Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D15SW00031

Record: MDI42D15SW00031

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Zinc, Lead

Secondary Commodities: Copper, Gold, Silver

Location

Township or Area: Tuuri

Latitude: 48° 46' 32.13"    Longitude: -86° 52' 41.7"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 508945   Northing: 5402517    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D15SW

Point Location Description: Trench

Location Method: Field Visit

Access Description: The occurrence is located in Tuuri Township approximately 400 m east of the Steel River bridge on Highway 17 and just south of the CPR mainline. It is about 16 km directly east of Terrace Bay (claim map G-635, Tuuri Township). Access may be gained along the CPR railway track, from a parking clearing just west of the Steel River bridge. An old road leads south to the railway track. Follow the railway track approximately 200 m west where a small creek flows out of a small lake. The Simard-Swetz occurrence lies 10 m south of the small creek at the base of a cliff.

Exploration History

1952: Trenching; G. Simard and P. Swetz. 1960-1976: The occurrence was staked several times by various parties but no work was recorded. 1977: Diamond drilling (1 hole, 55 m long); HBOG Mining Limited. The hole tested an EM conductor at the Little Steel Lake Highway showing. 1983: Geophysical survey (EM, MAG); D. McKinnon (?). Property examination and lithogeochemical sampling; OGS Resident Geologist staff. 1984: Diamond drilling (11 holes totalling 1231.7 m), trenching and test pitting; Silver Sceptre Mines Ltd. Property examination and lithogeochemical sampling; OGS Resident Geologist staff. 1985: Property examination; OGS Resident Geologist staff. 1994: Prospecting and sampling; prospectors B. Fowler, M. Shuman and D. Leishman. 1995: Prospecting, reconnaissance geological mapping and sampling; Echo Bay Mines Ltd. 2002: Cairngorm Mines carried out mapping, prospecting, and sampling. 2010-11: B. Fowler carried out line cutting, magnetometer and VLF-EM surveys. 2012: B. Fowler carried out trenching and channel sampling.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The geology consists of intercalated metavolcanics and metasediments. The metasediments consist of graded turbidites with beds up to 25 cm wide. Schnieders (1987) described a sedimentary succession dominated by A- and AB-turbidites, organized into upward (southward) coarsening and thickening, and fining and thinning sequences. These assemblages were thought to represent deposition on suprafan lobes and submarine channels, respectively. The metavolcanics appear to be of intermediate to mafic composition, and possibly amygdaloidal and variolitic. In addition Smyk and Schnieders (1995) have identified spinifex-textured, basltic-komatiite in the Steel River area. A sulphide iron formation is present which parallels the stratigraphy and trends 089 degrees and has a vertical dip. Massive pyrite is present within the unit which includes graphitic and chert rich units. Recrystallized quartz veins are also present. The iron formation unit is hosted by talcose mafic metavolcanic rocks. Numerous quartz and quartz-carbonate veins were observed. Other rock types include lamprophyre and diabase dikes. Schnieders (1987), Williams (1989) and Smyk and Schnieders (1995) have suggested complex folding events, accompanied by large scale faulting in the Steel River area.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Patterson et al. (1984) described the Simard-Swetz occurrence as: The occurrence consists of sulphide facies ironstone and related chemical and clastic metasediments. The clastic metasediments consist of fine-grained argillites, siltstones and shale. Fine-grained pyrite and graphite are present in some sections of the shale. Interlaminated with the shale units are layers of massive and banded pyrite and minor pyrrhotite. This interlaminated pyrite unit, massive pyrite unit, and pyritic and graphitic shale unit is approximately 2 m wide. In contact with this clastic unit is a chemical metasediment unit consisting of a 2 m wide finely laminated chert or cherty ash. Within the bands or beds of chert is fine-grained disseminated to bedded pyrite. Sphalerite and galena have also been noted. The chemical and clastic metasedimentary rocks strike 050 to 060 degrees, dip near vertically, and are situated at the contact between graded turbiditic metasedimentary rocks. It is not certain if the host metavolcanic rocks are of intrusive or extrusive origin. The ironstone unit has undergone extensive deformation producing a highly schistose zone. It appears to have been the focus of the deformation, due to its structural location at the contact between metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. Numerous quartz veins and veinlets have been produced from recrystallized chert, and secondary euhedral pyrite occurs within these veins. The sphalerite and galena mineralization appears associated with the late quartz-carbonate veining.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The principal minerals in order of abundance are chert (chalcedony), massive and nodular pyrite, massive and stringer pyrrhotite, irregular narrow quartz-calcite veins, graphite and trace amounts of chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena (Northern Miner, May 3, 1984, p.22). Rose (1951, SH Resident Geologist's Mineral Deposit Files) reports on the results of the initial sampling of the original Simard-Swetz showings: Two chip samples taken near the middle of the south boundary of claim TB 42605 containing a 1.27 cm (? inch) stringer well mineralized with galena and sphalerite in graphite schists. Sample number 1 was taken across 3 m of sericite schist and 0.6 m of graphitic schist containing pyrite and the stringer of galena and sphalerite. This sample assayed 0.10 opt Au, 0.38 opt Ag, 0.53% Pb, 0.21% Zn and nil As. Sample number 2 was taken across 0.6 m of graphitic schist containing pyrite and 3 m of quartzite. This sample assayed 0.01 opt Au, 0.28 opt Ag, nil Pb, nil Zn and nil As. Diamond drilling conducted in 1984 by Silver Sceptre Mines Limited (Rose 1984, SH Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files) returned assay results which included 0.01 opt Au and 0.58 opt Ag over 2.0 feet and 0.01 opt Au and 0.47 opt Ag over 1.0 feet. Diamond drilling conducted in 1977 by HBOG Mining Limited on the northern extension of the Simard-Swetz zone returned assay results of up to nil Au, nil Ag, 0.05% Cu and 0.37% Zn over 2.29 m (SH Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files). Grab samples collected from the occurrence in 1983 and 1984 by OGS Resident Geologist staff returned assay results which varied from 9 ppb to <0.01 opt Au, 2 ppb to 1.29 opt Ag, 20 to 685 ppm Cu, 88 to 9600 ppm Zn and 24 to 9600 ppm Pb.

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Numerous quartz veins and veinlets have been produced from recrystallized chert, and secondary euhedral pyrite occurs within these veins. The sphalerite and galena mineralization appears associated with the late quartz-carbonate veining.

Mineral Record Details

References

File - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

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:

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

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 632-639  Date: 1996

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

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Thesis - Geology of Sulphide-Facies Iron Formations and Associated Rocks in the Lower Steel River - Little Steel Lake Area, Terrace Bay, Ontario Area

Publication Number: MSc thesis Date: 1987

Author: Schnieders, B.R.

Publisher Name: Lakehead Univesrity

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Article - Thunder Bay Resident Geologist area, North Central Region

Publication Number: MP122.004 Page: 112-113  Date: 1997

Author: Patterson G.C., Mason J.K., Schnieders B.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Book - GEOLOGY OF THE SCHREIBER GREENSTONE ASSEMBLAGE, ILSG GUIDEBOOK, V.41, PT.2C

Publication Number: Guide Book Date: 1995

Author: Smyk, M.C. and Schnieders, B.R.

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

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