Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42C14NW00002

Record: MDI42C14NW00002

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium

Secondary Commodities: Silver, Gold, Cobalt

Location

Township or Area: Shabotik

Latitude: 48° 53' 41.33"    Longitude: -85° 23' 25.04"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 617984   Northing: 5417012    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42C14NW

Point Location Description: Sample 470469 on cleared area (Assessment report 20000018199)

Location Method: Field Visit

Access Description: The Shabotik copper-nickel-PGE occurrence is located in south-central Shabotik Township, approximately 41 km southeast of Manitouwadge, 15 km northeast of White Lake, and 2.5 km southeast of Tangent Bay of the Shabotik River .The occurrence is accessible via motor vehicle. From Manitouwadge, proceed south along Highway 614 for approximately 54 km to Highway 17. Proceed east along Highway 17 for approximately 22 km to the North Regan road. Proceed northeasterly along the North Regan road for approximately 19 km to an unnamed secondary gravel road. Proceed northerly along this unnamed road for approximately 6 km to where the road crosses the Kwinkwaga River between Kabossakwa and Blotter lakes. Proceed across the Kwinkwaga River, water level permitting, and continue to travel northerly for approximately 5 km to the vicinity of the occurrence. Copper-nickel-PGE mineralization is exposed in a shallow trench located near the east boundary of a large (105 m long by 65 m wide) stripped area. The occurrence is located near the junction of claims TB1056286, TB1056287, TB1056288, and TB1056289.

Exploration History

1969: Stripping, trenching, lithogeochemical sampling and diamond drilling (4 holes totalling 71.3 m); Two L's Mining Company Limited. 1978-1979: Lake sediment and water geochemical sampling; GSC and MNR. Samples collected from the vicinity of the occurrence contained slightly anomalous amounts of Au and Mo but only background amounts of Cu and Ni. 1985-1987: Trenching and sampling; prospector G. Carroll. 1988: Trenching and sampling; prospectors G. Gionet, R. Gionet, K. Culhane and B. Michon. Lithogeochemical sampling; B. Schnieders and M. Smyk (OGS). 1989: stripping, trenching, sampling (grab, chip and channel), line cutting, ground geophysical surveys (MAG, VLF-EM, IP), soil geochemical sampling and geological mapping; Noramco Mining Corp. 1990: Diamond drilling (5 holes totalling 610.2 m); Noramco Mining Corp. 1991: Ground geophysical survey (Deep Pulse EM); prospector G. Gionet. The occurrence was examined by D. McKay (OGS). 2005: North American Palladium carried out prospecting and sampling. 2019: Palladium One carried out prospecting and sampling.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Geological Age: Archean  

