Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D14NW00015

Record: MDI42D14NW00015

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Zinc, Copper

Secondary Commodities: Gold, Silver

Location

Township or Area: Pays Plat Lake Area

Latitude: 48° 58' 43.26"    Longitude: -87° 22' 29.74"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 472565.2   Northing: 5425153.7    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D14NW

Point Location Description: Minesite

Location Method: Other

Access Description: The Winston Lake Deposit is located 25 km north of Schreiber and 145 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario (claim map G-606). The Winston Lake Mine road leads north from Highway 17, 8 km west of Schreiber, Ontario. The mine site is a 22 km drive to the end of the road.

Exploration History

1951: The property was staked by Zenmac Metal Mines Ltd. 1978: Corporation Falconbridge Copper initiated a reconnaissance geological/lithogeochemical survey to investigate the Zenith deposit area and the rocks that lay to the west of the gabbro that hosted the Zenith deposit. 1979: The Winston Lake property was staked by Corporation Falconbridge Copper. 1980: The adjoining Zenith property was optioned from Zenmac Metal Mines Ltd. Geological, lithogeochemical, geophysics (VLF EM, Magnetic and Max Min) surveys were completed. Limited Deep EM surveys using a small 100 x 100 m loop were completed. 1981: Four diamond drill holes were drilled to test the intersection of the known alteration with the cherty exhalites at a depth of 125 to 250 m down dip. A cherty exhalite grading 0.057 Cu and 0.57% Zn over 4.3 m was intersected. 1982: Diamond drill hole Z0 5 intersected 2.1 m grading 1.10% Cu and 19.11% Zn, 22.2 g/t Ag and 0.73 g/t Au. 1984: Work started on an exploration shaft to be sunk to an intended 510 m. A production decision was made in the fall of 1985 following an underground evaluation by 4572 m of diamond drilling. 1984-1985: New zones, the Pick Lake zone and a north zone (Ciglen Occurrence) were discovered, diamond drilling continued. 1988: The Minnova Inc. Winston lake Division mine celebrated its official opening. 1998: Operations were suspended in November. 1999: Mine closed in February. 2008: claims around the mine site were staked by Orebot Inc. 2011: Silvore Fox Minerals Corp. signed an agreement with Orebot to acquire the property. 2013: Silvore and Golden Share Mining merged. 2015: Property reverted to Orebot. 2016: Ophiolite Consultants Pty Ltd. carried out mapping and rock and soil sampling. 2018: Superior Lake Resources entered into an option agreement with Ophiolite to acquire 70% of the property. 2019: Superior Lake Resources carried out a FLTEM geophysics survey. 2021: Metallum Resources Inc. acquired the Superior Lake Zinc Project.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  

