Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42A09SW00154

Record: MDI42A09SW00154

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Secondary Commodities: Zinc, Asbestos, Lead

Location

Township or Area: Munro

Latitude: 48° 32' 49.31"    Longitude: -80° 13' 7.5"

UTM Zone: 17    Easting: 557658.756   Northing: 5377397.909    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kirkland Lake

NTS Grid: 42A09SW

Point Location Description: A point 0.95 km north and 4.20 km east of the southwest corner of Munro Township.

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The two Buff-Munro Mine shafts are in the southwest quarter of the north half of lot 7, concession 1, Munro Township. The shaft area could be reached in 1985 by travelling by foot along the badly overgrown road which leads east from the Croesus Mine area (as indicated by Satterly (1952)). The Croesus Mine may be reached from the south via a badly eroded dirt road from Highway 101 or via dirt roads accessible from the flooded Canadian Johns-Manville Co. Ltd. Munro (asbestos) Mine open pit area.

Exploration History

1915: A.J. Young et al. optioned the Brown veteran lot (the north half of lot 7, concession I, Munro Township) and completed surface trenching (The Northern Miner, September 11, 1915). 1916-1917: Buff-Munro Gold Mines Ltd. was incorporated (Gibson 1917), continued trenching, and sank a 40 foot deep shaft (Sutherland et al. 1917). By December, 1917, a shaft had been sunk 55 feet and a second shaft had been begun (The Northern Miner, June 23, July 7, September 22, December 22, 1917). 1919: Knight et al. (1919) reported that gold and arsenopyrite are associated with north striking and east dipping veins on the Brown veteran lot. 1927-1928: Sutherland et al. (1928) reported that a 2 compartment shaft was sunk 90 feet and that 40 feet of drifting was completed on the 90 foot level. 1929: Satterly (1952) reported that by this time, the southern 5x8 foot vertical shaft was 100 feet deep with a 50 foot long crosscut and that the northern vertical shaft was about 600 feet north of the southern shaft. 1952: Satterly (1952) reported that in addition to quartz vein associated arsenopyrite mineralization at the northern shaft (a sample of which is reported by Satterly (1952) to have assayed only traces of gold), quartz vein- sphalerite-galena-pyrite mineralization hosted by carbonatized lava occurs at the south shaft. 1964-1966: Canadian Johns-Manville Co. Ltd. completed magnetic and HL electromagnetic surveys and diamond drilled one holetotalling 503.3 feet as part of an asbestos exploration program.

