Ontario Geological Survey
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MDI42A11SE00119
| Record Name(s) | Bell Creek Mine - 1980, Johnston Property - 1936 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Producing Mine |
| Date Created | 1999-Jan-04 |
| Date Last Modified | 2024-Feb-06 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Gold
Township or Area: Hoyle
Latitude: 48° 33' 10.63" Longitude: -81° 10' 43.8"
UTM Zone: 17 Easting: 486803 Northing: 5377777 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Timmins
NTS Grid: 42A11SE
Point Location Description: shaft
Location Method: AMIS Site Visit
Access Description: Access to the mine is via a gravel road that proceeds northwards from Florence Street in Porcupine, Ontario. This gravel road leads to the Kinross Gold Corporation's security gatehouse from which the Bell Creek shaft can be seen on a hill approximately 400 metres to the west. The Bell Creek mill is located immediately to the south of the shaft.
1936: Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd. - trenching, stripping, sampling. 1958-59: Broulan Reef Mining Company - prospecting, sampling. 1980-85: Rosario Resources and Dupont Canada Exploration - mapping, geophysics, IP survey, DD-99-15,359, feasibility study, mapping, shaft sinking, underground development.. 1984-1991: Canamax Resources and CSA Minerals - DD-227-13,015 m, ground geophysics, mine in operation. 1991-1992: Falconbridge Gold Mines Ltd. - DD-64-6155m, in operation. 1992-1994: Kinross Gold Corporation - mine in operation. 1995: Pentland Firth Ventures - DD-7-1807 m. 2005: Porcupine Joint Venture - DD-36-11,469m. 2005-2012: Lake Shore Gold Corp. - DD-762-176,997m (surface and underground) underground development, in production.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| T-2787 / OM83-5JV-334 / 63.4458 | 42A11SE0064 | 42A11SE0064 |
| T-2787 / OM-81-5-JV-137 / 63.4115 | 42A11SE0059 | 42A11SE0059 |
| 63.4730 | 42A11SE0118 | 42A11SE0118 |
| 63.4263 | 42A11SE0062 | 42A11SE0062 |
| T-2787 / 63.6067 | 42A11SE0057 | 42A11SE0057 |
| T-2787 / OM91-112 | 42A11SE0154 | 42A11SE0154 |
| T-2787 / OM91-107 | 42A11SE0149 | 42A11SE0149 |
| T-5456 / 2.33987 | 20000002207 | 20000002207 |
| T-0047 / 63A.382 | 42A11SE0335 | 42A11SE0335 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Abitibi
Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi
Belt: Abitibi
Tectonic Assemblage: Tisdale
Geological Age: Archean
Metamorphism Type: Regional
Metamorphism Grade: Greenschist
Dec 07, 2005 (R Pressacco) - The gold mineralization at Kinross Gold Corporation's Bell Creek Mine occurs in a number of settings, however the economic mineralization is associated with a single, continuous quartz vein hosted within mafic volcanic rocks. This mineralization is located at western limit of the currently recognized productive stratigraphy of the area which includes such mines as the Hoyle Pond Mine, the Owl Creek Mine, and the Marlhill Mine, all of which have produced a total of 1 374 700 ounces of gold to-date (Atkinson et. al. 1998).
