Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI42E02SE00003
| Record Name(s) | Prairie Lake Carbonatite - 1985, Jim's Showing - 1969, Newmont Mining Corp. of Canada Ltd. - 1968, International Minerals & Chemical Corp. - 1975, Nuinsco Reources (New Insco Mines Ltd) - 1976 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Developed Prospect With Reported Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1985-Jun-20 |
| Date Last Modified | 2023-Jun-26 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Rare Earth Elements
Secondary Commodities: Cerium, Lanthanum, Neodymium, Niobium, Phosphate, Samarium, Tantalum, Uranium, Yttrium, Apatite (Nonmetals), Wollastonite
Township or Area: Killala Lake Area
Latitude: 49° 2' 19.45" Longitude: -86° 43' 6.53"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 520575 Northing: 5431800 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 42E02SE
Point Location Description: Prairie Lake carbonatite complex
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: The Prairie Lake Carbonatite complex is located on the north shore of Prairie Lake, approximately 39 km northeast of Terrace Bay and 40 km northwest of Marathon. Access to the complex is gained by using the all-weather Deadhorse Creek road which intersects Highway 17 at Deadhorse Creek in Walsh Township. The road crosses the complex approximately 32 km from the highway.
Prior to 1968: prospectors had identified several radioactive occurrences; 1968: Newmont Mining Corp: magnetic, radiometric and geochemical surveys, trenching. 1969: Newmont Mining Corp: DDH (x15) (Winkie Drill) focussing on Jim’s Showing (delineated approximately 98,900 t grading 0.12% U3O8 in a zone 100 m in length and averaging 7.0 m in width). 1975: New Inco Mines Ltd. optioned Jim’s showing. International Minerals and Chemical Corp (Canada) Ltd (IMC) restaked the balance of the claims. IMC focussed on phosphate (mapping); 1976: IMC DDH (x3) and IMC optioned 37 claims to New Insco Mines Ltd. 1976: New Insco Mines Ltd: radiometric and magnetic surveys, trenching, mapping, prospecting, channel sampling, DDH (x15) (totalling ~1560 m) resulting in enlargement of the resource at Jim’s Showing to 181,000 t grading 0.09% U3O8, 0.25% Nb2O5 (non NI 43-101 compliant). 1978: New Insco Ltd: magnetometer surveying, mapping, prospecting, trenching (new zones of U, Nb, and P mineralization in mixed carbonatites-ijolites were revealed to the north and east of Centre Lake. 1979: New Insco Mines Limited changes name to Nuinsco Resources Ltd. 1983: Nuinsco Resources Limited (DDH (x12 totalling 1715 m). 1983-2001: Property lapsed until Nuinsco Resources reacquired the property through an option agreement with Stares Contracting Corp. of Thunder Bay. 2002-2003: Nuinsco: trenching (tantalum analyses of up to 400 ppm were reported and Nb values of up to 7300 ppm) (microprobe studies identified high-Ta Pyrochlore within the samples containing 8-14 % Ta2O5). 2007: Nuinsco: grid sampling program (870 rock chip analyses), DDH (x15) at Jim’s Showing, High Grade, P31 & P10 zones (totalling 1878.4 m). 2008: Nuinsco: Dense Media Separation Program (DMS). 2010: Nuinsco: ETMI- currently producing phosphorus concentrates to evaluate agricultural and industrial applications.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 2.51931 | 20000008904 | 20000008904 |
| 2.37655 | 20000003306 | 20000003306 |
| 2.42952 | 20000005357 | 20000005357 |
| 2.25475 | 42E02SE2001 | 42E02SE2001 |
| 11 | 42E02SE0014 | 42E02SE0014 |
| 13 | 42E01NW0003 | 42E01NW0003 |
| 10 | 42E02SE0015 | 42E02SE0015 |
| 63.4309A | 42E02SE0020 | 42E02SE0020 |
| 63.3856 | 42E02SE0013 | 42E02SE0013 |
| 2.2099 | 42E02SE0012 | 42E02SE0012 |
| 2.2371 | 42E02SE0010 | 42E02SE0010 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Wawa
Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi
Geological Age: Archean Geochronological Age: 1033 +/- MA Geochron. Age Ref.: OGS Study 46 (Sage, 1987)
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The Prairie Lake Carbonatite Complex lies within the Wawa Subprovince of the Superior Province and has been dated at 1033 +/- 59 Ma by the Rb-Sr isochron method. Sage (1987) goes on to describe the structural geology of the complex: The complex displays a prominent circular magnetic anomaly on aeromagnetic map 2189G of approximately 1400 gammas absolute total field above background of approximately 60,500 gammas. On topographic maps and ERTS photographs, the Prairie Lake carbonatite is seen to be located at the intersection of two lineaments. One, defined by the Steel River, trends north, and the other, defined by a series of lakes between Prairie Lake and Killala Lake trends northeast. The Killala Lake complex lies along a north-trending crustal fracture which is the site of several alkalic rock-carbonatite intrusions: Port Coldwell, Chipman Lake (carbonatite dikes and fenites), and Killala Lake. The importance of this fracture to the localisation of alkaline magmatism was recognised by Sage (1978, 1983b) after mapping of the Slate Islands. This crustal fracture is the northern extension of the Big Bay - Ashburton Bay Fault which crosses the Lake Superior basin and has been defined from aeromagnetic studies by Hinze et al. (1966). The Prairie lake complex, therefore, occurs on fractures parallel and subsidiary to the Big Bay - Ashburton Bay Fault which has served as a major site of alkalic rock - carbonatite intrusive activity northeast of the Lake Superior basin. The Prairie Lake carbonatite is located in a fractured or faulted continental shield environment characteristic for this type of complex.
