Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52A11SE00006

Record: MDI52A11SE00006

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Secondary Commodities: Zinc, Copper

Location

Township or Area: Gorham

Latitude: 48° 32' 19.99"    Longitude: -89° 14' 39.31"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 334345   Northing: 5378630    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 52A11SE, 52A11SW

Point Location Description: AMIS location

Location Method: Data Compilation

Exploration History

1937: Showing was discovered. 1938: The Gorham Gold Mining Syndicate was formed and 5000 feet of diamond drilling was completed. In September, an adit 86 feet long was driven along the vein. 1987: Esso Minerals optioned the property and conducted line cutting, a magnetometer survey, geological mapping, stripping and channel sampling. 1988-89: Noranda Exploration optioned the property and conducted geological mapping. 1990: R.V. Oja conducted a magnetometer survey, sampling, and mapping. 1999: R. Pitkanen and D. Pitkanen conducted gridding, stripping, prospecting, and sampling. 2003: R. Pitkanen conducted prospecting and sampling.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Shebandowan

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Dec 16, 2015 (Therese Pettigrew) - The dominant structural feature is the 50 to 100m wide schist zone which strikes roughly east-west across the property, defining the contact between the metavolcanic rocks to the north and the metasedimentary rocks to the south (AFRI 52A11SW0006).

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 16, 2015 (Therese Pettigrew) - Gorham Township is underlain by mixed mafic to felsic pyroclastic metavolcanics and Timiskaming-type metasediments of the Shebandowan-Wawa greenstone belt, intruded by several granitic stocks. A prominent E-W trending structural zone occurs near the contact between sediments and mafic to felsic pyroclastics. This zone consists of multiple shears affected by carbonate and sericite alteration which host the gold bearing quartz veins of the Gorham properties. A thick unit of jasper iron formation and chert occurs near the volcanic sedimentary contact, along which grab samples have been obtained with anomalous zinc values up to 2450 ppm (AFRI 52A11SW0004).

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Apr 01, 2021 (Therese Pettigrew) - The 13 Norex claims are situated along the sedimentary volcanic contact. Geological mapping and sampling has been performed on the 7 eastern-most claims. The gold-bearing structural zone passes through the north part of these claims and grab samples of 6.8 g/t Au have been obtained from a quartz-veined shear located in Current River. Grab samples collected by returned up to 6.8 g/t Au. A thick unit of jasper iron formation and chert occurs near the volcanic sedimentary contact, along which grab samples have been obtained with anomalous zinc values up to 2450 ppm (Assessment report 52A11SW0004). The No. 3 vein (Gorham Gold Mines) is an irregular quartz vein ranging in width from 6 inches to 3 feet. It occupies a shear zone in feldspathic tuff. Ankerite occurs with the quartz, and the quartz is slightly mineralized with pyrite. Visible gold is reported as occurring in the vein over a length of 30 feet. The vein strikes N. 80 W. and dips vertically. It extends eastward from the west side of the property for 325 feet. In the west 45 feet the vein is very narrow, but for the remaining 280 feet it averages 3.5 feet in width. This width was shown by diamond-drilling to hold at depths of 300 feet. At its east end the vein is cut off by a cross-fault. Ankerite occurs in the vein quartz. Metallic mineralization consists of irregularly disseminated pyrite, minor amounts of chalcopyrite, and gold. According to J. D. Wright, an average of surface sampling showed a gold content of 0.32 ounces for a width of 3.5 feet and a length of 280 feet. Since erratic values were obtained from diamond-drilling, it was decided to drive an adit along the vein from its east end, where it outcrops on the face of a hill. Wright reports that by mid-January, 1939, the adit had been driven for 86 feet and that the vein in the adit showed an average width of 4.8 feet with assay values averaging 0.26 ounces. A vein that is considered to be the eastward extension of the main vein has been located on the east side of the fault zone, 350 feet north of the main vein. This vein has been traced for 75 feet to a point where it is covered by heavy over burden. The vein has an average width of 5 feet and contains pyrite and visible gold. A second zone in highly carbonatized tuff occurs 200 feet south of the main vein. It is mineralized with pyrite and is reported to contain visible gold. Values ranging from 0.09 to 0.52 ounces in gold were reported by Wright, but no continuity of values was established. (Mcdonald, 1940).

Mineral Record Details

References

Part - Geology of Gorham Township and vicinity

Publication Number: ARV48-03 Scale:     Date: 1998

Author: Macdonald R.D.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Gorham Township and vicinity, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Publication Number: ARM48C Scale: 1:63,360    Date: 1997

Author: Macdonald R.D.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Map - Geological compilation series, Lakehead-Shebandowan sheet, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: P0177 Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1997

Author: Pye E.G., Fenwick K.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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