Metamorphism Type: Regional

Metamorphism Grade: Amphibolite

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Laderoute (1989, p.10-14) describes the geology in the vicinity of the occurrence as follows: The Gionet property is located within a portion of the Wawa Sub-province comprising massive to gneissic and locally migmatitic felsic intrusive rocks enclosing isolated packages of greenstone terrane. It has recently been suggested that the portion of the sub-province extending from just east of Hemlo towards Brunswick Lake may be, or at least include, a 'ghost' greenstone belt which has been metamorphosed to a high grade (i.e. at least upper amphibolite facies) such as that observed in the supracrustal rocks at Hemlo.The result is that greenstone terranes are observed only in isolated areas, as noted above. If so, then the Gionet property may be located in such a 'ghost' greenstone terrane. The dominant structural fabric in the rocks encompassing the Gionet property is a gneissosity defined by a compositional banding in many of the felsic rocks. It varies in dip from shallow (i.e. approximately 20 degrees) west of the property to nearly vertical on the property, leading to the suggestion that the property is located on the eastern flank of a gneiss dome (M. Smyk, MNDM, personal communication). A set of conjugate lineaments, oriented northeast and southeast respectively, is defined by diabase dykes and chains of lakes and rivers in the region. The Gionet property is predominantly underlain by felsic intrusive rocks and gneisses, which exhibit considerable textural and compositional variation. Intruded into this felsic intrusive complex are one or more mafic intrusive units of variable composition and texture and unusually hydrous mineralogy. The interaction of these latter rocks with the former has apparently resulted in conditions favourable for the concentration of Cu, Ni and PGE-bearing sulphides.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Schnieders and Smyk (1989, p.148-149) provide the following comments regarding the occurrence: Sulphide mineralization is for the most part confined to a mafic intrusion within the gneissic rocks. Its overall composition corresponds to a monzodiorite or gabbro, although compositional and textural variation is common. Proportions of hornblende and biotite, the main mafic minerals, vary inversely with those of plagioclase and alkali feldspar. Consequently, there are ultramafic as well as felsic portions within the body. A medium-grained, subhedral granular texture gives way locally to hornblende-phyric and pegmatitic sections. Internal and external contact relations are obscured by a lack of exposure. The mafic body has been traced for approximately 90 m in a northeast direction by surface trenching and may attain a width of 30 m.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - 1969: Samples collected at this time are reported to have contained up to 25% pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, silver, platinum and cobalt. The drilling intersected up to 64 feet of mineralized gabbro. 1985-87: Grab samples reportedly returned assay values of up to 0.66% Ni, 0.45% Cu, 0.02% Co, 206 ppb Pt and 446 ppb Pd. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite are the main sulphides in the mafic rocks; molybdenite occurs in the gneisses. The sulphides occur as both disseminated grains and as net-textured masses, either interstitially to the silicates or as replacement minerals. Local sulphide concentrations may exceed 25 percent, but the average is generally 3 percent of less. Magnetite is notably absent. The platinum group minerals (PGM) are presumably associated with the sulphides. Froodite (PdBi2), kotulskite (Pd(Te,Bi) and lead-selenium-arsenic-antimony minerals have been identified by electron microprobe. These minerals occur along fractures within pyrite. PGM grain size ranges up to approximately 20 microns. Grab samples collected from the occurrence in 1988 by B. Schnieders and M. Smyk (OGS) have returned assay values which vary from 3830 to 23800 ppm Cu, 2400 to 10000 ppm Ni, 16 to 40 ppb Au, 31.2 to 33.6 ppm Ag, 270 to 3050 ppb Pt and 400 to 1125 ppb Pd. The Pt:Pd ratio is generally 1:1 or better. The economic potential of the occurrence, as discussed by Laderoute (1990, 1991), is limited by its small size and apparent lack of continuity with depth. During the 1990 drill program, no semi-massive, net-textured sulphide mineralization similar to that occurring on surface was intersected by the drilling. The only significant PGM values were obtained from hole GI-90-05 which returned up to 529 ppm Ni, 755 ppm Cu, 56 ppb Pd and 40 ppb Pt over a core length of 1.1 m.

Feb 27, 2023 (Therese Pettigrew) - Sampling by Palladium One in 2019 returned 7220 ppm Cu, 468 ppm Ni, 431 ppb Pd, 419 ppb Pt from a pyroxenite with 5% pyrrhotite and pyrite (Assessment report 20000018199).

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The development of sulphide mineralization may be related to the extensive alteration of the silicate minerals. Hornblende is commonly altered to biotite and chlorite. Plagioclase and alkali feldspar, including microcline, have been sericitized. Epidote is ubiquitous; sphene is a common accessory mineral.

Mineral Record Details

References

Article - Sault Ste. Marie Resident Geologist's area, Northeastern Region

Publication Number: MP134.009 Date: 1997

Author: Bennett G., Leahy E.J., Donald J.P., Frey E.D., Kral J.J., Tortosa D.J.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Manitouwadge-Wawa sheet, geological compilation series, Algoma, Cochrane, Sudbury and Thunder Bay districts

Publication Number: M2220 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1972

Author: Milne V.G., Giblin P.E., Bennett G., Thurston P.C., Wolfe W.J., Giguere J.F., Leahy E.J., Rupert R.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Article - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist's District - 1988

Publication Number: MP142.007 Page: 133-155  Date: 1997

Author: Schnieders B.R., Smyk M.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Ontario geological map, east central sheet

Publication Number: M2393 Scale: 1:1,013,760    Date: 1979

Author: Lumbers S.B., Milne V.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

File - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Mono - Mineral Occurrences in the Manitouwadge Area, Volumes 1, 2 and 3

Publication Number: OFR5906 Page: 229-238  Date: 1994

Author: McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Report an Error

We are continuously updating our assessment file / technical report information. If you notice errors in the data, please contact us.

Terms of Use

Please review our Terms of Use agreement for this data product.

Ministry Contact Information

For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office