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Ultramafic lava flow-unsubdivided | 1 | Basaltic Komatiite | Spinifex & Polysutured Textures Visible | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mafic lava flow-unsubdivided | 2 | Fe-Tholeiites/Ca Basalts | Msv,Var,Pil,Amyg | Host |
| Claystone | 3 | Graphitic slate | Argillite | Near |
| Vein | 4 | Quartz | Host |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Pressacco) - The ultramafic volcanic units have been traced by means of outcrop exposure and diamond drilling and are found to extend across the entire length of the property. They occur in an easterly to northeasterly striking band and vary in thickness from 10 metres east of the shaft to 200 metres southwest of the shaft. This unit is well exposed in outcrop to the southwest of the shaft, and Pyke (1982) observed well developed spinifex and polysutured textures in Lots 11 and 12, Concession I of Hoyle Twp. A single sample collected by Berger (1992, 1994) for lithogeochemical analysis of a carbonatized ultramafic rock indicated that this unit is a basaltic komatiite. Mafic volcanic rocks are the most abundant rock type on the property and textures vary from variolitic to pillowed, amygdaloidal to massive. Leucoxene is a common accessory mineral in these mafic volcanic rocks. The mafic rocks occur in a sequence of easterly striking bands north of the shaft and contain a number of interbedded ash and lapilli tuff beds and beds of thin graphitic argillite sediments. A total of six samples were taken by Berger (1992, 1994) of these units for lithogeochemical analysis, three of which plotted as Fe-tholeiites, two plotted as calc-alkaline basalts, and one sample plotted as a tholeiitic andesite. Sedimentary rocks are relatively minor in abundance on the mine property. The largest occurrence of sediments is known as the Bell Creek Graphite Marker Horizon that consists of a mixture of grey and black coloured greywackes and strongly graphitic argillites. This unit sits in an enigmatic relationship with the other stratigraphic units, being both conformable along its' northern and southern extents and cross-cutting along its' central portions, paralleling Bell Creek.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Pyrrhotite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 3 | Chalcopyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 4 | Arsenopyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Quartz | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Ankerite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 3 | Sericite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 4 | Tourmaline | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| Ankerite | Alteration | Unknown | 1 | Strong | Replacement | ||
| Sericite | Alteration | Unknown | 2 | Strong | Replacement |
Nov 04, 2011 (A Wilson) - Grab samples collected by Hollinger Gold Mines Ltd in 1936 returned values ranging from $3.20 to $11.80 gold. Samples collected by Broulan Reef Mines returned 0.12 oz/t Au over 5 feet. The Bell Creek West Zone mineralization occurs on or near the contact of the ultramafic metavolcanic and mafic fragmental metavolcanic units. The preferred host is the mafic metavolcanic unit. Mineralization consists of 2-10% pyrite, with accessory arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and minor quartz veins and veinlets. Approximately 90% of the gold is associated with the disseminated sulphides that occur in association with altered quarz-carbonate-sericite-sulphide zones from 0.5 to 7 m in width.
Dec 07, 2005 (R Pressacco) - Kent (1990) describes the mineralization as: 'The Bell Creek West mineralized zone is a 'sulphide - flow ore-type', which is preferentially developed on or near the contact between the unit 1 ultramafic rocks and unit 2A fragmental basalts. The fragmental basalt units is the preferred host. Mineralization consists of two to ten percent pyrite and accessory arsenopyrite (typically 100-500 ppm As in ore), pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite, although minor quartz veins are present. Roughly 90 percent of the gold is associated with the disseminated sulphides, which occur within highly altered quartz-carbonate-sericite-sulphide zones up to 0.5 to seven metres in width. Erratic gold values occur in the quartz veinlets. These veinlets cut the altered rocks at all angles, especially in the hanging wall ultramafic unit. Non-auriferous veins surrounding the sulphide-carbonate gold zone generally occur as gash or en-echelon type structures. CONTINUED NEXT FRAME:
Dec 07, 2005 (R Pressacco) - The ore-grade mineralization occurs in pods or lenses not more than 100 metres in strike length and 200 metres vertical extent. The ore lenses appear to plunge steeply to the east. Multiple zones have been located along a strike length of one kilometre at or near the favourable Unit 1 - Unit 2A (ultramafic - basalt) contact. Active carbon occurs in some of the mineralized pods in the form of sheared graphitic interflow sediments and mining is not planned in these areas due to the deleterious affects of the carbon to the recovery of gold. The North Zone consists of two sub-parallel, west-northwest-striking mineralized bands termed the 'A', in the south, and 'B' in the north. The two zones are roughly 25 metres apart and dip at 70 degrees to the south. The mineralized portion of the 'A' horizon consists of a quartz marker vein ten centimetres to two metres in width, and averages only 0.5 metres in width (Figure 10). The marker vein parallels the regional schistosity and crosscuts green, fragmental tuff, variolitic basalt, leucoxene-bearing basalt, and narrow beds of graphitic argillite. Bright green hydromuscovite occurs as fracture and slip coatings in the vein and platy, visible gold occurs with the mica. Tourmaline is fairly wide spread within the vein. The 'A' zone contains the best gold values, averaging six to ten g/tonne over widths of two to ten metres. Surrounding the central quartz vein is a grey to buf coloured altered zone, which contains five to fifteen percent pyrite and pyrrhotite with accessory chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite. Up to 30 percent of the gold in the North 'A' vein system occurs within the alteration halo, in discrete sulphide zones, in vein-brecciated wall rock zones which extend up to five metres from the margin of the core vein.