Apr 15, 2013 (Shannon Zurevinski) - NI 43-101 News Release October 26, 2011: ETMI (Updated Exploration Target Mineralization Inventory ) : Main/SW Zone: 435-530 million tonnes; Jim's SHowing: 35-45 miliion tonnes; East Zone: 40-50 million tonnes; NE Zone: 7-8 million tonnes. Total 515-630 million tonnes grading between 0.09-0.11% niobium (0.9 to 1.1 kg/tonne) and 3.0-4.0% phosphorus (1.2 to 1.4 kg/tonne).
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Carbonatite-Unsubdivided | 1 | Cal; Dol | Med. Grained | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ijolite | 2 | Host |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The Prairie Lake complex forms a circular topographic high west of Prairie Lake. the complex consists of a complexly interfingered sequence of arcuate to curvilinear bands of carbonatite and of pyroxene-nepheline rocks of the melteigite-urtite series collectively referred to as ijolite. The ijolitic rocks are, by far, the dominant rock in the core of Prairie Lake complex. The carbonatite rocks are more abundant towards the periphery of the intrusion. The carbonatite rocks are predominately composed of calcite but minor amounts of dolomite are locally present. The age relationships between the calcitic and dolomitic phases are uncertain. The calcite carbonatite rocks are medium grained and contain minor quantities of fine-grained accessory magnetite, pyrite-pyrrhotite, amphibole and biotite-phlogopite. Locally the calcite is coarse grained and visually appears to be nearly pure, probably having formed during a later pegmatitic phase of development. At 'Jim's Showing' dolomite is the dominant carbonate phase in the mineralized zone and contains xenolithic fragments of other rocks found within the complex. The ijolitic rocks make up most of the Prairie lake complex and visually can be roughly divided into three phases. Contact relationships between the various phases were not observed in the field.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apatite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Wollastonite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Calcite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Nepheline | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 3 | Biotite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 4 | Garnet | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 5 | Magnetite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 6 | Pyrite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 7 | Pyrrhotite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 8 | Amphibole | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 9 | Phlogopite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| Limonite | Alteration | Unknown | 1 | Unknown | Replacement |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - Along the margins of the complex, one phase consists of fine-grained ijolite to silicocarbonatite composed predominantly of biotite-phlogopite, calcite, magnetite and minor nepheline (map-unit 2c). This phase is intimately associated with the carbonatite rocks. The carbonatite and ijolitic phases display both gradational and crosscutting relationships. Where crosscutting relations exist, the carbonatite phase is always younger. In the north-central area of the intrusion, a second phase of ijolitic rock consists of a number of small exposures of medium- to coarse-grained ijolite containing abundant interstitial wollastonite (map-unit 2a). Wollastonite is also abundant in nepheline-rich, coarse grained pegmatitic segregations found within finer-grained phases. The pegmatitic segregations may contain up to 50 percent wollastonite and are composed almost exclusively of nepheline plus wollastonite. Black garnet, biotite, and calcite are common accessory minerals in this ijolitic group. In the south to southeast corner of the complex and enclosing the wollastonite ijolite are exposures of generally medium- to coarse-grained ijolite with minor or no wollastonite. These rocks compose a third ijolitic phase (map-unite 2b). Pegmatitic phases are common and there are local coarse-grained pegmatites of nearly pure nepheline (urtite). Black garnet, biotite, and calcite are common accessory minerals. The relationship between the wollastonite-poor and wollastonite-rich ijolitic rocks is unknown due to lack of critical outcrop exposure, but they may be gradational into each other.
