Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42C02SW00020

Record: MDI42C02SW00020

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s) Victoria Open Pit - 1945, East Ore Body - 1946
Related Record Type Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status Past Producing Mine Without Reserves or Resources
Date Created 1999-Aug-03
Date Last Modified 2022-Sep-27
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Iron



Location

Township or Area: Chabanel

Latitude: 48° 1' 41.84"    Longitude: -84° 43' 50.73"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 669178   Northing: 5321936    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Sault Ste. Marie

NTS Grid: 42C02SW

Point Location Description: open pit

Location Method: Data Compilation

Access Description: The site is accessible, by prior arrangement with Algoma Steel Corp., via the G. W. Macleod mine access road from the town of Wawa. The open pit is located approximately 3.5 km NE of the former government dock on Wawa Lake.



Exploration History

1897-1898: staking by B. Boyer, J. Sayer and A. Goetz. 1910-1915: Algoma Ore - exploration of iron ore deposit by diamond drilling. 1943: Algoma Ore - exploration by surface diamond drilling and trenching. 1945: Algoma Ore - pit goes into production, sink-float plant constructed to separate silica from ore, surface diamond drilling. 1950: Algoma Ore - Victoria Pit abandoned, sink-float plant abandoned. 1951: Algoma Ore - underground mining of the Victoria Ore Body begins and continued until 1960.


Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Michipicoten

Tectonic Assemblage: Wawa

Geological Age: Neoarchean   Geochronological Age: 2750 MA   Geochron. Age Ref.: OFR5888

Metamorphism Type: Regional

Metamorphism Grade: Greenschist



Geology Comments

Jan 08, 2016 (A Wilson) - The Helen Iron Range marks the upper sequence or capping of the second cycle of volcanism in the Michipicoten Greenstone belt. It represents the chemical and clastic sedimentation separating the volcanic cycles. This iron formation forms a distinctive marker horizon throughout the greenstone belt and has been extensively thickened because of drag folding associated with the Talbot Lake Fault. The East ore body is separated from the West ore body by a diabase dike.




Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type Rank Composition Texture Relationship
Carbonate Ironstone 1 Carbonate Facies Host
Intermediate Tuff 2 Tuff Footwall
Mafic lava flow-unsubdivided 3 Intermediate To Mafic Massive, Pillowed Hanging Wall

Lithology Comments

Jan 08, 2016 (A Wilson) - The carbonate (siderite) phase lies at the base of the Michipicoten iron range and is dominated by siderite. The carbonate unit lies in sharp contact with the underlying felsic fragmental rocks. At the Helen Iron Range, a chert horizon lies between the siderite and the footwall volcanic rocks which varies from 1 - 10 m in width. The carbonate facies also hosts an internal coarse-grained structureless chert unit which ranges from 0 - 20 m in width this zone is also known as the 'D' Zone. The stratigraphic section is monoclinal, faces north and dips approximately 80 degrees to the south. The section is overturned and the mining hangingwall is the stratigraphic footwall.




Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank Mineral Name Class Economic Mineral Type Alteration Mineral Type Alteration Ranking Alteration Intensity Alteration Style
1SideriteEconomicOre
2ChalcopyriteEconomicOre
1ChertEconomicGangue
3PyriteEconomicGangue

Mineralization Comments

Jan 08, 2016 (A Wilson) - The average compositiion of the east ore body was approximately: 33.73% Fe, 10.4% Si and 2.03% S. The iron is lower and the silica higher on the average than in the West ore body. The siderite is dense and massive.



Mineral Record Details

Classification
RankClassification            
1 Sedimentary
Characteristics
Rank Characteristic            
2 Concordant
1 Massive

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Rank: 1       Structure Type: Contact

Rank: 2       Structure Type: Fold

Zone Name: Detour Lake - Rank 1
Shape Length Thickness Depth Strike Dip Plunge Trend Age Reference
Regular 2500 90 70 80 2750 MA OFR5888
Production Data
Year Tonnes Commodities Reference Comment
1952 5758369 Iron
Algoma Ore Division - Internal Reports total volume extracted 1952-1960; total amount of iron extracted unknown
1945 4443720 Iron
Algoma Ore Division - Internal Report total volume extracted 1945-1950; total iron produced unknown

References

Map - Michipicoten area, compilation sheet, District of Algoma

Publication Number: P0184 Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1997

Author: Goodwin A.M.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


MonoMap - Geology of Chabanel, Esquega, Lastheels and McMurray Townships, District of Algoma

Publication Number: OFR5586 Page: 381-385  Date: 1993

Author: Sage R.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Map - Helen iron range, Township 29, ranges 23 and 24 [McMurray and Chabanel townships], District of Algoma, Ontario

Publication Number: M1946-05 Scale: 1:4,800    Date: 1997

Author: Moore E.S., Armstrong H.S., McCartney G.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


MonoMap - Geology of McMurray Township and parts of surrounding townships, District of Algoma

Publication Number: OFR5283 Page: 56-62  Date: 1979

Author: Rupert R.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Map - Geological series, McMurray Township and parts of surrounding townships, formerly Township 29, Range 23, District of Algoma

Publication Number: P0828 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1973

Author: Rupert R.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:


Mono - Wawa mineral deposits data base

Publication Number: OFR5775 Page: 137  Date: 1991

Author: Frey E.D., Stewart R.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of Chabanel Township, Algoma District

Publication Number: P2439 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1982

Author: Sage R.P., Rebic Z., Abercrombie S., Neale K., MacMillan D.W., England D., Calvert T.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Part - Iron deposits in the District of Algoma

Publication Number: ARV55-04.001 Page: 110-111  Date: 1997

Author: Moore E.S., Armstrong H.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Mono - Iron deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC011 Page: 65-66  Date: 1968

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Publication - Michipicoten Iron Ranges; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 147

Publication Number: GSC Memoir 147 Page: 83-87  Date: 1926

Author: Collins, W H; Quirke, T T; Thomson, E

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/100849


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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Sault Ste. Marie Resident Geologist District Office