Ontario Geological Survey
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MDI42D15SE00009
| Record Name(s) | Port Coldwell Nepheline Syenite - 1898, Port Coldwell Mines and Metals Ltd. - 1942, Port Coldwell Mining Syndicate - 1943, Denison Mines Ltd. - 1960, Conwest Explorations Co. Ltd. - 1985, Unimin Canada Ltd. - 1990 |
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| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Occurrence |
| Date Created | 1983-May-09 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Sep-12 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Nepheline Syenite
Township or Area: Coldwell
Latitude: 48° 45' 27.86" Longitude: -86° 31' .06"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 535522 Northing: 5400638 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 42D15SE
Point Location Description: Map in Assessment file 42D15SE0004
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: The occurrence is located 12.5 km north west of the town of Marathon at the hamlet of Coldwell. The Canadian Pacific Railways mainline bisects the nepheline syenite exposures (Figure 15). Access is by a short road south of Highway 17 through the hamlet of Coldwell and then southeast along the railway mainline for approximately 2 km.
1898: R. Jackson of Port Coldwell attempted to develop the nepheline syenite as a dimension stone. Samples were slabbed and polished and quarrying was planned but not executed. 1942: Port Coldwell Mines and Metals, Ltd. was organized in September 1942 to develop their property. 1943: Port Coldwell Mining Syndicate advertised its nepheline syenite property near Port Coldwell. Bulk sampling was conducted in June 1942 with samples being sent to Montreal and the U.S. Property development ceased and the property lay dormant. 1957: Coldwell Mines and Metals charter cancelled. 1960: Denison Mines Ltd. staked four claims in the vicinity of Tunnel and Echo lakes. 1962: Denison Mines Ltd. conducted geological mapping and drilled 16 packsack holes totaling 376.5 m. diamond drilling on its claims. Large samples were blasted and sent for bench, mill and beneficiation testing. 1967-70: North Rankin Nickel Mines staked the property and carried out mapping, prospecting, a magnetic survey, sampling, and petrographic examination of samples. 1970: Tontine Mining Ltd. was formed as a result of the merger of North Rankin Nickel Mines and McWatters Gold Mines Ltd. 1981: D. Fairbairn obtained a lease for claims TB 133533-556, TB 133560 and TB 133970. 1985: D. Fairbairn transferred all claims to Conwest Exploration Company Ltd. 1990: W.G. Hubler transferred claims TB 28703-705 to Unimin Canada Ltd.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 63A.407 | 42D15SE0009 | 42D15SE0009 |
| 63.3485 | 42D15SE0004 | 42D15SE0004 |
| 12 | 42D15SE0011 | 42D15SE0011 |
| 63A.567 | 42D15SE0008 | 42D15SE0008 |
| 63.2586 | 42D16SW0083 | 42D16SW0083 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Wawa
Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi
Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic Geochronological Age: 1108 +/- MA Geochron. Age Ref.: (HEAMAN AND MACHADO, 1987)
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The Port Coldwell Alkalic complex was emplaced into Archean rocks of the Wawa Subprovince of the Superior Province during early stages of the Middle Proterozoic Midcontintent Rift at 1108 +/- 1 Ma (Heaman and Machado 1987). The nepheline syenites are contained within Centre 2 of the Port Coldwell complex. The emplacement of the nepheline syenites followed the intrusion of biotite-bearing alkaline gabbros and preceded a series of lamprophyres and tinguaites.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Syenite | 1 | Amp Ne Syenite | Allotriomorphic,Porph-Clastic,Gran-Blast | Host |
|---|
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The Port Coldwell Alkalic complex was emplaced into Archean rocks of the Wawa Subprovince of the Superior Province during early stages of the Middle Proterozoic Midcontintent Rift at 1108 +/- 1 Ma (Heaman and Machado 1987). The nepheline syenites are contained within Centre 2 of the Port Coldwell complex. The emplacement of the nepheline syenites followed the intrusion of biotite-bearing alkaline gabbros and preceded a series of lamprophyres and tinguaites. The mineralogy of the nepheline syenites are remarkably similar while having a variety of textures. Textures range from allotriomorphic granular to porphyroclastic to mosaic granuloblastic. The nepheline syenites are classed as amphibole nepheline syenites, they are pyroxene-poor and contain accessory biotite, natrolite, titanomagnetite, apatite, zeolite, fluorite, zircon , sphene and sodalite (Mitchell and Platt 1981).