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hydrothermal |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 3 | Disseminated |
| 1 | Stratiform |
| 2 | Vein |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular | 100 | 1 | 180 | 90 | 75 |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabular | 700 | 2 | 400 | 90 | 75 | 85 | 90 |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabular | 700 | 2 | 400 | 90 | 75 | 85 | 90 |
| Zone | Year | Category | Tonnes | Reference | Comments | Commodities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Creek | 2017 | Proven + Probable Reserve | 2400000 | OFR6366 p.8 | 654,000 contained ounces | Gold 4.07 g/t |
| Bell Creek | 2012 | Inferred Mineral Resource | 6080000 | NI 43-101 report, Crick et al. p. 3 | 903,700 contained ounces | Gold 4.62 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2012 | Measured Mineral Resource | 268000 | NI 43-101 report, Crick et al. p. 3 | 37,400 contained ounces | Gold 4.34 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2012 | Indicated Mineral Resource | 4417000 | NI 43-101 report, Crick et al. p. 3 | 672,900 contained ounces | Gold 4.74 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2010 | Measured Mineral Resource | 41000 | NI 43-101 report, Pressacco p.17-2 | 59,300 contained ounces | Gold 4.51 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2010 | Indicated Mineral Resource | 1380000 | NI 43-101 report, Pressacco p.17-2 | 191,800 contained ounces | Gold 4.32 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2010 | Inferred Mineral Resource | 8427000 | NI 43-101 report, Pressacco p.17-2 | 1,192,900 contained ounces | Gold 4.4 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2004 | Inferred Mineral Resource | 346936 | NI 43-101 report, Pressacco p.6-3 | calculated by Porcupine Joint Venture | Gold 7.7 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell Creek | 2004 | Indicated Mineral Resource | 190922 | NI 43-101 report, Pressacco p.6-3 | calculated by Porcupine Joint Venture | Gold 8.25 Grams per Tonne |
| North 'A" Resources | 1997 | Possible | 144521 | OFR5985 | 33 551 CONTAINED OUNCES AU | Gold 7.22 Grams per Tonne |
| Bell West Resources | 1997 | Assay | 21911 | OFR5985 | 5967 contained ounces Au | Gold 8.47 Grams per Tonne |
| North 'A" Resources | 1997 | Assay | 190269 | OFR5985 | 37 676 contained ounces | Gold 5.97 Grams per Tonne |
| Year | Tonnes | Commodities | Reference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 688470 |
Gold 56000 Ounces |
OFR6402, p.7 | The mine produced 56,000 oz Au produced from 688,470 t of ore at a grade of 2.69 g/t |
| 2021 | 595184 |
Gold 54592 Ounces |
OFR6384, p.7 | The mine produced 54,592 oz Au produced from 595,184 t of ore at a grade of 3.02 g/t |
| 2020 | 698196 |
Gold 68517 Ounces |
OFR6374 p.7 | Head grade of 3.06 g/t Au |
| 2019 | 774672 |
Gold 87343 Ounces |
OFR6366 p.8 | Head grade of 3.47 g/t Au |
| 2017 | 348147 |
Gold 47917 Ounces |
OFR6339, p.8 | |
| 2016 | 319200 |
Gold 41827 Ounces |
OFR6327, p.7 | Grade of 4.075 g/t gold |
| 2015 | 1307200 |
Gold 183300 Ounces |
OFR6317, p.10 | The Timmins and Bell Creek mines produced 183300 oz of gold from 1307200 t of ore at a grade of 4.4 g/t gold. |
| 2014 | 1245900 |
Gold 185600 Ounces |
OFR6304, p.4 | The Timmins West and Bell Creek mines produced 185600 oz of gold from 1245900 t of ore at a grade of 4.8 g/t gold. |
| 2013 | 205200 |
Gold 27500 Ounces |
OFR6294, p.10 | The mine produced 27500 oz of gold from 205200 t of ore at a grade of 4.4 g/t gold. |
| 2012 | 182349 |
Gold 22739 Ounces |
OFR6286 p.9 | grade 3.9 g/t Au; total production 22 739 oz |
| 2011 | 178677 |
Gold 24585 Ounces |
OFR6286 p.9 | grade 4.88 g/t Au |
| 1994 | 30509 |
Gold 218229 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.207 OPT, 7 017 RECOVERED OUNCES |
| 1993 | 1 |
Gold 1 Grams |
OFR5985 | ONLY LIMITED PRODUCTION, NO DETAILS AVAILABLE |
| 1992 | 4527 |
Gold 34894 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.223, 1 122 RECOVERED OUNCES |
| 1991 | 124354 |
Gold 835968 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.195 OPT, 26 880 RECOVERED OUNCES |
| 1990 | 59999 |
Gold 426941 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.206 OPT, 13 728 RECOVERED OUNCES |
| 1989 | 132054 |
Gold 926345 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.203 OPT, 94% RECOVERY, 29 786 RECOVERED OZ. |
| 1988 | 121792 |
Gold 766553 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.195 OPT, 93.4% RECOVERY, 24 648 RECOVERED OZ. |
| 1987 | 49662 |
Gold 297254 Grams |
OFR5985 | MILLED GRADE 0.173 OPT AU, 9 558 RECOVERED OUNCES |
File - Resident Geologist files T-3587
Publication Number: Date:
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGP office
Map - Geological Compilation of the Timmins Area, Abitibi Greenstone Belt
Publication Number: P3379 Scale: 1:100,000 Date: 1998
Author: Ayer J.A., Trowell N.F.
