Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D16NE00008

Record: MDI42D16NE00008

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Nickel, Cobalt

Secondary Commodities: Gold

Location

Township or Area: Cirrus Lake Area

Latitude: 48° 54' 32.84"    Longitude: -86° 14' 18.21"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 555807   Northing: 5417633    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D16NE

Point Location Description: Location of DDH GC08-01 in AFRI 20000003919

Location Method: Based on Assessment

Access Description: The Beggs-Currie copper-nickel occurrence is located in the Cirrus Lake area approximately 37.5 km southwest of Manitouwadge, 22.5 km northeast of Marathon and 3.2 km east of the Pic River. The occurrence is accessible via air transport to Louis Lake followed by travel on foot along a partially overgrown tractor road that extends northeast from the northeast arm of Louis Lake. The occurrence is located on the east side of a low ridge approximately 1.4 km northeast of Louis Lake and 30 m west of the tractor road.

Exploration History

1927-1932: Trenching; prospector T.J. Beggs. The occurrence was discovered at this time and in 1930 was examined and sampled by J. Thomson for the ODM. 1937-1941: Unspecified work; prospector D.R. Gardiner. 1942-1944: Unspecified work; prospector C.E. Yuill. 1953: Pic Nickel Mines Limited carried out prospecting, airborne geophysical survey (MAG) and diamond drilling (14 holes totalling 872.6 m). 1954: MacLeoud-Cockshutt Gold Mines drilled 6 DDH totalling 286.1 m. 1955: MacLeod-Cockshutt Gold Mines Limited carried out a ground geophysical survey (EM) and diamond drilling (5 holes totalling 342.6 m). 1963: International Nickel Company of Canada Limited conducted diamond drilling (8 holes totalling approximately 914 m). 1978-1979: Lake sediment and water geochemical survey; GSC-MNR. 1984: Exall Resources Ltd. contracted an airborne geophysical survey (MAG, VLF-EM, EM). 1988: Prospector P. Skalesky contracted an airborne geophysical survey (MAG, VLF-EM). 1992: Geological mapping and lithogeochemical sampling; D. McKay and M. Smyk (OGS). 2000: Freewest Resources conducted geological mapping, prospecting, and drilling. 2007: Benton Resources Corp. completed line-cutting, prospecting, soil sampling, geological mapping, and a VTEM survey. 2008: Benton Resources drilled 2 DDH totalling 322 m.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Geological Age: Archean  

Metamorphism Type: Regional

Metamorphism Grade: Amphibolite

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The Beggs-Currie copper-nickel occurrence is located in the Wawa subprovince and is underlain primarily by amphibolitic, locally pillowed, mafic metavolcanic flows which comprise a portion of the Page Lake greenstone belt (Milne 1967, Map 2098). The occurrence is situated along the contact between the mafic metavolcanic rocks and a large (8 km long by 4 km wide), north-trending, horseshoe-shaped body of serpentinized dunite and related ultramafic rocks (Milne 1967, Map 2098). The metavolcanic rocks in the vicinity of the occurrence are locally brecciated and silicified. The contact between the metavolcanic rocks and the serpentinite is obscured by swampy overburden. A high ridge of serpentinite is exposed, however, approximately 45 m east of the occurrence. The Runnalls Lake Fault, a major, northwest-trending, sinistral fault, is located approximately 1.9 km to the northeast of the occurrence (Milne 1967, Map 2098). The occurrence comprises an irregular area, about 100 feet by 50 feet, of blue-black rusty weathering, massive, fine-grained to medium-grained amphibolitic and silicified metavolcanic rock containing irregularly disseminated pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Sulphides also occur in joints and widely spaced fractures in the rock. Field observations suggest the sulphide mineralization present at the Beggs-Currie copper-nickel occurrence was emplaced along the locally brecciated contact zone between mafic metavolcanic flows and a large, serpentinized, ultramafic intrusion.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - The mafic metavolcanic flows hosting the mineralization are dark to light gray-green, rusty-weathering, fine- to medium-grained, massive, amphibolitic and locally silicified and brecciated. Subangular to rounded breccia fragments (varying in size up to 8 cm in diameter) are common within the metavolcanic rock exposed in Trench 2. Relict pillow structures with prominent selvages are exposed in isolated outcrops located approximately 500 m south of the occurrence.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 14, 2018 (D McKay) - The occurrence consists primarily of erratically distributed sulphides hosted within altered, mafic metavolcanic flows. The sulphide content within the occurrence varies from less than 1% up to approximately 5% and is exposed over an area approximately 65 m long by 15 m wide. The sulphide mineralization has been traced by drilling for over 76 m along strike (Thomson et al. 1954). The sulphide mineralization consists primarily of fine- to medium-grained, anhedral, disseminated grains, small (5 to 10 mm in diameter) patches and narrow (1 to 3 mm wide) seams of pyrrhotite, pyrite and trace chalcopyrite. Exposure to dimethylglyoxime suggests the pyrrhotite contains a nickel-bearing phase, probably pentlandite. Narrow (2 to 5 mm wide), sulphide-bearing, quartz-carbonate veins and rare, blotchy patches (up to 3 mm across) of magnetite occur within the mafic metavolcanic rocks exposed in Trench 1. As noted by Milne (1967, p.45), some of the sulphides occur within joints and widely spaced fractures in the rocks. The sulphides are interstitial to, and partially replace, the fragments composing the mafic metavolcanic breccia exposed in Trench 2. Grab samples collected from the occurrence in 1992 by D. McKay and M. Smyk for the OGS returned assay values which varied from 0.007 to 0.023 ounce Au/ton, nil Ag, 223 to 896 ppm Cu, 66 to 10800 ppm Ni, 11 to 136 ppb Pd and 11 to 27 ppm Zn. A grab sample collected by OGS staff member V.G. Milne in 1963 from the occurrence returned assay values of 0.36% Ni and trace Cu.