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nepheline | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Biotite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Apatite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 3 | Zeolite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 4 | Fluorite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 5 | Zircon | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 6 | Sphene | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 7 | Sodalite | Economic | Gangue |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The mineralogy of the nepheline syenites are remarkably similar while having a variety of textures. Textures range from allotriomorphic granular to porphyroclastic to mosaic granuloblastic. The nepheline syenites are classed as amphibole nepheline syenites, they are pyroxene-poor and contain accessory biotite, natrolite, titanomagnetite, apatite, zeolite, fluorite, zircon , sphene and sodalite (Mitchell and Platt 1981). Sample No. IM-92-053A: 63.9 SiO2, 18.9 Al2O3, 2.05 Fe2O3, 0.23 MgO, 0.05 MnO, 1.17 CaO, 6.55 Na2O, 6.23 K2O, 0.16 TiO2, 0.07 P2O5, <0.01Cr2O5, 0.19 LOI. Sample No. IM-92-054: 63.1 SiO2, 18.4 Al2O3, 3.06 Fe2O3, 0.13 MgO, 0.08 MnO, 1.05 CaO, 6.42 Na2O, 6.23 K2O, 0.14 TiO2, 0.05 P2O5, 0.01Cr2O5, 0.21 LOI. Sample No. IM-92-055: 64.2 SiO2, 18.7 Al2O3, 2.06 Fe2O3, 0.13 MgO, 0.06 MnO, 0.89 CaO, 6.45 Na2O, 6.57 K2O, 0.15 TiO2, 0.06 P2O5, <0.01Cr2O5, 0.36 LOI. Sample No. IM-92-056: 65.3 SiO2, 18.1 Al2O3, 1.34 Fe2O3, <0.05 MgO, 0.03 MnO, 0.56 CaO, 7.32 Na2O, 5.69 K2O, 0.02 TiO2, 0.01 P2O5, 0.01Cr2O5, 0.45 LOI. Blue Mtn. 60.1 SiO2, 23.5 Al2O3, 0.08 Fe2O3, 0.03 MgO, ---- MnO, 0.40 CaO, 10.4 Na2O, 5.00 K2O, ---- TiO2, ---- P2O5, -----Cr2O5, 0.45 LOI. Analyses for samples 053A to 056 conducted by Lakefield Research. When the chemistry of samples collected around the Port Coldwell area are compared with a representative analyses from Unimin's Blue Mountain property the differences are quite apparent. The Coldwell samples are lower than the Blue Mountain product in alumina content, combined alkalis and significantly higher in Fe2O3.
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown |
Date: Dec 19, 1996
Geologist: R Degagne
Notes: Visited in August 1992, by P. Hinz | R. M. Landry (OGS OFR 5889, 1994)
File - Industrial Minerals Geologist's Files, Thunder Bay
Publication Number: Date:
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
Map - Port Coldwell area, District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: P0114 Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1997
Author: Puskas F.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Industrial Mineral Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5889 Page: 99-102 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M.
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
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:
MonoMap - Geology of the Port Coldwell area, District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: OFR5014 Date: 1997
Author: Puskas F.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Article - Geology of the Coldwell alkaline complex
Publication Number: MP157.018 Date: 1998
Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Thunder Bay data series, Deadhorse Creek area, Thunder Bay District
Publication Number: P2132 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1981
Author: Mason J.K.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Part - Nepheline syenites of Port Coldwell
Publication Number: ARV19-01.008 Date: 1998
Author: Kerr H.L.
Publisher Name: Ontario Bureau of Mines
Location:
Article - Geology of the Port Coldwell alkalic complex
Publication Number: MP160.019 Page: 108-120 Date: 1997
Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Precambrian Geology, Port Coldwell Complex, West Half
Publication Number: P3232 Scale: 1:20,000 Date: 1993
Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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