Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D14SE00052

Record: MDI42D14SE00052

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Gold, Silver

Secondary Commodities: Lead, Molybdenum, Zinc

Location

Township or Area: Priske

Latitude: 48° 47' 13.84"    Longitude: -87° 14' 15.18"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 482551   Northing: 5403825    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D14SE

Point Location Description: Shaft

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The prospect is located approximately 3.2 km southeast of Schreiber in Priske Township (claim TB 3870, claim map G 631, Priske Township). Access may be gained using the old Schreiber dump road which branches off Highway 17 at a point about 4 km east of Schreiber. Travel down the dump road for 1.0 km. Just past the dump an old bush road departs to the south. Approximately 450 m along the bush road turn left on a trail for 170 m to reach the area of the original workings.

Exploration History

1922: L. Fenning, of New York, optioned 14 claims owned by W. Boswell and L.H. Estell after examination in the field; a cash payment of $25,000 was made and a contract was let for shaft sinking in October. In November, the Fenning Development Co. Ltd. built camps and began mining on claim TB 3870. 1923: A 1.5 m x 3 m shaft was sunk 12.2 m on a mineralized quartz vein. By July, the shaft had reached 33.5 m and was following strongly defined, rich veins at an inclination of approximately 88 degrees. The shaft was also reported as being 2.1 m x 3.4 m in dimension. 1924: By June, the shaft had been divided into a ladderway and bucket compartment and sunk to a depth of 77.7 m. Drifting and crosscutting totalling 51.3 m were completed on the 73 m level. In October, the owners visited the property and decided to begin further shaft sinking to a depth of 152 m. In November, Western Ontario Mines Limited took over mining operations until January 1925. 1925: Operations resumed in April, up to which point 24.4 m and 21.3 m of drifting were completed on east and west veins respectively. A north crosscut of 101.2 m intersected greenstone at 76.2 m. All operations ceased in September. 1926: Operations resumed in May concentrating on drifting on the 'copper' vein. The shaft had reached a depth of 77.7 m and underground development consisted of approximately 160 m of crosscutting and 58 m of drifting, all on the 73 m level. 1971: C.D. Huston examined and submitted a report on three patented claims TB 3869, 3870 and 3841 for D.E. Gale who held these claims under option from the Reid Estate. 1980: The area was mapped by M.W. Carter for the Ontario Geological Survey. 1982: K.G. Fenwick of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines relocated the shaft and sampled the vein system. 1983: United Continental Energy Corp. and Livingstone Energy Corp. conducted a helicopter-borne magnetic, EM, and VLF-EM geophysical survey, and prospecting.

