Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D16SW00022

Record: MDI42D16SW00022

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Zinc, Gold, Molybdenum, Silver

Secondary Commodities: Copper, Lead

Location

Township or Area: Seeley Lake Area

Latitude: 48° 49' 12.69"    Longitude: -86° 15' 24.47"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 554555   Northing: 5407734.01    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D16SE, 42D16SW

Point Location Description: Surface exploration trench

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: The Knut Kuhner (Pic River) Au-Zn occurrence is located approximately 15 km northeast of Marathon and 1 km south of Page Lake. There is no road access to the site, which can be most readily accessed by air. The area immediately surrounding the showing has been cleared, allowing for easy helicopter access.

Exploration History

1960: Seeley Mining Corporation carried out geophysical and geological surveys. 1971: K.C. Kuhner rediscovered gold-zinc mineralization in historic trench. Property optioned by Kerr Addison Mines Ltd., who carried out magnetometer and induced polarization (IP) surveys, 9-hole, 254 m diamond drilling program (4 holes drilled on the Kuhner showing). 1975-76: Shell Canada Ltd. conducted airborne and ground magnetometer and electromagnetic (EM) surveys, geological mapping, soil geochemical survey, 5-hole diamond drilling program. 1982-83: Gowganda Resources conducted an IP/resistivity survey. 1983: Ingamar Exploration Ltd. carried out geology, ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveys. 1984: Homestake Mineral Development Company carried out geology, sampling and ground magnetometer survey. 1984: Teeshin Resources Ltd. conducted geology, ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, 5-hole diamond drilling program. 1986-90: Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. carried out geological and soil geochemical surveys, airborne and ground magnetic surveys, diamond drilling. 1997: Pelangio-Larder Mines Ltd. carried out prospecting, induced polarization surveys, 4-hole diamond drilling program. 1999: Battle Mountain Canada Ltd. conducted geochemical surveys. 2004-05: prospectors D.M. Michano, B.D. Gionet, and J. Moses carried out prospecting, trenching, sampling, assays. 2008-09: Pelangio Exploration Inc. conducted geological and geochemical surveys, 6-hole diamond drilling program. 2017: Canadian Orebodies carried out prospecting, mapping, and sampling.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Mar 27, 2014 (Mark Puumala) - The following is an excerpt from OFR 6293. The Knut Kuhner Au-Zn occurrence is hosted by a mixed supracrustal rock assemblage including chert, graphitic argillite and metavolcanic rocks (D’Silva 1987). Mapping by Noranda Exploration Company Ltd. (D’Silva 1987) also indicated the presence of a small quartz monzonite intrusion immediately to the west of the occurrence. The surface expression of the mineralization is seen in a trench and appears to be located in the hinge area of a small-scale fold structure. The occurrence was drilled by Kerr-Addison Mines Ltd. in 1971. Results of this drilling program included assays of up to 0.08 ounces of gold per ton and 1.16% zinc over 18.2 feet (Patterson, Mason and Schnieders 1984). Recent trenching of the main showing by Michano (2004, 2005) produced grab sample assays of up to 23.0 g/t gold, 6.20% zinc, 34.8 g/t silver and anomalous molybdenum values. During the 2004-05 exploration program, a new molybdenite showing was found and trenched approximately 100 m northwest of the original Knut Kuhner surface showing (Michano 2005). The molybdenite-bearing vein was reported to be approximately 8 cm wide and assay values of up to 160 ppb Au, 42.6 ppm Ag, 30.7 ppm As, 179 ppm Bi, 3650 ppm Mo, 2770 ppm Pb, 15.35 ppm Te and 464 ppm Zn were reported.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 27, 2014 (Mark Puumala) - The following is an excerpt from OFR 6293. Intermediate metavolcanic rocks predominate near the Knut Kuhner occurrence. Immediately to the north of the cleared area adjacent to the occurrence, some silicification, iron carbonate alteration and disseminated sulphide mineralization were noted. Although assays of two samples of the intermediate metavolcanic rocks did not contain any detectable gold, one sample (MP-WPT-579) was reported to contain anomalous levels of PGE (47.5 ppb Pt and 42.5 ppb Pd; Resident Geologist’s Files, Thunder Bay South District, Thunder Bay). An outcrop of graphitic slate, immediately to the northwest of the occurrence, exhibits a foliation that strikes northeast and dips 75°toward the southeast. This foliation appears to represent the regional fabric, which has been disrupted immediately to the east, where the Au-Zn mineralization occurs and has been exposed in an exploration trench (located at UTM Zone 16, 554547E, 5407736N). Observations made in the trench (i.e. evidence of north-trending shearing and drag folding) indicate the possibility that the mineralization is related to an approximately north-trending shear structure. The possible existence of such a structure between this occurrence and the nearby Smoke Lake gold occurrence (MDI42D16SW00034), 4.7 km to the north, has previously been proposed (Michano 2005). The possible presence of such a gold-bearing structure(s) is also supported by the anomalous gold values returned from soil sampling by Pullinger (2008) and the distribution of known gold occurrences in the Page Lake area. Mineralization exposed in the trench occurs in association with sugary quartz and consists of disseminated to semi-massive sulphides. Sulphide minerals include pyrrhotite and sphalerite, which can occur as fine-grained disseminated grains and seams. Sulphides also commonly occur in spherules (approximately 5 mm) consisting of radiating acicular grains. The characteristics of this horizon appear to be consistent with the description of the sulphide-chert iron formations provided by Kaye (1984). The magnetic susceptibility of the mineralized material is quite high (attributable to pyrrhotite), with measurements of up to 10 x 10-3 SI units recorded in the field. One grab sample (13DCKK001) of semi-massive sulphide collected from the trench returned 0.13 ounce Au per ton (Resident Geologist’s Files, Thunder Bay South District, Thunder Bay). The newer trench that was excavated 100 m northwest of the original Au-Zn showing exposes a quartz-carbonate vein that is mineralized with pyrite, molybdenite and tourmaline. A sample of this vein material (13DCKK006) returned <0.01 ounce Au per ton, 204 ppm Cu, 647 ppm Mo and 1190 ppm Zn (ibid). Narrow horizons of white sugary quartz, similar to that observed in the main Kuhner occurrence trench, were noted in a number of outcrops (mainly to the west of the occurrence). One of these horizons was followed along strike for approximately 40 m between the Mo-bearing vein trench and the clearing, and was found to strike approximately east-northeast. If this is a single chert horizon, this observation suggests that stratigraphy in the vicinity of the occurrence strikes east-northeast. This recrystallized quartz horizon was noted to be mineralized with disseminated sulphides. Several grab samples were collected from this horizon; however, no significant gold values were obtained from these samples. Assay results are tabulated in OFR 6293.

