Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D14NW00035

Record: MDI42D14NW00035

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Nickel, Copper

Secondary Commodities: Palladium, Platinum, Cobalt, Gold

Location

Township or Area: Pays Plat Lake Area

Latitude: 48° 53' 37.7"    Longitude: -87° 18' 6.83"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 477871.69   Northing: 5415694.72    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D14NW

Point Location Description: Trench

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The property is situated about 2.4 km east of Lower Ross Lake (previously Rhea Lake) and about 9.5 km north northwest of Schreiber (claim T.B. 656261, claim map G 606, Pays Plat Lake). Access may be gained by travelling north 8 km on the Winston Lake Mine Road then east via skidder road for 4 km. The Winston Lake Mine Road departs Highway 17, 8 km west of Schreiber.

Exploration History

1930-36: Surface sampling and diamond drilling of 3 holes were probably undertaken by Cominco. 1937: Cook Lake Gold Mines Ltd. performed a ground mag survey. 1950: Falconbridge Nickel Mines held the property under option from D. Campbell of Schreiber. They conducted a ground mag survey and geological mapping. A detailed investigation of the mineralization was carried out and formed the basis of a bachelor's thesis by D.T. Anderson (1951). 1956: Property optioned to New Athona Mines Ltd. and Mogul Mining Corp., who drilled 4 holes totalling 516 m. 1965: Property came open and was restaked by Zenmac Metal Mines Ltd., who mapped the property and drilled 5 holes totalling 61 m along a strike length of 48.8 m on the main mineralized zone. 1969: Zenmac carried out a detailed ground mag survey, locating 4 anomalous zones. 8 holes totalling 642 m were drilled. 1970: Nicohal Mines Ltd. drilled 9 holes totalling 1231.7 m, encountering Ni-Cu mineralization. 1972-82: Prospect was intermittently staked, but no work recorded. 1983: Noranda conducted airborne mag and EM surveys. 1984: A geological survey was conducted. 1992: The prospect has been mapped as part of the Victoria Lake property optioned by Minnova Inc. from Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. and Cumberland Resources Ltd. 1992: MNDM collected 7 grab samples from the Main Zone. 1997: Brian Fowler collected grab samples on the property. 2001: Property staked by Brian Fowler (Superior Prospects Inc.). 2004: NovaWest Resources (now Pacific Ore Mining Corp) conducted geological mapping, line cutting, a mag survey, and completed 11 DDH totalling 1502 m. 2012: Superior Prospects Inc. optioned the property to Vanadium Corp. 2014: D. Fowler conducted prospecting and sampling just south of the Nicopor prospect. 2019: Transition Metals Corp. optioned the property. 2022: Transition Metals carried out stripping and channel sampling, and drilled 3 DDH totalling 561 m.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The prospect is classed as a 'mafic-ultramafic intrusion-hosted ' deposit. The prospect occurs at the northern contact of the Schreiber greenstone belt with the Crosman Lake granitic batholith. The greenstone belt assemblage consists of an east trending, homoclinal succession of mafic to felsic metavolcanic rocks intruded by sill like gabbro bodies. In the vicinity of the Nicopor prospect the massive amphibolite host had been largely interpreted by various exploration geologists as a metamorphosed and altered mafic to intermediate volcanic rock. Recent mapping, based to a large extent on comparison with other mafic rocks nearby, suggests that this amphibolitic unit is gabbroic rather than volcanic. This interpretation also accounts to some degree for the source of the nickel and copper rich sulphide mineralization as discussed below. Base metal sulphides occur as massive to vein like and net textured aggregates in a narrow, linear zone that follows the contact between a dark green, massive amphibolite (melagabbro) on the south and medium grained, equigranular, pink granite on the north. A quartz bearing, mafic rock typically occurs between the melagabbro and the granite and has been mapped as leucogabbro, possibly representing a hybrid phase between the two main host rocks. This mineralized zone has developed a conspicuous, extensive gossan that obscures host rock and sulphide relationships. White iron hydroxides and rare malachite have developed as stains on deeply weathered sulphides. Several shallow pits have been sunk on this northeast striking zone over a distance of approximately 75 m. The sulphide zone on surface ranges up to approximately 2 m in width and rapidly grades outwards into disseminated mineralization in both the gabbro and granite. The sulphide zone is crosscut by barren aplite, syenite and feldspar porphyry dykes.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - In the vicinity of the Nicopor prospect the massive amphibolite host had been largely interpreted by various exploration geologists as a metamorphosed and altered mafic to intermediate volcanic rock. Recent mapping, based to a large extent on comparison with other mafic rocks nearby, suggests that this amphibolitic unit is gabbroic rather than volcanic. A quartz bearing, mafic rock typically occurs between the melagabbro and the granite and has been mapped as leucogabbro, possibly representing a hybrid phase between the two main host rocks.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The sulphide zone on surface consists mainly of semi massive, net like veinlets of pyrrhotite, with minor chalcopyrite and isolated porphyroblasts of pyrite. Pentlandite, the nickel bearing sulphide phase, is visible in cut and polished slabs and accounts for up to 15% of the sulphides in polished section. Sulphide veins and massive sulphides are apparently hosted mainly by the granite which has been brecciated by the introduced sulphides and occurs as xenoliths within them. Sulphides within the gabbro and in the granite away from the main mineralized zone tend to be fine grained, disseminated to blebby grains. Fine grained magnetite grains are disseminated throughout the gabbro and also occur as a minor component within massive sulphides. The occurrence of native copper is noteworthy in that is occurs as small, disseminated grains within granite, apparently as a hypogene, rather than a supergene mineral. Additional petrographic descriptions of the sulphides had previously been provided by Anderson (1951): Polished, thin section study reveals that the sulphides are pervasively annealed and occur usually as composite veinlets and blebs that are interstitial to silicate mineral grains in the host rocks. The granite displays an ubiquitous micrographic texture developed between quartz and alkali feldspar. In the micrographic granite, grain boundaries between sulphides and silicates are sharp and straight, whereas in the gabbro, intimately intergrown sulphides and acicular amphiboles suggest that they crystallized at the same time. Sulphides also occur along cleavage traces in these amphiboles. Pyrrhotite, the predominant sulphide, comprises aggregates that host granular veinlets and small, oriented flames and incipient veinlets of pentlandite along pyrrhotite grain boundaries. Chalcopyrite typically occurs as blebs and anhedral grains at the margins of the sulphide aggregates and locally crosscuts pentlandite.

