Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI41N15NE00096
| Record Name(s) | Firesand Creek Carbonatite Zone D - 1961 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Partial |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Occurrence |
| Date Created | 1999-Jan-14 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-May-17 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Niobium
Secondary Commodities: Rare Earth Elements, Iron
Township or Area: McMurray
Latitude: 47° 59' 31.21" Longitude: -84° 40' 3.75"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 674000.33 Northing: 5318043.6 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Sault Ste. Marie
NTS Grid: 41N15NE
Point Location Description: Zone D map 2006
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: The site is accessible by following the Firesand Creek road south from highway 101 for a distance of approximately 4 km. A traverse of approximately 1 km fromteh end of the road will bring the visitor tot he approximate location of the showing. Former claim SSM 21662.
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.
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Wawa
Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi
Belt: Michipicoten
Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic Geochronological Age: 1078 MA Geochron. Age Ref.: GEOLOGY OF ONTARIO P.669
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.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Dolomite-Carbonatite | 1 | Rauhaugite | Host |
|---|
Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - The core of the complex is a ferruginous dolomite. Where exposed, the outcrops are distinguished by a heavy coating of iron oxide (hematite and goethite). Locally a very fine-grained crystalline hematite is present. It is presumed that this is the mineralization that first drew attention to the area. THe rock is 75-95% carbonate and the remainder consists of magnetite, apatite and traces of biotite and barite.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrochlore | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Hematite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 3 | Magnetite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 4 | Apatite | Economic | Ore |
Dec 07, 2005 (A Wilson) - Surface sampling of the dolomitic core by Algoma Steel revealed very low Nb values except at this location. Assays up to 1.32% Nb2O5 have been obtained from outcrop exposures.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Magmatic |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 1078 MA | GEOLOGY OF ONTARIO P.699 |
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:
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 - 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:
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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