Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI41P15NE00015

Record: MDI41P15NE00015

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Molybdenum

Secondary Commodities: Gold, Silver

Location

Township or Area: Powell

Latitude: 47° 58' 18.43"    Longitude: -80° 41' 46.2"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 522677   Northing: 5313209    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kirkland Lake

NTS Grid: 41P15NE

Point Location Description: Shaft

Location Method: AMIS Site Visit

Access Description: Proceed 6.5km west of the Montreal River bridge at Matachewan on highway 66.

Exploration History

1926: A.H. Mathieu -sampling, trenching. 1947: Ryan Lake Mines - X-ray drilling. 1948-57: Teck Exploration Company Limited and New Ryan Lake Mines - DD, 75 lb bulk sample; shaft sinking, underground development. 1957: mine closed. 1958-59: International Ranwick Ltd. - underground development; UGDD 29-6790 ft., DD-4-850 ft. 1962-66: -Pax International Mines Ltd. - open pit mining for mill testing. New mill installed, underground development Dd-24-5541 ft., surface drilling 3599 ft. in 7 holes, surface stripplng and IP survey. 1966-67: Cominco Ltd. - mapping, geochemical, ground geophysics, DD-15-8929 ft. 2005-2010: Pacific Comox Resources Limited - DD-88-9536 m, channel sampling Buss (2008) gives the exploration history as follows: Ten claims were staked in 1947 and followed up with six surface diamond drill holes. Teck Exploration conducted a magnetometer and S.P. survey on the property. They also drilled fifty holes on various geophysical anomalies totally 4,000 meters. From 1950 to 1957, surface trenching and a diamond drilling program were undertaken. A total of 99 surface drill holes for 5,000 meters and 143 underground drill holes for 6,600 meters, were drilled through this period. An additional 29 underground holes (2100 meters) and 4 surface holes (250 meters) were drilled from 1958 to 1959. An extensive I.P. survey was initiated in 1964 by McPhar geophysics over the ten claims. This was followed up with 24 underground holes totaling 1,700 meters and 7 surface drill holes for 1,100 meters. The property was also enlarged to 40 contiguous claims during this period. A geochemical soil survey was conducted on 35 of the claims by J.R. Mowat & Assoc. (SMDR-000846). Cominco completed a regional surface geological mapping program and drilled 15 NX surface holes totaling 2750 meters. One deep hole was drilled to test the North Zone while the others were designed to test the I.P. anomalies on the south zone. Very little information was found on these holes or the I.P. data. Since September, 2005, Pacific Comox has drilled 88 holes on the south Zone area totaling 9,536 metres. The most recent phase of the crown pillar drilling was completed in December, 2007.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Abitibi

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Abitibi

Tectonic Assemblage: Tisdale

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Nov 10, 2008 (D Guidon) - from Buss (2008) The regional geology of the Matachewan area consists of Precambrian volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Superior Province. Geological features are dominated by the Cairo stock in Cairo and Alma townships. The Cairo stock is a large syenitic intrusion that occurs around the isoclinally-folded sequence of the Temiskaming Group of metasedimentary rocks and the Keewatin metavolcanic flows (Sinclair, 1979). The southern flank of the antiform is oriented WNW-ESE. The syenitic and metavolcanic-metasedimentary sequences are cut by north-south trending diabase dike swarms. Regional metamorphism is greenschist facies (Free, 1967). High grade propylitic alteration occurs throughout the region as chlorite-epidote-calcite assemblages. Silicification occurs locally around the syenite porphyries and serpentinization of the mafics is also present locally. Two major faults occur in the region and strike in a general north-south direction. One fault follows the Montreal river valley, while the other occurs as the Mistinkon Lake valley (Dean, 1958). East-west shears and subsidiary faults occur along the contact of the volcanic and sediment interface. Powell Township also contains a mixture of metasedimentary units and metavolcanic flows. The entire southwest corner of the township is covered by siltstone and argillite units of the Gowganda Formation (OGS Map P3577). A large syenitic plug occurs in the central western part of the township containing a dioritic alteration halo on the perimeter. Large intermediate volcanic flows are present in the northwestern part of the township. The remainder of the township is covered by alternating mafic-metavolcanic rocks. The Ryan Lake property is located on a faulted north contact zone between the south Temiskaming sediments and the Keewatin volcanics (Dean, 1958). The western half of the property contains a serpentized peridotite along this contact. All units are cut by at least four north-south trending younger diabase dikes up to 40 meters wide. A near vertical dike-like mass of syenite and syenite porphyry occur near the north boundary of the peridotite. It has a consistent N65-70W strike and averages 19 meters in thickness (Kierans, 1964). Numerous east-west and N70E faults diverge from this zone and are enriched in quartz, chalcopyrite and molybdenite. South of this dike zone lies the east-west Ryan Lake Fault zone which is enriched with molybdenite.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Apr 24, 2015 (A Wilson) - Most of the production came from high-grade copper zones related to easterly-trending fault zones between serpentinized peridotite and syenite porphyry. Low-grade copper and molybdenum is associated with high-grade zones on the north side of the main fault zone.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Nov 10, 2008 (D Guidon) - from Buss (2008) Sinclair also stated that the composition of the copper-molybdenum and gold-silver reflects a regional zonation of metals. The gold-silver deposits in the Matachewan area are associated with pyritic syenite and contain small amounts of copper and molybdenum. Pyrite amounts in these deposits vary from 2% to 10%. In contrast, the copper-molybdenum occurrences are low in pyrite and contain minor amounts of scheelite (Little, 1959). The copper-molybdenum occurrences of the Matachewan area show evidence of multiple stages of vein formation similar to the characteristics of the Canadian Cordillera porphyry deposits (Sinclair, 1979). At least two stages of early veins, consisting of blue-grey quartz with fine grain chalcopyrite, molybdenite and pyrite, occur. The Ryan Lake property quartz veining contains coarse grains and patches of mineralization which could represent a third stage of early veining states Sinclair, 1979. The early veins are cut by later stage veins of barren quartz with localized coarse calcite and chlorite patches. Chalcopyrite and molybdenite occur in these veins as irregular masses and are often associated with coarse grain purple fluorite. Barite and tourmaline are minor and erratic constituents of these veins (Sinclair, 1979). Sinclair concluded that the copper-molybdenum occurrences of this area exhibit many features comparable to the Cordilleran porphyry deposits. They include the relationship to epizonal, porphyritic intrusive rocks; distribution of copper-molybdenum sulphides in fractures. Along with veins that show evidence of multistage development and regional zonation of metals and alteration. The mineralization occurs dominantly in blue-gray quartz veins and stringers. The veining is more pronounced in the peridotites than in the porphyries. The mineralization is scattered throughout the veins as fine grain patches, stringers and disseminated grains. The quartz veining averages about 1 cm in width and strikes at N20W with a near vertical dip (Vokes, 1963). Pyrite occurs as fine disseminated grains (<1mm), fracture filling and blebs (2-5mm) throughout the mafics (Free, 1967). Chalcopyrite is the dominate copper bearing mineral on the property. Although, bornite blebs were observed around the mine workings in drill core. Minor malachite oxides were also noticed on weathered surfaces. The chalcopyrite also occurs as fine grains (<1mm) along fractures. Massive stringers were viewed in the shear and brecciated zones with carbonate as the gangue. This author also noted that it can occur as disseminated grains within the mineralized syenite porphyry unit. It was also evident as a halo along geological contacts between units. Molybdenite usually occurs as a “smeared” out shear in highly silicified fault zones of the mine area and in the mineralized syenite porphyry. It can grade upwards to 2% to 3% across 0.25 m thickness in the silicified fault zones (Free, 1967). It also occurs as disseminated blebs within the quartz rich veinlet systems.

