Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D15SW00029

Record: MDI42D15SW00029

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s) Marlhill Prospect - 1954, Prairie River Prospect - 1890
Related Record Type Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status Prospect
Date Created 1979-Dec-24
Date Last Modified 2023-Aug-03
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Zinc, Silver, Copper

Secondary Commodities: Gold



Location

Township or Area: Walsh, Tuuri

Latitude: 48° 49' 55.74"    Longitude: -86° 45' 33.62"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 517661.69   Northing: 5408824.74    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D15SE, 42D15SW

Point Location Description: Trench

Location Method: Field Visit

Access Description: The Marlhill prospect is located approximately 500 metres east of the Prairie River, about 3.5 kilometres north of Highway 17. The project is located in Tuuri and Walsh Townships (formerly Twp. 81 and 80, respectively) (claim maps G-636 and G-635, Walsh and Tuuri townships). Access may be gained using a bush road which extends north from Highway 17 at apoint about 34 km by road east of Terrace Bay. The road follows the western shore of the Prairie River and is passable by vehicle for 1.5 km, after which an off-road vehicle must be used. Trails and drill roads branch off this road and extend to the Marlhill showing after crossing the Prairie River. Access is also available by helicopter to a landing site at the main showing, as well as a chopper pad near Goldbar Lake.



Exploration History

1890s: Prospecting; P. McKellar. 1954: Prospecting, geophysical survey (EM) and diamond drilling (24 holes totalling 2930 m); Marlhill Mines Limited. Copper mineralization discovered. 1955: Geological mapping, prospecting and surface work; Marlhill Mines Limited. 1960-1969: The occurrence was staked several times by various parties but no work was recorded. 1970: Bulldozer stripping and trenching; Fin-Lan Copper Mines Limited. 1981: Geophysical surveys (MAG and EM); Canadian Nickel Co. Ltd. 1982: Geological mapping and lithogeochemical sampling; Canadian Nickel Co. Ltd. 1984: Property examination and lithogeochemical sampling; OGS Resident Geologist staff. 1986: Ground geophysical survey (UTEM); Tri-Minex/Metallgesellschaft. 1988: Geological mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys, diamond drilling (3 DDH totalling 812 m); Noranda Exploration Company Ltd., Cumberland Resources Ltd. and Redfern Resources Ltd. 1989: Geological mapping, prospecting, and lithogeochemical sampling; and diamond drilling (8 holes totalling 812 m); Noranda Exploration Company Ltd., Cumberland Resources Ltd. and Redfern Resources Ltd. Property examination and lithogeochemical sampling; OGS Resident Geologist staff. 1990: Diamond drilling (8 holes totalling 2309.5 m); Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. 1998: Major General Resources carried out linecutting and magnetic meter surveying.2006: Phoenix Matachewan Mines carried out line cutting and geological mapping. 2009: R. Wahl carried out prospecting, mapping, and sampling. 2011: R. Wahl carried out prospecting, mapping, and sampling.


Assessment Work on File

Assessment Work on File
Office File Number Online Assessment File Identifier Online Assessment File Directory
63.594 42D15NE0062 42D15NE0062
63A.260 42D15NE0061 42D15NE0061
17 42D15NE0072 42D15NE0072
2.13168 42D15NE0012 42D15NE0012
30 42D15NE0022 42D15NE0022
63A.277 42D15NE0063 42D15NE0063
32 42D15NE0018 42D15NE0018
2.50219 20000007008 20000007008
2.42676 20000000676 20000000676
2.39381 20000003562 20000003562
2.12092 42D15SE8278 42D15SE8278
2.19284 42D15SE2001 42D15SE2001
2.6931 42D15NE0032 42D15NE0032

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  



Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Hinzer (1984, assessment files) describes the local geology: The claim group lies within the eastern end of the Schreiber greenstone belt and is underlain by basic to felsic metavolcanic tuffs and metasediments. The rocks are strongly sheared in an east-west direction and contain numerous north-south faults. The greenstone belt appears to be a steeply north to vertically dipping, south facing homoclinal sequence. The Foxtrap-Glorylake batholith (1 km to the north) has strongly influenced the local structure and metamorphic grade. The stratigraphy is younging to the south, with sediments containing local iron formations capping a westward thickening volcanic pile ... numerous graphitic, ferruginous chert and sulphide iron formation allow a good stratigraphic correlation. Numerous north-bearing faults can be projected from both geological and geophysical data, many other minor faults are also indicated. Rapid lateral facies changes from east to west especially around Goldbar Lake are in part due to major north-south faulting in this area. East of Goldbar Lake, a single mafic to felsic to sedimentary cycle is present of the property. West of Goldbar Lake two felsic to mafic cycles are present, and the felsic-sedimentary contact is interbedded with several iron formation zones. Folding is not readily observed. A major fold axis has been postulated passing through the north end of Goldbar Lake centred on the quartz-sericite schists and several amphibolite zones.




Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type Rank Composition Texture Relationship
Schist-Unsubdivided 1 Q-Ser Schist Host
Intermediate Tuff 2 Andesite Tuff Host
Chert 3 Cherty-Graphitic Horizons Host
Ironstone-unsubdivided 4 Host

Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank Mineral Name Class Economic Mineral Type Alteration Mineral Type Alteration Ranking Alteration Intensity Alteration Style
1SphaleriteEconomicOre
2ChalcopyriteEconomicOre
3PyrrhotiteEconomicOre
4MarcasiteEconomicOre
5MagnetiteEconomicOre
ChloriteAlterationUnknown1UnknownDisseminated
SericiteAlterationUnknown2UnknownDisseminated
CarbonateAlterationUnknown3UnknownDisseminated

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The mineralization of the Marlhill deposit is described by Robertson (1955, assessment files): Widely disseminated pyrite occurs in the volcanic and sediments. In the iron formation, concentrations of pyrite and pyrrhotite with marcasite, and local magnetite, are present. This type of mineralization was investigated in vain by earlier workers in search of gold, as evidenced by their trenches, pits and tunnels. Less commonly, minor amounts of chalcopyrite and marmatite (high Fe, 'blackjack' sphalerite) are observed in the chlorite-talc schist, associated with small quartz veins, particularly in the altered andesites. Schnieders et al (1996) state: Mineralization is hosted by a carbonatized quartz-sericite schist and andesitic tuff and occurs as narrow veinlets or stringers on surface. This mineralization, in the author's opinion is a stringer-alteration zone commonly associated with base metal massive sulphide deposits. DeGagne (1989, Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files) described historical assays from diamond drilling on the Marlhill property. Hole #4 of Marlhill Mines Ltd. intersected 1.92% Cu across 6.5 feet; Hole #9 intersected 0.12% Cu and 3.62% Zn across 3.2 feet; Hole #12 intersected 0.62 ounce per ton Au across 4 feet; Hole #20 intersected 1.39% Cu and 2.99% Ag over 3 feet; Hole #23 intersected 1.60% Zn across 8.0 feet. Schnieders and Smyk (1990) indicated that drilling by Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. in 1988 on the Marlhill property intersected in hole MH-88-01; 1.22% Zn and 3.3 g/t Ag across 14.4 feet from 739.2 feet to 753.6 feet; 2.06% Zn and 3.8g/t Ag across 3.3 feet from 799.6 feet to 802.9 feet; 1.04% Zn and 2.8 g/t Ag across 36 feet from 822.5 feet to 858.5 feet, including 5.06% Zn, 0.27% Cu and 11.5 g/t Ag across 3.3 feet; and 1.8% Cu, 0.08% Zn and 18.5 g/t Ag across 3.3 feet from 1180.8 feet to 1184.1 feet.



Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Schnieders et al. (1996) state: Mineralization is hosted by a carbonatized quartz-sericite schist and andesitic tuff and occurs as narrow veinlets or stringers on surface. This mineralization, in the author's opinion is a stringer-alteration zone commonly associated with base metal massive sulphide deposits. DeGagne (1989, Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files) defined a wide zone of alteration including sodium depletion which trends east-west across the property. The zone is confined to the northern volcanic sequence and extends from just east of Goldbar lake to the western boundary of the property (Prairie West).




Mineral Record Details

Classification
RankClassification            
1 Volcanogenic
Characteristics
Rank Characteristic            
1 Podiform

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Zone Name: Detour Lake - Rank 1
Shape Length Thickness Depth Strike Dip Plunge Trend Age Reference
Regular 366 61 90

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:


MonoMap - Geology of the Jackfish-Middleton area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R050 Date: 1997

Author: Walker J.W.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


File - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP


Map - Jackfish-Middleton area, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2107 Date: 1967

Author: Walker J.W.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


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

Publication Number: MDC012 Page: 305  Date: 1969

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

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:


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

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 622-631  Date: 1996

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

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Article - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist's District-1991

Publication Number: MP158.007 Page: 121-164  Date: 1997

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

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


Compend - Report of Activities 1992, Resident Geologists

Publication Number: MP161 Page: 139  Date: 1993

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