Mar 14, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - The Goodchild Ultramafic Complex is composed of serpentinized peridotite and dunite and minor spinifex textured komatiite. The ultramafic intrusion measures 8 km long by 4 km wide and shows a general N-S trend based on geophysical magnetic interpretation. Ni-sulphide mineralization has been noted along brecciated contacts of the intrusion with surrounding mafic-volcanic rocks. Of significance is the Beggs-Currie showing which has historical surface grab sample results up to 12.6% Ni and 0.295% Co. The best assays from the 2008 drill program were 0.29% Ni, 0.023% Cu and 0.014% Co over 3 m from 40.9-43.9 m in DH GC08-01 (AFRI 20000003919). The Beggs-Currie showing is a sulphide breccia along the contact between silicified mafic volcanic rocks and ultramafic intrusive rocks. The breccia matrix is generally composed of 50% ultramafic rock and 50% massive pyrrhotite + chalcopyrite. Two samples collected during Benton Resource’s 2007 program regurned assays of 3.81% and 7.07% Ni, with 0.03-0.15% Cu and 0.07-0.16% Co (AFRI 20000000057).

Alteration Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (D McKay) - Narrow (2 to 5 mm wide), sulphide-bearing, quartz-carbonate veins and rare, blotchy patches (up to 3 mm across) of magnetite occur within the mafic metavolcanic rocks exposed in Trench 1.

Mineral Record Details

References

Map - Heron Bay area, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: ARM40D Scale: 1:95,040    Date: 1997

Author: Thomson J.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

MonoMap - Geology of Cirrus Lake-Bamoos Lake area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R043 Date: 1997

Author: Milne V.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Pukatawagan Lake sheet, Pic River area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: P0232 Scale: 1:15,840    Date: 1997

Author: Milne V.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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

Publication Number: MDC012 Page: 317-331  Date: 1969

Author: Shklanka R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Cirrus Lake sheet, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2098 Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Milne V.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Mineral Occurrences in the Manitouwadge Area, Volumes 1, 2 and 3

Publication Number: OFR5906 Date: 1994

Author: McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Manitouwadge sheet, districts of Thunder Bay and Algoma, geological compilation series

Publication Number: P0494 Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1997

Author: Milne V.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Part - Geology of the Heron Bay area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: ARV40-02.002 Page: 21-39  Date: 1998

Author: Thomson J.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Manitouwadge-Wawa sheet, geological compilation series, Algoma, Cochrane, Sudbury and Thunder Bay districts

Publication Number: M2220 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1972

Author: Milne V.G., Giblin P.E., Bennett G., Thurston P.C., Wolfe W.J., Giguere J.F., Leahy E.J., Rupert R.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

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

Publication Number: MDC001 Date: 1954

Author: Thomson J.E., Carlson H.D., Ferguson S.A., Pye E.G., Savage W.S.

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

Compend - Report of Activities 1992, Resident Geologists

Publication Number: MP161 Page: 151-154  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