Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI41I06NW00047

Record: MDI41I06NW00047

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Nickel, Copper

Secondary Commodities: Cobalt, Palladium, Platinum

Location

Township or Area: Denison, Denison

Latitude: 46° 23' 51.34"    Longitude: -81° 25' 36.92"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 467180   Northing: 5138313    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Sudbury

NTS Grid: 41I06NW

Point Location Description: Shaft location per AMIS coordinates

Location Method: Data Compilation

Access Description: The Gersdorffite Mine area is located approximately 20 km west of Sudbury, in the southwest of Denison Township. The area is crosscut by two east to west trending main roads: the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 17) and Highway 658. Approximately 4 kilometers west of Whitefish, County Road 4 (also known as Fairbank Lake Road) turns north off of Highway 17. About 2.5 kilometers west of Victoria Mine (Ghost Town) there is a right turn off road for the Gersdorffite/Kidd Copper Mine property. (OFR 6109, p.1,2)

Exploration History

1890: Daniel O'Connor discovered the Gersdorffite ore zone. O'Connor sank some test pits on the land, and obtained a grant 1st May, 1891. 1916: Denison Nickel Mines Limited - DD-12. 1928: Denison Copper Mines acquired ownership of the property, conducted diamond drilling. 1936: Denison Copper Mines renamed Denison Nickel Mines. 1937-1939: No. 1 shaft sunk, underground development continues. 1939: Mine closed, no production. 1946: Geological and geophysical surveys and drilling by Denison Nickel Mines. 1949: Denison Nickel Mines renamed North Denison mines. 1954: North Denison Mines renamed Consolidated Denison Mines. Pacolund Mines Ltd. acquired the property. 1955: Pacolund Mines Limited reorganized, renamed AER Nickel Corp. Ltd, a subsidiary of Arcadia Nickel Corp. Ltd. Arcadia Nickel owns lot 12, concession III, and part of lot 12, concession II, Denison township. On this property are located mineral occurrences formerly known as the Howland pit, the Robinson mine, and the Gersdorffite mine. The Robinson mine and the Gersdorffite mine are now known as the AER mine. 1956: Arcadia Nickel Corporation Limited - ground geophysics, surface drilling and underground exploration. 1955-1957: Development of the AER or No. 1 shaft continued. New No. 2 shaft on Rosen (Gersdorffite) zone sunk to 329 meters. 1958: Work was discontinued due to lack of finances and Aer Nickel Corp. Ltd. went into receivership. 1965: Aer Nickel Corp. Ltd. reached an agreement with Kidd Copper Mines Ltd. under the terms that Kidd Copper Mines has the right to bring the property into production at a minimal rate of 508 tonnes/day by 1966. The term of the lease agreement is for 10 years, renewable for an additional 10 years. There are two shafts, 328 and 300 meters in depth. 1967: drifting, crosscutting; DD-46-10,161 ft. (underground), DD-10-451 ft. surface drilling. 1966-1968: Production started in 1966 until reserves were exhausted in December 1968. 1969: Mining operations were terminated and the hoistroom for No. 1 shaft burned down. 2000-2014: Crowflight Minerals - DD-48-29,200 m. 2013-15: Sudbury Platinum Corporation: property acquisition - UTEM IV survey, diamond drilling program DD-9-6158 m. 2016 - Aer-Kidd exploration program: 18,000 m DD; geophysical resurveying of historic bore holes.

Geology

Province: Southern

Subprovince: Sudbury Structure

Supergroup: Sudbury Igneous Complex, Main Mass

Geological Age: Paleoproterozoic  

Geology Comments

Jun 22, 2016 (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). Quartz diorite is the dominant rock type of the Offsets of the SIC. Traditionally, this rock type has been included in the group of rock types composing the contact Sublayer. The Offsets extend either radially away from the margin of the SIC (e.g. Worthington Offset Dyke), or crop out as concentric ring dikes. The Offset quartz diorites are usually associated with wide zones of brecciation characterized by the frequent development of Sudbury Breccia. The Worthington Offset Dyke is a branching Offset that extends southwest from the margin of the SIC from Denison to Lorne Townships. The proximal part of the Offset occupies what may once have been an embayment structure north of the abandoned Victoria Mine, but now crops out as large faulted segments of quartz diorite in contact with the SIC. The contacts between quartz diorite and country rock are sharp. The sulphides in the Offset dike occur as pipe-shaped sub-vertical ore deposits. Much of the sulphide mineralization is restricted to lenses which terminate within the core of the Offset and widen towards the margin where the inclusion-rich and sulphide-rich quartz diorite is in contact with or cross-cuts and brecciates the country rocks. The Gersdorffite ore body occurs in what is known as the Worthington Offset, a dike about 6.4 kilometers long and 30 to 60 meters wide. There are 4 main orebodies that occur within the Worthington Offset, a somewhat discontinuous quartz diorite dike dipping 60 to 85°S and striking about 50°NE across western Denison Township. From southwest to northeast these are the Howland pit, Robinson zone (shaft zone), Rosen zone and Z zone. The dike contains inclusions of actinolite, surrounded by quartz diorite. Most of the sulphides are in the actinolite areas. The ore is typical Sudbury mineralization of the breccia type. Pipe-like zones range from 3 to 15 meters in width and 45 to 60 meters in length. The dike has the composition of a diorite or other closely related rock, and is thought to be connected with the norite-micropegmatite, although there is no direct surface connection with this rock. At the Gersdorffite mine, the dike appears to cut across the bedding planes in the sedimentary rocks, and it pinches out into irregular stringers a short distance to the northeast

