Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI41N15NE00069

Record: MDI41N15NE00069

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s) Firesand River Carbonatite Zone C - 1980
Related Record Type Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status Occurrence
Date Created 1980-Jul-16
Date Last Modified 2022-May-17
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Niobium

Secondary Commodities: Rare Earth Elements, Thorium, Iron



Location

Township or Area: McMurray

Latitude: 47° 59' 7.16"    Longitude: -84° 40' 46.73"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 673132.16   Northing: 5317274.01    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Sault Ste. Marie

NTS Grid: 41N15NE

Point Location Description: C Zone on Chart A Study 47

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The site is accessible by following the Firesand Creek Road south from hwy 101 for a distance of approximately 4 km. A traverse of approximately 1 km from the end of the road will bring the visitor to the approximate location of the showing. The occurrence is on claim SSM 21654.



Exploration History

1950 Algoma Steel Corporation completed a geological and dip needle survey. 1951 Algoma Steel Corporation completed 16 ddh (2531 m), limited trenching. 1952 Algoma Steel Corporation 67.5 m pack sack drilling. 1953 Algoma Steel Corporation completed 6 ddh (1117.5 m), investigating site for Nb potential. 1970 Algoma Steel Corporation investigated the site for carbonate potential; magnetometer survey. 1972 Algoma Steel Corporation completed 8 ddh (717m) to test calcite-bearing rim of the complex.


Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Michipicoten

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic   Geochronological Age: 1078 MA   Geochron. Age Ref.: GEOLOGY OF ONTARIO P.699



Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - The complex intrudes Archean rocks of the Wawa subprovince and has been emplaced along faults associated with the Kapuskasing Structural Zone. The complex consists of sovite, silicocarbonatite, ijolite and feruginous rauhaugite. The complex is zoned with sovite and silicocarbonatite at the periphery and rauhaugite in the core. Ijolite occurs as blocks metasomatized by fenitizing fluids in the sovite rim of the complex. Lamprophyr dikes with associated iron carbonate and sodium amphibole alteration are common in the area near the complex.




Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type Rank Composition Texture Relationship
Carbonatite-Unsubdivided 1 Sovite Host

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - Outcrops are scarce in the area. Some of the sovite contains porphyritic rhombs of carbonate up to 10 cm set in a fine-grained matrix. Apatite, clinopyroxene (dioside and Na-bearing), magnetite, biotite and Na-bearing amphibole are present as accessory minerals to the dolomite, ankerite and calcite.




Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank Mineral Name Class Economic Mineral Type Alteration Mineral Type Alteration Ranking Alteration Intensity Alteration Style
1PyrochloreEconomicOre
2ApatiteEconomicOre
3MagnetiteEconomicOre

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - Small, well-formed pyrochlore octahedra occur in the disintegrated calcite carbonatite exposure. Surface samples returned Nb values up to 0.52% Nb2O5.



Mineral Record Details

Classification
RankClassification            
1 Magmatic
Characteristics
Rank Characteristic            
1 Unknown

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Rank: 1       Structure Type: None

Zone Name: Detour Lake - Rank 1
Shape Length Thickness Depth Strike Dip Plunge Trend Age Reference
Unknown 1078 MA GEOLOGY OF ONTARIO P. 699

References

Map - Firesand River area, District of Algoma

Publication Number: M2006 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1997

Author: Parsons G.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Mono - Iron deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC011 Page: 64  Date: 1968

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of McMurray Township, Wawa area, Algoma District

Publication Number: P2441 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1982

Author: Sage R.P., Sawitzky E., Turner J., Leeselleur P., Sagle E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


MonoMap - Niobium-bearing complexes east of Lake Superior

Publication Number: R003 Page: 23-32  Date: 1997

Author: Parsons G.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Map - Aeromagnetic maps of carbonatite-alkalic complexes in Ontario

Publication Number: P0452-REV Scale: 1:4,224,000    Date: 1997

Author: Satterly J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs

Location:


MonoMap - Columbium (niobium) deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC014 Page: 30-31  Date: 1971

Author: Ferguson S.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs

Location:


Article - Carbonatite-alkalic complexes

Publication Number: MP075.011 Page: 71-72  Date: 1997

Author: Sage R.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Mono - Uranium and thorium deposits of northern Ontario

Publication Number: MDC025 Page: 64  Date: 1984

Author: Robertson J.A., Gould K.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Mono - Geology of carbonatite-alkalic rock complexes in Ontario: Firesand River carbonatite complex, District of Algoma

Publication Number: S047 Page: 33-34  Date: 1988

Author: Sage R.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Mono - Wawa mineral deposits data base

Publication Number: OFR5775 Page: 279  Date: 1991

Author: Frey E.D., Stewart R.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Book - McMurray Township - unpublished GDIF

Publication Number: GDIF Date: 1985

Author: Resident Geologist Staff

Publisher Name:

Location: Timmins RGP


Thesis - The Geology and Petrology of the Firesand River Carbonatite Complex, Northwestern Ontario

Publication Number: MSc Thesis Date: 1979

Author: Teal, S.E.

Publisher Name: McMaster University

Location: SSM RGP


Mono - Geology of the Firesand River carbonatite complex

Publication Number: OFR5403 Date: 1984

Author: Sage R.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Sault Ste. Marie Resident Geologist District Office