Apr 15, 2013 (Shannon Zurevinski) - Composed of >50% carbonate minerals. Subordinate apatite, biotite, phlogopite, amphibole, magnetite, and olivine. Of the carbonate species: calcite, ankerite, and dolomine. Ankeritic carbonatite has a characteristic brown weathering in drill core and rust coloured weathering in trenches. Apatite can exceed 25% over widths of 10-20 cm. Flow textures have been observed and are defined by the alignment of ovoid apatite grains and other silicates (Mariano 1979). Zones of high radioactivity are associated with mafic clasts or megaxenoliths of ijolitic rocks and not the calcite carbonatites- and the zones are controlled by the presence of high concentrations of uranoan pyrochlores (Mitchell, consulting petrologist). High Ta-pyrochlore is occurring in the olivine-magnetite-apatite cumulates and high U-pyrochlore (betafite) is found in the pyroxene rich curmulates and ijolites. (reference to Assessment file 2.51931)
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - In some areas of the complex, a rusty weathering, ferruginous carbonatite locally appears to be younger than the non-ferruginous carbonatite. The ferruginous carbonatite is generally medium to coarse-grained and, in the field, is characterised by the presence of a limonitic coating on the weathered surface. This ferruginous carbonatite may be ankeritic to ferruginous dolomite in composition.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Carbonatite |
| 1 | Magmatic |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fault |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown |
Date: Dec 20, 1996
Geologist: R Degagne
Notes: Visited in July 1990, August 1993 by P. Hinz | R. M. Landry (OGS OFR 5889, 1994) . ECONOMIC FEATURES: Reserves for U3O8 and Nb2O5 were reported in the Canadian Mines Handbook (1978-79, p.201): ...part of zone 300 ft long avers true width 22 ft | grade 1.8 lbs U2O8 | 5 lbs Nb2O5; est. over 200,000 tonsore to 275-ft elevation. Kretschmar (Assessment Files, Thunder Bay) commented on the economic potential of phosphorus and wollastonite: According to Delisle (1981) the St. Honore carbonatite assays 5-7% apatite (2-2.9% P2O5, since apatite contains about 41% P2O5) and the No. 1 zone contains about 8% apatite (3.3% P2O5). Based on pilot tests and a preliminary feasibility study, he concluded that a by-product apatite concentrate could be produced at a profit from the St. Honore niobium ore. At Prairie Lake, assays of 4-6% P2O5 were commonly obtained in the high grade niobium intersections and 6-10% P2O5 (without significant Nb2O5) was found in hole P39. No wollastonite is being mined from carbonatite anywhere in the world (A.N. Mariano, personal communication, 1983). At the same time the Prairie Lake carbonatite is unique in North America in its high wollastonite content (Sage, 1983, p.41). Rocks containing between 40 and 80% wollastonite have been encountered in drill core and in outcrop on the south west shore of Centre Lake and wollastonite may well occur in economic concentrations in the vicinity of hole P35 and P36.