May 01, 2019 (Therese Pettigrew) - Grab samples taken by the MNDM in 1992 from the Main Zone returned the following values: Sample #1 – 4780 ppm Cu, 15520 ppm NI, 197 ppb Pd; Sample #2 – 1400 ppm Cu , 7540 ppm Ni, 107 ppb Pd; Sample #3 – 80 ppm Cu, 105 ppm Ni, <10 ppb Pd; Sample #4 – 10540 ppm Cu, 34720 ppm Ni, 99 ppb Pd; Sample #5 – 2260 ppm Cu, 1980 ppm Ni, 387 ppb Pd; Sample #6 – 6800 ppm Cu, 33900 ppm Ni, 193 ppb Pd; Sample #7 – 1356 ppm Cu, 45250 ppm Ni, 456 ppb Pd. Grab samples taken from the property in 1997 by Brian Fowler assayed as high as 5.7% Ni, 1.3% Cu, 0.09% Co, 0.44 g/t Pd and 0.11 g/t Pt. In 2004, NovaWest Resources completed 11 DDHs. Eight of the 11 diamond drill holes intersected disseminated to semi-massive (10-15%) sulphide mineralization (pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite). The sulphide mineralization occurs as blebs or clots associated to a magnetic pyroxenite unit that is believed to have intruded the granitic rocks. Company geologists believe the sulphide clots or blebs noted within the pyroxenite dyke material are from settling or coalescing, which could create significant accumulation. The better intersections include: DDH 03: 174.4-189.6’: 0.55% Ni, 0.23% Cu; DDH 04: 156.0-184.0’: 0.39% Ni, 0.33% Cu; DDH 09: 165.0-194.5’: 0.23% Ni, 0.21% Cu; DDH 10: 134.0-149.6’: 0.22% Ni, 0.13% Cu. Samples taken by Transition Metals in 2022 returned up to 1.34% Ni, 0.84% Cu, 0.23% Co, 0.18 g/t Pt, 0.07 g/t Pd, 0.03 g/t Au over 0.48 m from Channel 3, 0.5% Ni, 0.4% Cu, 0.02% C, 0.03 g/t Pt, 0.09 g/t Pd, 0.03 g/t Au over 8.17 m including 1.61% Ni, 1.2% Cu, 0.05% Co, 0.06 g/t Pt, 0.29 g/t Pd, 0.04 g/t Au over 1.7 m from Channel 7 (Transition Metals news release Sept 12, 2022). DDH ML-22-02 returned 0.51% Ni, 0.2% Cu, 0.02% Co, 0.02 g/t Pt, 0.06 g/t Pd, and 0.02 g/t Au over 7.52 m from 88.48 m depth, including 2.16% ni, 0.52% Cu, 0.06% Co, 0.06 g/t Pt, 0.19 g/t Pd, 0.02 g/t Au over 1.17 m from 93.92 m (Transition Metals news release Nov. 28, 2022).

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Feb 11, 1997

Geologist: B Nelson

Notes: Resident Geologist Staff visited the occurrence July 1, 1992. 7 grab samples returned copper values ranging from 80 to 10540 ppm Cu, 105 to 45250 ppm Ni, and <10 to 456 ppb Palladium. The best copper value came from an amphibole rich granite, with fine grained disseminated py, po, cp and rare native copper grains (Main trench). The best Nickel and Palladium value came from massive po, with minor cp blebs, subhedral py porphyroblasts; relict patches of host granite (Main Trench dump).

References

Map - Schreiber area, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: ARM47J Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Bartley M.W., Harcourt G.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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:

Mono - Copper, nickel, lead and zinc deposits of Ontario

Publication Number: MDC012 Page: 321  Date: 1969

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of the Schreiber area, east part, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: P2391 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1981

Author: Carter M.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Part - The northeastern part of the Schreiber area

Publication Number: ARV47-09.002 Page: 37  Date: 1998

Author: Bartley M.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Compend - Report of Activities 1992, Resident Geologists

Publication Number: MP161 Page: 121-165  Date: 1993

Author: Fenwick K.G., Pitts A.E., Newsome J.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

File - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files, Thunder Bay office

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

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

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 174-184  Date: 1996

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

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Schreiber sheet, District of Thunder Bay, geological compilation series

Publication Number: P0360 Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1997

Author: Pye E.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Part - The northeastern part of the Schreiber area

Publication Number: ARV47-09.002 Date: 1998

Author: Bartley M.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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