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Abitibi

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Abitibi

Tectonic Assemblage: Stoughton-Roquemaure

Geological Age: Mesoarchean  

Metamorphism Grade: Greenschist

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - Local bedrock stratigraphy occupies part of the south limb of the southeast striking and northwest plunging McCool Hill Syncline, the dominant regional scale structure north of the Main (or Southern) Branch of the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone in the central BRIM area. The shafts are about 300 m southwest of the interpreted location of the overburden covered southeast striking Munro Fault Zone, which Jensen and Langford (1985) and Johnstone (1987) have termed the Central Branch of the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - Geological mapping (Satterly 1952; Johnstone and Trowell 1985, 1984; Jensen and Baker 1986; Johnstone 1987; Gupta and Johnstone 1987; Johnstone and Steele 1989; Vagners 1984; McClenaghan et al. 1988, 1987; Steele 1988) indicates that bedrock in the shaft area consists mainly of weakly metamorphosed (greenschist or lower metamorphic facies) tholeiitic and komatiitic volcanic rocks of the (Archean) Stoughton-Roquemaure Group which strike southeast, dip steeply and face north. Intrusive rocks in the shaft area are confined to narrow (tens of metres in width) generally north striking diabase dikes of the (Proterozoic) Matachewan swarm (Heaman 1989) and a small mafic to ultramafic intrusive body which occurs between the shafts. The presence of albite syenite dike material in the rock waste dump surrounding the north shaft (sample AB-85-129) indicates that felsic dikes also occur in the area. A recent geophysical survey of Munro Township (OGS 1984) failed to detect any significant bedrock conductors in the shaft area, although the occurrence location coincides with an isolated magnetic high. The northern shaft is sunk into variably carbonatized olive green weakly magnetic to nonmagnetic aphanitic basalt which Johnstone (1987) interpreted to be tholeiitic. Broken rock surrounding the shaft (sample AB-85-127) is only rarely veinlet bearing. The south shaft is sunk into variably Fe-dolomitized, sericitized and albitized komatiitic lavas (samples AB-85-131,-132, and -133). Canadian Johns-Manville Co. Ltd. diamond drilled a single hole into the mafic intrusive body which coincides with the location of the isolated magnetic anomaly and with which the shafts are associated. This drill hole is reported (assessment files) to have intersected pillowed volcanic rocks and serpentinized peridotite which was mineralized with carbonate, brucite, actinolite (possibly spinifex textured pyroxene or olivine?), and thread fibre asbestos up to 1/32 inch in length.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The northern shaft is sunk into variably carbonatized olive green weakly magnetic to nonmagnetic aphanitic basalt which Johnstone (1987) interpreted to be tholeiitic. Broken rock surrounding the shaft (sample AB-85-127) is only rarely veinlet bearing. Two types of veinlets are represented in the waste rock pile surrounding the shaft. Type 1 veinlets consists of milky white to clear and glassy quartz-calcite material (Sample AB-85-130) about which are developed no megascopically apparent alteration halos. Scant pyrite mineralization is associated with type 1 veinlets. Type 2 veinlets are in general more abundant than type 1 veinlets and, where present, are usually more extensively developed. Type 2 veinlets are usually milky white and are typically hosted by sericite-Fe-dolomite rock (sample AB-85-128). As much as 3% of fine grained pyrite may be associated with type 2 veinlets within vein marginal alteration halos. In some dump samples, a purplish tint may be associated with type 2 veinlets, possibly indicating the presence of hematite. Sample AB-85-129 consists of albite syenitic dike material hosting quartz-dolomite and albite- dolomite veinlets. The south shaft is sunk into variably Fe-dolomitized, sericitized and albitized komatiitic lavas (samples AB-85-131, -132, and -133). As displayed by waste rock samples surrounding the uncapped shaft, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, pyrite, and arsenopyrite are associated with quartz-calcite veinlets and narrow hydrothermal breccia zones which postdate the formation of dendritic quartz-dolomite veinlets (samples AB-85-131 through -132). Although hand sample size samples from the south shaft may be heavily mineralized with veinlet controlled galena and sphalerite (sample AB-85-132 averaged 0.77% of lead and 3.9% of zinc) and sample AB-85-132a averaged 1.4% of lead and 3.4% of zinc), gold assays for these samples were low (these samples averaged 50 ppb and nil gold, respectively).

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - Auriferous quartz-dolomite-pyrite-arsenopyrite veins and vein systems hosted by variably dolomitic and sericitic (or fuchsitic) rocks are commonly developed within and marginal to both the Munro (the Central Branch of the Porcupine-Destor Fault System using the terminology of Jensen and Langford (1985) and Johnstone (1987)) and the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zones (the Southern Branch of the Porcupine-Destor Fault System). The south shaft is sunk into variably Fe-dolomitized, sericitized and albitized komatiitic lavas (samples AB-85-131,-132, and -133). The northern shaft is sunk into variably carbonatized olive green weakly magnetic to nonmagnetic aphanitic basalt which Johnstone (1987) interpreted to be tholeiitic.

