1964, statistics of the mineral industry and mining operations in Ontario for 1964
Publication Number: ARV74 Page: 99 Date: 1998
Author: Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Sudbury geological compilation, Sudbury District, Sudbury Regional Municipality
Publication Number: M2491 Scale: 1:50,000 Date: 1984
Author: Dressler B.O.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of the Denison-Waters area, District of Sudbury
Publication Number: R060 Page: 29, 41, 42, 57, 58 Date: 1968
Author: Card K.D.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Folio - Denison Township, District of Sudbury
Publication Number: GDIF315 Date: 1997
Author: Sudbury RGO
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Annual report for the year 1965, statistics of the mineral industry and mining operations in Ontario for 1965
Publication Number: ARV75 Page: 99 Date: 1997
Author: Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Annual report for the year 1966, statistics of the mineral industry and mining operations in Ontario for 1966
Publication Number: ARV76 Page: 115 Date: 1998
Author: Riddell G.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Copper, nickel, lead and zinc deposits of Ontario
Publication Number: MDC012 Page: 268-269 Date: 1969
Author: Shklanka R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Annual report on mineral industry operations in Ontario during calendar year 1970
Publication Number: ARV80 Page: 75 Date: 1998
Author: Matten E.E.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Mono - Industrial minerals of northern Ontario-supplement 2
Publication Number: OFR5439 Page: 40, 41, 47, 48 Date: 1983
Author: Vos M.A., Smith V.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Folio - Denison Township, District of Sudbury
Publication Number: GDIF315 Date: 1997
Author: Sudbury RGO
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario
Mono - Industrial minerals of northern Ontario
Publication Number: MDC026 Page: 18, 23, 27, 32 Date: 1985
Author: Vos M.A., Abolins T., McKnight R.L.W., Smith V.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Mapping and Structural Analysis in the Southwestern Sudbury Basin: Implications for Mineral Exploration
Publication Number: OFR6109 Page: 1, 2, 5, 6 Date: 2003
Author: Dubois A.J., Benn K.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2007, Resident Geologist Program, Kirkland Lake Regional Resident Geologist Report: Sudbury District
Publication Number: OFR6221 Page: 5 Date: 2008
Author: Farrow D.G., Felix V.E., Gaudreau J.M.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Publication - First Nickel Inc. Lockerby Mine Depth Zone Technical Report N143-101 - February 28, 2008, p.5-1
Publication Number: 2008 NI 43-101 Date: 2008
Author: R. Routledge
Publisher Name: www.sedar.com
Location: www.sedar.com website
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