Publisher Name:
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 1997, Resident Geologists Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist's Report: Timmins-Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR5972 Date: 1998
Author: Atkinson B.T., Hailstone M.H., Wilson A.C., Draper D.M., Hope P., Morra P.M., Egerland D.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2022, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6402 Page: 7 Date: 2023
Author: Azadbakht Z., Krukowski M., Maity B.K., Bousquet P., Daniels C.M., Hinz S.L.K., Adrianwalla C.J., Dorland G., Sabiri N., Patterson C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Precambrian Geology, Hoyle and Gowan Townships
Publication Number: R299 Page: 31-32 Date: 1998
Author: Berger B.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of Matheson and Evelyn Townships, District of Cochrane
Publication Number: OFR5900 Date: 1994
Author: Berger B.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Thesis - Geological Setting of Gold Deposits in the Porcupine Gold Camp
Publication Number: Date: 1998
Author: Brisbin, Dan
Publisher Name: Thesis
Location: Timmins RGO
Publication - Geology and Ore Deposits of the Timmins District, Ontario [Field Trip 6]; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2161
Publication Number: OF2161 Page: 126-127 Date: 1991
Author: Fyon, J A, Green, A H
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/132290
Article - Proterozoic mafic dike swarms in the Superior province of Ontario
Publication Number: SV04-01.017 Date: 1997
Author: Osmani I.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of the Timmins area, District of Cochrane
Publication Number: R219 Date: 1982
Author: Pyke D.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Special Project: Timmins Ore Deposit Descriptions
Publication Number: OFR5985 Page: 41-59 Date: 1999
Author: Pressacco R.E.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Publication - Gold 86 - Excursion Guidebook, p. 37-39
Publication Number: Date: 1986
Author: J. Pirie and M.J. Downes (ed)
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGO
Map - Precambrian Geology, Hoyle Township
Publication Number: M2532 Scale: 1:20,000 Date: 1998
Author: Berger B.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2019, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6366 Date: 2020
Author: van Hees E., Bousquet P., Suma-Momoh J., Daniels C.M., Hinz S.L.K., Boucher C., Sword P., Wang L., Fudge S.P., Millette A., Patterson C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Publication - Technical (Geological) Report on the Bell Creek Complex, 63p.
Publication Number: Date: 2004
Author: H.R. Butler
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGO
Publication - A technical review and report for the Bell Creek Complex property, exploration diamond drill programs August 2005- July 31, 2009, 219p.
Publication Number: Date: 2009
Author: D.H.R. Powers
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGO
Publication - Technical report on the initial mineral resource estimate for the Bell Creek Mine, Hoyle Township
Publication Number: Date: 2011
Author: R. Pressacco
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGO
Publication - Resource estimate update and prefeasibility study and mineral resource estimate for Bell Creek Mine, Hoyle Township, 346 p.
Publication Number: Date: 2013
Author: D. Crick, R. Koch, N. Vaz
Publisher Name:
Location: Timmins RGO
Mono - Report of Activities 2016, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6327 Date: 2017
Author: van Hees E., Bousquet P., Pace A., Daniels C.M., Wilson A.C., Samuel A., Walmsley J.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2017, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6339 Date: 2018
Author: van Hees E., Pace A., Bustard A., Gomwe T.S., Bousquet P., Daniels C.M., Wilson A.C., Streit L., Sword P., Patterson C., Fudge S.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2020, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6374 Date: 2021
Author: Azadbakht Z., Bousquet P., Zammit K., Daniels C.M., Hinz S.L.K., Sword P., Boucher C., Dorland G., Patterson C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2012, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts
Publication Number: OFR6286 Page: 9 Date: 2013
Author: Atkinson B.T., Bousquet P., Pace A., Debicki R.L., Grabowski G.P.B., Lockwood H.C., Wilson A.C., Halet S.E., Larche C., McMillan R., Draper D.M.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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