Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI52A10NE00007
| Record Name(s) | Thunder Bay Amethyst Panorama - 1980, Thunder Bay Amethyst - 1967, Elbow Lake - 1935 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Compound |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Producing Mine |
| Date Created | 1984-Nov-02 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Feb-24 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Amethyst
Township or Area: McTavish
Latitude: 48° 41' 28.19" Longitude: -88° 43' 34.14"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 372968.76 Northing: 5394562.37 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 52A10NE
Point Location Description: Just east of Elboy Lake, Conc. IV, Lots 6 and 7, and Conc. V, Lots 6 and 7, McTavish Twp.
Location Method: Conversion from MDI
Access Description: Hwy. 11/17 to the East Loon Lake Road, about 5 km. east of the Pass Lake highway. Follow the East Loon road north, staying to the right at the first Y intersection. The mine is about 10km. from the highway.
1935: fishermen, hobbyists and rock collectors in the area unearthed the original amethyst crystals and cluster groups. 1959: claims acquired by A. Hartvisksen and partners. 1962: A. Hartviksen carried out trenching, drilling, and blasting. 1965: Thunder Bay Amethyst Company Limited was incorporated to acquire the two original patented claims. 1967: mine officially opened. 1973-74: Thunder Bay Amethyst Mining Co. Ltd drilled 8 DDH totalling 791.9 m. 1975-76: Thunder Bay Amethyst Mining drilled 5 DDH totalling 372.5 m. 1980: Precious Purple Gemstones Ltd. purchased the mine and changed the name to Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine Panorama.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 52A10NE0034 | 52A10NE0034 |
| 13 | 52A10NE0032 | 52A10NE0032 |
| 63.2930 | 52A10NE0033 | 52A10NE0033 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Quetico
Geological Age: Archean
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Pegmatite | 1 | Quartz Monzonite to Pegmatite | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vein | 2 | Amethystine Quartz | Is |
Jun 01, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - The bedrock in the vicinity of the mine is a pink, coarse-grained monzonite. The main fault zone strikes and dips at 110/65S and is contained entirely within the monzonite. The fault is occupied by a breccia zone consisting of fragments of Proterozoic mudstone and monzonite. The fragments tend to all be of similar size, about 15-20 cm cemented by white quartz. Angular space in the breccia are lined with medium-purple amethyst points, all well-formed and free of deleterious coatings. A second fracture system, trending at 010 degrees, has caused dilation where the 2 zones intersect, resulting in very large vugs and open spaces. Amethyst points up to 15 cm in diameter have been recovered from these vugs (Garland, 1994).
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amethyst | Economic | Ore |
Jun 01, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - A major east-west fault dipping 70-75 degrees south forms the north wall of the mine opening. North of this fault, a NE-striking quartz vein with amethyst can be seen in the outcrop, with a total width of mineralized rock in the mine area of well over 24 m. Amethyst occurs throughout the east-west fracture and shear zone as crystals, from tiny to 9 inches in diameter, crystal clusters from small to 2 feet and weighing up to 750 pounds, breccia with amethyst seams of any orientation. Vugs lined with amethyst crystals is estimated to be 5% by volume with vug size ranging up to feet by 6 feet by 4 feet wide. Total amethyst content within the fault zone is estimated to represent 20% of the whole (AFRI 52A10NE0033).
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vein |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vein |
| Year | Tonnes | Commodities | Reference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 233147 | Garland, 1994, p. 167 | 257,000 tons |
Map - Geological series, McTavish Township (west part of north half), District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: P0720 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1997
Author: McIlwaine W.H.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Mono - Amethyst deposits of Ontario
Publication Number: GB05 Scale: Date: 1998
Author: Vos M.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Article - 1975 report of the North Central Regional Geologist
Publication Number: MP064.004 Scale: Date: 1997
Author: Fenwick K.G., Scott J.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Mono - Amethyst in the Thunder Bay Area
Publication Number: OFR5891 Scale: Date: 1994
Author: Garland M.I.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Mono - Report of Activities 2014, Resident Geologist Program, Thunder Bay South Regional Resident Geologist Report: Thunder Bay South District
Publication Number: OFR6303 Scale: Date: 2015
Author: Puumala M.A., Campbell D.A., Tims A., Debicki R.L., Pettigrew T.K., Brunelle M.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
We are continuously updating our assessment file / technical report information. If you notice errors in the data, please contact us.
Please review our Terms of Use agreement for this data product.
For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office