Mineral Record Details

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Rank: 1       Structure Type: Shear

Rank: 1       Structure Type: Shear

Site Visit Information

Date: Jan 29, 1997

Geologist: R Degagne

Notes: Visited in 1985, by A. C. Bath (OFR 5735, V.1, p.257). Analyses*: AB-85-128 1060 Au ppb, --- Cu ppm, --- Pb ppm, --- Zn ppm, 3600 As ppm. AB-85-129 190 Au ppb, 39 Cu ppm, 8 Pb ppm, 66 Zn ppm, 200 As ppm. AB-85-130 10 Au ppb, --- Cu ppm, --- Pb ppm, --- Zn ppm, --- As ppm. AB-85-131 20 Au ppb, --- Cu ppm, --- Pb ppm, --- Zn ppm, --- As ppm. AB-85-132 50 Au ppb, 231 Cu ppm, 7780 Pb ppm, 39600 Zn ppm, 933 As ppm. AB-85-132a nil Au ppb, 242 Cu ppm, 14100 Pb ppm, 34600 Zn ppm, 750 As ppm. AB-85-132b nil Au ppb, 22 Cu ppm, 650 Pb ppm, 5600 Zn ppm, 192 As ppm. * All assays performed by Swastika Laboratories Ltd., Swastika.

References

Map - Township of Munro, District of Cochrane, Ontario

Publication Number: M1951-05 Date: 1997

Author: Satterly J., Hogg N.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of the Magusi River area, Cochrane and Timiskaming districts

Publication Number: P2434 Scale: 1:63,360    Date: 1982

Author: Jensen L.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Part - Geology of Munro Township

Publication Number: ARV60-08 Page: 47  Date: 1997

Author: Satterly J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Black River-Matheson Area

Publication Number: OFM0013 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1985

Author: Johnstone R.M., Trowell N.F.

Publisher Name:

Location:

Mono - Gold deposits of Ontario, part 1, districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Rainy River, and Thunder Bay

Publication Number: MDC013 Page: 134  Date: 1971

Author: Ferguson S.A., Groen H.A., Haynes R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs

Location:

Map - Geological series, bedrock samples from the sonic drilling program 1987, Matheson area, District of Cochrane

Publication Number: P3114 Scale: 1:100,000    Date: 1989

Author: Johnstone R.M., Sutcliffe R.H., Steele K.G., Baker C.L., McClenaghan M.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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

Publication Number: OFR5467 Page: G0002  Date: 1983

Author: Hodgson C.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Folio - Munro Township, District of Cochrane

Publication Number: GDIF361 Date: 1997

Author: Kirkland Lake RGO

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Gold area between lakes Abitibi and Night Hawk, District of Timiskaming

Publication Number: ARM28B Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1998

Author: Knight C.W., Burrows A.G., Hopkins P.E., Parsons A.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines

Location:

Map - Gold area between lakes Abitibi and Night Hawk, District of Timiskaming

Publication Number: ARM28B Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1998

Author: Knight C.W., Burrows A.G., Hopkins P.E., Parsons A.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines

Location:

Mono - Mineral occurrences, deposits, and mines of the Black River-Matheson area

Publication Number: OFR5735 Page: 255-263  Date: 1990

Author: Bath A.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Geophysical/geochemical series, Matheson-Black River area, Munro Township, airborne electromagnetic survey, total intensity magnetic survey, District of Cochrane

Publication Number: M80586 Scale: 1:20,000    Date: 1984

Author: Questor Surveys Ltd.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Quaternary geology of Matheson area, Cochrane District

Publication Number: P2735 Scale: 1:50,000    Date: 1985

Author: Vagners U.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Article - Precambrian geology of the Black River-Matheson (BRIM) area, District of Cochrane

Publication Number: MP126.056S Date: 1997

Author: Johnstone R.M., Trowell N.F.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Part - Abitibi-Night Hawk gold area, District of Timiskaming

Publication Number: ARV28-02.001 Date: 1998

Author: Knight C.W., Burrows A.G., Hopkins P.E., Parsons A.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines

Location:

Article - Quaternary geology and geochemical exploration in the Matheson area

Publication Number: MP140.294 Date: 1997

Author: McClenaghan M.B., Lavin O.P., Nichol I., Shaw J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Kirkland Lake Resident Geologist District Office