| Zone | Year | Category | Tonnes | Reference | Comments | Commodities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Lake | 2022 | Inferred Mineral Resource | 871800000 | 2022 NI 43-101 | 871.8 Mt inferred resource. TREO = Total Rare Earth Oxides: neodymium, Nd2O3 ; praseodymium, Pr6O11; scandium, Sc2O3; Cerium, CeO2; lanthanum, La2O3; samarium, Sm2O3; tantalum, Ta2O5; yttrium, Y2O3. | Niobium 0.1 %, Phosphate 3.39 %, Rare Earth Elements 2010 g/t |
| Prairie Lake | 2022 | Indicated Mineral Resource | 15600000 | 2022 NI 43-101 | TREO = Total Rare Earth Oxides: neodymium, Nd2O3 ; praseodymium, Pr6O11; scandium, Sc2O3; Cerium, CeO2; lanthanum, La2O3; samarium, Sm2O3; tantalum, Ta2O5; yttrium, Y2O3. | Niobium 0.16 %, Phosphate 3.71 %, Rare Earth Elements 1670 g/t |
| Jim's Showing | 2010 | Unclassified | 360000000 | From Nuinsco Website | Not a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate. Called an “exploration target” | Cerium 670 Parts Per Million, Lanthanum 295 Parts Per Million, Neodymium 290 Parts Per Million, Niobium 0.1 Percent, Phosphate 3.5 Percent, Rare Earth Elements 1400 Parts Per Million, Samarium 55 Parts Per Million, Tantalum 25 Parts Per Million, Uranium 0.015 Percent, Yttrium 90 Parts Per Million |
| Prairie Lake Project | 1965 | Unclassified | 181437 | S046 p. 44 | Non NI-43-101 compliant uranium resource of over 200,000 ton grading 1.8 lb per ton U3O8 and 5.0 lb pr ton Nb2O5 | Niobium 2500 g/t, Uranium 900 g/t |
Publication - Technical Report on the Prairie Lake Property
Publication Number: NI 43-101 Date: 2014
Author: Puritch, E., Armstrong, T., Yassa , A.
Publisher Name: P&E Mining Consultants for Nuinsco Resources Ltd.
Location: SEDAR
Map - Geological series, Prairie Lake carbonatite, District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: P1070 Scale: 1:2,400 Date: 1976
Author: Sage R.P., Bathe D., Wright W., Chamois P., Shewbridge K.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Publication - Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Prairie Lake Rare Earth Element, Niobium and Phosphate Property
Publication Number: 2022 NI 43-101 Date: 2022
Author: Stone, W., Wu, Y., Barry, J., assa, A., Feasby, D.G., Puritch, E.
Publisher Name: P&E Mining Consultants for Nuinsco Resources Ltd.
Location: SEDAR
Publication - Niobium (Columbium) and Tantalum in Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Economic Geology Report 29
Publication Number: EconGeol Rep 29 Page: 120 Date: 1974
Author: Dawson, K.R.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/103996
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:
Mono - Uranium and thorium deposits of northern Ontario
Publication Number: MDC025 Page: 126 Date: 1984
Author: Robertson J.A., Gould K.L.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Geology of the Prairie Lake carbonatite complex
Publication Number: OFR5412 Page: 45-53 Date: 1984
Author: Sage R.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Industrial Mineral Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5889 Page: 103-109 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Article - 1977 report of North Central Regional Geologist
Publication Number: MP078.004 Page: 42-56 Date: 1997
Author: Fenwick K.G., Scott J.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
MonoMap - Columbium (niobium) deposits of Ontario
Publication Number: MDC014 Date: 1971
Author: Ferguson S.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Mono - Geology of carbonatite-alkalic rock complexes in Ontario: Prairie Lake carbonatite complex, District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: S046 Date: 1987
Author: Sage R.P.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Uranium occurrences of the Thunder Bay-Nipigon-Marathon area
Publication Number: OFR5634 Date: 1987
Author: Scott J.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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