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Jun 22, 2016 (D Scholtz) - The Gersdorffite ore zone is one of four ore zones which lies on one of the offset norite dykes. The zones are lenticular and the sulphides occur as small veins or disseminated masses in association with quartz, feldspar and calcite. The Gersdorffite ore body occurs in what is known as the Worthington Offset, a dike about 6.4 kilometers long and 30 to 60 meters wide. There are 4 main orebodies that occur within the Worthington Offset, a somewhat discontinuous quartz diorite dike dipping 60 to 85°S and striking about 50°NE across western Denison Township. From southwest to northeast these are the Howland pit, Robinson zone (shaft zone), Rosen zone and Z zone. The dike contains inclusions of actinolite, surrounded by quartz diorite. Most of the sulphides are in the actinolite areas. The ore is typical Sudbury mineralization of the breccia type. Pipe-like zones range from 3 to 15 meters in width and 45 to 60 meters in length. The dike has the composition of a diorite or other closely related rock, and is thought to be connected with the norite-micropegmatite, although there is no direct surface connection with this rock. At the Gersdorffite mine, the dike appears to cut across the bedding planes in the sedimentary rocks, and it pinches out into irregular stringers a short distance to the northeast.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Jun 22, 2016 (A Wilson) - Assays from the 2014-15 drill program • AK-14-001: 1.75m @ 1.37% Ni, 0.50% Cu and 1.64g/t PGM. • AK-14-001A : 8.10m @ 1.04% Ni, 0.75% Cu and 2.40g/t PGM. • AK-15-003: 9.15m @ 0.67% Ni, 0.99%Cu and 1.44g/t PGM. Mineralized zones typically occur as pipe-shaped bodies that can extend from surface to depths in excess of 1500+ meters and have surface expression of 25m in width by 100m in length. The best intersection from the Crowflight Minerals drilling (2003) was from hole W-03-03AW1 which intersected 1.46% Ni, 0.56% Cu and 1.3 g/t PGM over 8.2m in IQD at a drill hole depth of 844.2m. Aer-Kidd hosts the former producing Howland Pit, Robinson and Rosen Mines, which were small deposits exposed at surface and mined down to a maximum depth of 300m.

Nov 26, 2008 (D Scholtz) - The Worthington offset intrudes Middle Precambrian pelitic metasediments of the Huronian McKim Formation and post-Huronian metagabbroic rocks. The deposit contains abundant inclusions, especially of actinolite amphibolite in a quartz diorite matrix. In the ore zones, massive to disseminated sulphides consisting of mainly pyrrhotite, pyrite, pentlandite, and chalcopyrite. Minor gersdorffite, niccolite, polydymite, nickeliferous pyrite, platinum-group metals, gold and silver are present. Mineralization usually occurs where amphibolite fragments are abundant but the sulphides replace fragments to a very limited extent, leading to typical Sudbury breccia ore. The widths of the mineralized zones range from 3 to 15 meters and the lengths from 45 to 76 meters. Pipe-like mineralized zones are found at fairly regular intervals of 457 to 610 meters along the offset (R060, p. 49, 50, 51, 52)

Mineral Record Details

References

Book - Canadian Mines Handbook 1956

Publication Number: CMH1956 Page: 5  Date: 1956

Author: H.C. Rickaby, ed

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 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962

Publication Number: CMH1962 Date: 1962

Author: M.E. Hurst, ed

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 1963, 1964, 1965

Publication Number: CMH1965 Date: 1965

Author: Northern Miner, comp

Publisher Name: CMH

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 - Canadian Mines Handbook 1966-1967, 1967-1968, 1968-1969, 1969-1970

Publication Number: CMH1970 Date: 1970

Author: H.J. Meyers, ed

Publisher Name: CMH

Location: Sudbury Mines Library, Geology Ontario

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:

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: 27-28  Date: 1985

Author: Rose, D. G.

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/129999

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:

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 - Report of the Royal Ontario Nickel Commission, with appendix

Publication Number: OP01 Page: 44, 189  Date: 1997

Author: Holloway G.T., Miller W.G., Young M., Gibson T.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

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: 49-52  Date: 1968

Author: Card K.D.

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: 123-124  Date: 1998

Author: Riddell G.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Annual report for the year 1967, statistics of the mineral industry and mining operations in Ontario for 1967

Publication Number: ARV77 Page: 116  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: 240-241  Date: 1969

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Annual report on mining operations in Ontario during calendar year 1968

Publication Number: ARV78 Page: 84-85  Date: 1998

Author: Riddell G.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Annual report on mining operations in Ontario during calendar year 1969

Publication Number: ARV79 Page: 93-94  Date: 1998

Author: Riddell G.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs

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 - Sublayer and Offset Dikes of the Sudbury Igneous Complex: An Introduction and Field Guide

Publication Number: OFR5965 Page: 28-30  Date: 1997

Author: Lightfoot P.C., Naldrett A.J., Morrison G.G.

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 2015, Resident Geologist Program, Kirkland Lake Regional Resident Geologist Report: Kirkland Lake and Sudbury Districts

Publication Number: OFR6318 Page: 18-19  Date: 2016

Author: Guindon D.L., Farrow D.G., Hall L.A.F., Daniels C.M., Debicki R.L., Wilson A.C., Bardeggia L.A., Sabiri N.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 2014, Resident Geologist Program, Kirkland Lake Regional Resident Geologist Report: Kirkland Lake and Sudbury Districts

Publication Number: OFR6305 Page: 18  Date: 2015

Author: Guindon D.L., Farrow D.G., Suma-Momoh J., Daniels C.M., Debicki R.L., Wilson A.C., Hall L.A.F., Sabiri N.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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