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) - *Huston (1971) described the local geology: Claim TB 3870 is underlain predominately by generally massive, pink, granitic type rocks. The rocks in the shaft area are slightly sheared and fractured in a N75 degreesE direction and can be traced approximately a distance of 1000 feet. The wall rocks of this vein are a pinkish, sparsely mineralized (pyrite), coarse grained hornblende syenite. A diabase dyke is intruded into the syenite a short distance south of the shaft. The attitude of this intrusive was not ascertained due to the lack of rock exposures. It is probably the cause of the fracturing and shearing of the shaft vein. A small outcrop of basic lava, basalt, occurs at the power line near the northeast corner of the claim. It is intruded by dykelets of granite and contains little to no mineralization. This basic lava was reported as being intersected in crosscutting a distance of 250 feet north of the shaft on the 240 foot level. Strong faulting is assumed in the area due to the abrupt changes in rock types and also from lineaments seen from aerial photographs. No definite displacement was recognized due to lack of rock exposure. The quartz vein strikes 57 degrees and dips from 56 degrees to 68 degrees SE, and was observed along strike in old pits and trenches for up to 300 m. The vein is lenticular in nature and achieves a maximum observed width of 75 cm, however, previous reports indicate widths up to 1.2 m. The quartz has a glassy, bully or barren texture and vugs or cavities were observed. A crack seal or ribbon texture was observed with seams of sericite present sub parallel to the strike of the vein.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The quartz vein is hosted on the footwall by two phases of felsic intrusions. The older phase observed consists of a white, medium, grained quartz porphyry containing up to 30 40 percent quartz, 50 percent feldspar and 5 10 percent mafic component. The younger phase of felsic intrusive is a pink granite which varies from aphanitic (aplite) to coarse grained (pegmatite) in texture. This phase of granite appears to contain less quartz than the older phase and is generally observed as crosscutting dykes. Jointing in both felsic intrusive types indicate strikes of 56 degrees to 60 degrees and dips of 68 degrees to 75 degrees SE. Narrow quartz veins were observed along these joints. The hanging wall of the quartz vein consists of altered mafic metavolcanic rocks or possible mafic intrusive rocks. It is the opinion of the author that rocks represent a recrystallized and amphibolitized mafic metavolcanic xenolith or roof pendant. Assimilated combinations of felsic intrusive rock and mafic metavolcanic rocks are present. The recrystallized metavolcanic rocks throughout the property can vary in texture from fine grained to coarse grained. In the vicinity of the main quartz vein a seam of this rock type is present in the footwall to the vein, as well as composing the hanging wall rocks. The metavolcanic rock is altered to a chlorite schist and displays evidence of carbonatization and hematization. Minor chalcopyrite and pyrite are present within this unit, near the mineralized quartz vein. Graphite and magnetite appear as secondary minerals.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - Up to 20% sulphides were observed in sections of the vein. A massive chalcopyrite section varying in width from 15 cm to 30 cm was also observed in one section near the shaft. Chip sampling by Huston (1971) returned the following results: Sample 3901: trace Au, trace Ag, 1.58% Cu over 1.22 m (main vein, 200 m east of shaft). Sample 3902: 0.02 oz/ton Au, 0.43 oz/ton Ag, 0.28% Cu over 0.76m (main vein, 65 m east of shaft). Sample 3903: 0.16 oz/ton Au, 3.73 oz/ton Ag, 14% Cu over 1.22 m (main vein at shaft). 18 samples taken by Resident Geologist personnel returned values up to 0.06 oz/ton Au. Silver results went as high as 10, 13, 22, 43, 56, and 75 oz/ton. Copper values had a high of 7.15%; Zinc--1090ppm; As--82 ppm; Mo--2570 ppm; Ni--128 ppm and Fe--26.8%.

Jul 03, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - Samples taken in 1970 by D. Gale returned assays of up to 23.1% Cu, 0.1 opt Au, 6.82 opt Ag, and 0.30% MoS2 (Thunder Bay mineral deposit files).

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - In the vicinity of the quartz vein, the metavolcanic rock is altered to a chlorite schist and displays evidence of carbonatization and hematization Observing the dump material indicates the presence of granitic rock of two types, altered and amphibolitized mafic metavolcanic rocks or mafic intrusive rocks, and several types of quartz vein material, at least one different in appearance than the main vein observed at the shaft. Also included in the dump material are pieces of a carbonate breccia and massive magnetite. The carbonate breccia consists of calcite and ankerite with angular fragments of grey dolomite or altered metavolcanic.

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Feb 17, 1997

Geologist: B Nelson

Notes: Resident Geologist personnel visited the occurrence May 18, 1983; June 19, 1983; and July of 1988.

References

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

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 356-358  Date: 1996

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

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Part - Mines of Ontario

Publication Number: ARV32-06.002 Page: 21  Date: 1998

Author: Sutherland T.F., McMillan J.G., Bartlett J., Cole G.E., Webster A.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

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:

Mono - Geology of Schreiber-Terrace Bay area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: OFR5692 Page: 142-143  Date: 1988

Author: Carter M.W.

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:

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology of the Terrace Bay area, west sheet, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: P2417 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1981

Author: Carter M.W.

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