Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI42A09SW00013
| Record Name(s) | Matheson Clay Pit - 1937, Matheson Brick & Tile Co. - 1937 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Developed Prospect Without Reported Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1981-Feb-12 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Sep-27 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Clay
Township or Area: Bowman
Latitude: 48° 32' 11.39" Longitude: -80° 27' 9.28"
UTM Zone: 17 Easting: 540410 Northing: 5376077 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Kirkland Lake
NTS Grid: 42A09SW
Point Location Description: clay pit north of TNO tracks in Matheson townsite
Location Method: Data Compilation
1937: Moore indicated that the Matheson Brick and Tile Co. excavated a clay pit within Matheson Townsite. 1956: Hughes reported that bricks made from Matheson area stratified clays weathered and disintegrated rapidly. 1977: Guillet sampled Matheson area clay and provided physical data for it.
Province: Superior
Geological Age: Paleozoic
Dec 15, 2015 (R Degagne) - Although production records are not available, the Matheson Brick and Tile Company presumably manufactured bricks or tiles or similar products from clay obtained from a pit located south of the Black River within Matheson Townsite. Stratified and often varved glaciolacustrine clay deposits are widespread in the BRIM area and were deposited from glacial Lakes Barlow and Ojibway beginning about 10,000 years ago in an extensive area north of the continental divide which is now known as the Northern Ontario 'Great Clay Belt'
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Clay | 1 | Clay | Varved | Contains |
|---|
Dec 15, 2015 (R Degagne) - Hughes, as reported in Leahy, reported that bricks made from stratified clays from the Great Clay Belt weathered and disintegrated rapidly. G.R. Guillet reported the following concerning Matheson area clays: 'The clay is typically varved in 1/2-inch layers at the base and near the top of the section, but the middle of the bank is a massive, tough, brown, stoneless clay. The lower varved section is grey in colour, while the clays above are brown, due to oxidation. Three samples channeled from the bank gave almost identical results for the three clay units mentioned. They are highly plastic, and burn to an attractive cream-colored, smooth, hard brick at a low temperature (1700-1800º F). The fusion point is cone 4 (2150º F). Test briquettes have a lineal drying shrinkage of 8 percent and a lineal firing shrinkage of 3 percent. Absorption of cold water after an immersion of 24 hours was 19 %; after 5-hour boiling it was 20%. Saturation coefficient (ratio of 24-hour cold water absorption to 5-hour boiling absorption) is 0.95. The Canadian Standards Association specifies that the maximum saturation coefficient be 0.80 for exposed brick. In most other respects the clay appears to make satisfactory brick...it would be improved by the addition of about 25 % of sand to reduce the plasticity and drying shrinkage.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Unspecified | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Quartz | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Calcite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 3 | Dolomite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 4 | Feldspar | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 5 | Amphibole | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 7 | Chlorite | Economic | Gangue |
Dec 15, 2015 (R Degagne) - Guillet collected clay samples from the Matheson area which are probably representative of the local clay deposits. Analyses of three clay samples were reported by Guillet; these results indicate that the clay consists of 5.17-5.97% of Fe203, 10.17-14.60% of CaO, 15.18-18.03% of loss on ignition, and 0.81-1.28% of soluble salts. Also, mineral analyses indicate that these three samples consist of 13-22% of non-clay quartz, 8-14% of calcite, 5-7% of dolomite, 3-4% of Na and Ca feldspar, 1% of K feldspar, less than 1% of amphibole, abundant illite, moderate to abundant chlorite, and minor interlayered expanding minerals. Firing characteristics of the clay samples included 24-30% of water of plasticity, and 6.2-8.3% of drying shrinkage. Additional data pertaining to firing shrinkage, water absorption, specific gravity, color, and hardness were also reported. Remarks made for the fired samples include: 'fair, slight cracking and streaking', 'good quality except for slight cracking' and 'pink streaked.'' .
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sedimentary |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unconsolidated |
Map - Currie and Bowman townships, Cochrane District
Publication Number: M2071 Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1997
Author: Leahy E.J.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of Currie and Bowman townships, District of Cochrane
Publication Number: R040 Page: 19 Date: 1997
Author: Leahy E.J.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Ramore area, District of Cochrane, Ontario
Publication Number: ARM45D Scale: 1:47,520 Date: 1997
Author: Moore E.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
MonoMap - Clay and shale deposits of Ontario
Publication Number: MDC015 Page: 97 Date: 1977
Author: Guillet G.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Folio - Bowman Township, District of Cochrane
Publication Number: GDIF271 Date: 1997
Author: Kirkland Lake RGO
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location: Kirkland Lake RGO
Map - Precambrian Geology of the Highway 101 Area, East of Matheson, Ontario
Publication Number: M2676 Scale: 1:50,000 Date: 2003
Author: Berger B.R., Luinstra B., Ropchan J.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Geological Compilation of the Lake Abitibi Area, Abitibi Greenstone Belt
Publication Number: P3398 Scale: 1:100,000 Date: 1999
Author: Ayer J.A., Berger B.R., Trowell N.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Mineral occurrences, deposits, and mines of the Black River-Matheson area
Publication Number: OFR5735 Page: 546-550 Date: 1990
Author: Bath A.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Publication - Surficial Geology of Smooth Rock, Cochrane District, Ontario; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper no. 55-41
Publication Number: GSC Paper 55-41 Date: 1956
Author: Hughes, O. L.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/101308
Article - Quaternary geology and geochemical exploration in the Matheson area
Publication Number: MP143.294 Date: 1997
Author: McClenaghan M.B., Lavin O.P., Nichol I., Shaw J.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Part - Geology and ore deposits of the Ramore area
Publication Number: ARV45-06.001 Page: 4, 13 Date: 1998
Author: Moore E.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Article - Quaternary geology and geochemical exploration in the Matheson area
Publication Number: MP140.294 Page: 112-123 Date: 1997
Author: McClenaghan M.B., Lavin O.P., Nichol I., Shaw J.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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