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Oct 01, 2013

Geologist: Mark Puumala

Notes: See deposit comments.

References

Book - Northern Miner 83-01-27, Gowganda, p. 3

Publication Number: NMINER Date: 1996

Author:

Publisher Name: Northern Miner

Location:

Map - Bamoos Lake sheet, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2099 Date: 1997

Author: Milne V.G.

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:

Compend - Report of activities, 1983, Regional and Resident Geologists

Publication Number: MP117 Page: 76  Date: 1984

Author: Kustra C.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Field trip guidebook to the Hemlo area

Publication Number: MP118 Page: 12-13  Date: 1984

Author: Patterson G.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 1994, Resident Geologists

Publication Number: OFR5921 Date: 1995

Author: Baker C.L., Dressler B.O., Laderoute D.G., Newsome J.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 2013, Resident Geologist Program, Thunder Bay South Regional Resident Geologist Report: Thunder Bay South District

Publication Number: OFR6293 Date: 2014

Author: Puumala M.A., Campbell D.A., Tuomi R.D., Debicki R.L., Wilson A.C., Moses P., Brunelle M.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Publication - Regional Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Reconnaissance Data, Northwestern Ontario

Publication Number: GSC OF 2360 Date: 1991

Author: Friske, P.W.B., Hornbrook, E.H.W., Lynch, J.J., McCurdy, M.W., Gross, H., G

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/132379

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