Metamorphism Grade: Amphibolite

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The project area is located at the west end of the Big Duck Greenstone Belt a metamorphosed sequence of Archean volcanics, sediments, and intrusive material part of the Wawa Archean volcanic belt. The Winston Lake sequence, surrounded on the north, south and west by granitic terrain, forms a 1.5 x 6 km sliver of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rock that has been subjected to amphibolite facies regional metamorphism. The Winston Lake stratigraphy, which dips 40 degrees 50 degrees to the east is comprised of volcanic derived epiclastic rocks overlain by a series of intercalated felsic flows, volcaniclastics and mafic flows. Pillowed mafic flows within this sequence suggest that tops are to the east. The base of the sequence is comprised of massive to bedded epiclastic deposits containing biotite, quartz, feldspar and garnet. Bedded exhalative sphalerite pyrite magnetite chert occurs locally near the top of the epiclastic unit(s). The epiclastics are overlain by massive quartz feldspar porphyritic rhyolite. This crystal rich rock contains quartz and feldspar phenocrysts up to 5 mm in size. The QFP is locally overlain by a thin veneer of bedded sediment/tuff that contains moderate amounts of sulphides. The QFP is overlain by feldspar phyric mafic units that consist of massive and pillowed flows, pillow breccias and mafic hyalotuffs. Felsic inter flow sediments occur locally. The feldspar phyric mafic flows are overlain by a series of quartz feldspar phyric rhyolite flows that exhibit flow banding and breccia. Chemically, these flows are identical to the QFP that lies lower in the stratigraphy. The QFP rhyolite lavas are covered by a series of volcaniclastic debris of pyroclastic flows of felsic to intermediate composition. Individual fragmental volcanic pulses are covered by laminated ash beds which increases in abundance higher in the sequence. Thin mafic flows and hyalotuffs are intercalated with the volcaniclastic deposits.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The volcaniclastic unit(s) grades upwards into a laminated felsic to intermediate bedded ash that marks the top of the Winston Lake sequence. On surface, sulphides in this unit are not evident, however, cherty laminae suggest the presence of an exhalative component. Bedded sulphides, sulphide supported altered wallrock fragments and laminated chert occur three hundred metres down dip of the cherty ash that is exposed on surface. Simmons (1983) further added: A mafic sill often forms the immediate hanging wall to the Winston massive sulphide zone. It is actually a composite intrusion with metagabbroic and metapyroxenite phases.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - Diamond drilling from surface to date suggests that the sulphide zone consists of a complex sequence of thin (metre scale) interbeds of: 1) Fragment Bearing Sulphides This is the dominant sulphide type. Consists of massive to bedded sphalerite pyrrhotite (minor pyrite, chalcopyrite) with up to 45% wispy to sub angular fragments (up to 3 cm) of mineralized (chalcopyrite) cherty ash and altered material consisting of biotite, chlorite ? anthophyllite. 2) Bedded Sulphides Millimetre to centimetre size beds of pyrrhotite and sphalerite occur in varying amounts. 3) Massive Sulphides Massive coarse grained sphalerite with minor pyrrhotite and pyrite. Tends to occur towards the top part of the bedded or fragment bearing sections of the deposit. 4) Altered and Unaltered Laminated Cherty Ash Millimetre scale bedded sections of cherty ash, often 'soaked' with disseminated chalcopyrite. The massive sulphides themselves consist mainly of sphalerite, pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Minor magnetite is present and traces of aspy, galena, native silver and Ag and Bi tellurides have been identified microscopically. The sulphides are banded to very finely laminated. Despite amphibolite facies metamorphism, beautifully preserved slumps, flames and other soft sediment features are often apparent in core.

Mar 14, 2016 (Shannon Zurevinski) - 1981 drill program results included a cherty exhalite grading 0.057% Cu and 0.57% Zn over 4.3 m. 1982: Diamond drill hole Z0 5 intersected 2.1 m grading 1.10% Cu and 19.11% Zn, 22.2 gm/ton Ag and 0.73 gm/ton Au.

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - A major zone of intense hydrothermal alteration gently crosscuts stratigraphy and leads directly to the discovery area. Alteration is characterized by complete replacement of original minerals to an anthophyllite-biotite-cordeirite assemblage. In the immediate area of the discovery, this alteration zone occurs several 10s of metres within the footwall, below the massive sulphides.

Assay Samples

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Feb 12, 1997

Geologist: B Nelson

Notes: Resident Geologist personnel visited the minesite June 21, 1983; October 2, 1984; June 4, 1986; June 14, 1989; August of 1994.

References

Map - Big Duck-Aguasabon lakes area, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: ARM49K Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Bartley M.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Publication - Superior Zinc and Copper Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report - Feasibility Study

Publication Number: 2021 NI 43-101 Date: 2021

Author: Gagnon, D., Abzalov, M., Gravel, A-F, Frost, D., Parent, J., Dougherty, C., Madarajah, G., deGagne, R.C., Kalenchuck, K.

Publisher Name: DRA Global for Metallum Reources

Location: SEDAR

Map - Nipigon-Schreiber, geological compilation series, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2232 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1973

Author: Carter M.W., McIlwaine W.H., Wisbey P.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

File - Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Map - Big Duck Lake area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: M2023 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1997

Author: Pye E.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Mineral Occurrences in the Nipigon-Marathon Area, Volumes 1 and 2.

Publication Number: OFR5951 Date: 1996

Author: Schnieders B.R., Smyk M.C., Speed A.A., McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Publication - The Geological Setting of the Winston Lake Massive Sulphide Deposit; In: Mineral Deposits in the Western Superior Province, Ontario; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2164

Publication Number: OF 2164 Date: 1984

Author: Severin, P.W.A. and F. Balint

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/132350

MonoMap - Mineral deposits of the Big Duck Lake area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R027 Date: 1997

Author: Pye E.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 1998, Resident Geologist Program, Thunder Bay South Regional Resident Geologist Report: Thunder Bay South District

Publication Number: OFR5989 Date: 1999

Author: Schnieders B.R., Scott J.F., Smyk M.C., O'Brien M.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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