Apr 24, 2015 (A Wilson) - Grab samples collected by A.H. Mathieu in 1926 returned assays ranging from trace to 0.03 oz/t Au. The Ryan Lake Mine was originally a copper producer. Several X-ray angle-holes drilled along the main shear zone gave an average grade of 2.77% Cu and low values in silver, gold and molybdenum over a true thickness of 7.3 ft. A block of low grade ore was estimated by Pax International Mines to contain 3.5 million tons of 0.4% Cu and 0.09% MoS2. Assay results from the Teck bulk sample were: 0.03 oz/t Au, 0.60 oz/t Ag, 3.59% Cu and 0.30% MoS2.

Mineral Record Details

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

References

Data - Digital GIS Compilation: Bedrock Geology of Powell, Bannockburn and Montrose Townships

Publication Number: MRD208 Date: 2006

Author: Berger B.R., Préfontaine S., McIlraith S.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

File - Resident Geologist files KL-1773, KL-2424

Publication Number: Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Kirkland Lake RGP office

Map - Precambrian Geology, Powell Township

Publication Number: P3577 Scale: 1:20,000    Date: 2006

Author: Berger B.R., Préfontaine S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Preliminary report on the Timmins-Kirkland Lake area, gold deposits file

Publication Number: OFR5467 Page: G0688  Date: 1983

Author: Hodgson C.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Gold deposits of Ontario, part 2, part of District of Cochrane, districts of Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Timiskaming, and counties of southern Ontario

Publication Number: MDC018 Page: 164  Date: 1979

Author: Gordon J.B., Lovell H.L., de Grijs J.W., Davie R.F.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

MonoMap - Geology of the Matachewan area, District of Timiskaming

Publication Number: R051 Page: 37-38  Date: 1967

Author: Lovell H.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Publication - 43-101 Technical Report on the South Zone, Ryan Lake Property, Powell Township Ontario for Pacific Comox Resources Ltd.; in Sedar, Buss Services Ltd., May 31, 2008, 89p.

Publication Number: Date: 2008

Author: Buss, L.

Publisher Name:

Location: Sedar

Mono - Copper, nickel, lead and zinc deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC012 Page: 369  Date: 1969

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Compend - Summary of Field Work and Other Activities, 2005

Publication Number: OFR6172 Page: 5-1 - 5-10  Date: 2005

Author: Baker C.L., Debicki E.J., Kelly R.I., Ayer J.A., Easton R.M., Madon Z.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Powell and Cairo townships, Timiskaming District

Publication Number: M2110 Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Lovell H.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Publication - Molybdenum Deposits of Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Economic Geology Report 20

Publication Number: Econ Geol 20 Page: 87-98  Date: 1963

Author: Vokes, F.M.

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/103994

Mono - Molybdenum deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC007 Page: 78-79  Date: 1968

Author: Johnston F.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Publication - Copper-Molybdenum Occurrences of the Matachewan Area, Ontario; Current research part A; by Geological Survey of Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper no. 79-1A

Publication Number: Paper 79-1A Page: 255  Date: 1979

Author: Sinclair, W.D.

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/104855

File - Res/Reg Property Visit KL #66

Publication Number: PV-66 Date: 1901

Author: Lovell, H.L.

Publisher Name:

Location: Kirkland Lake RGP office

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