Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52F10NW00143

Record: MDI52F10NW00143

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Nickel, Platinum Metals

Location

Township or Area: Contact Bay Area

Latitude: 49° 40' 45.95"    Longitude: -92° 47' 10.88"

UTM Zone: 15    Easting: 515412.903   Northing: 5503011.275    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kenora

NTS Grid: 52F10NW

Point Location Description: Map in assessment report 52F10NW2003

Location Method: Data Compilation

Access Description: Point Location: The Mile Lake Property is located 10 km south of Dryden, Ontario (52F10NW). (OFR 6047, p.29) Deposit Access Description: The property can be accessed by boat via Wabigoon Lake to Mile Lake. (OFR 6047, p.29)

Exploration History

In 1941, mapping by J. Satterly produced Map No. 50e of the Dryden-Wabigoon Area (Satterly, 1941). In 1969, J. Harrison and H. Hanson of Eagle River discovered nickel mineralization. Chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite were found in six locations near the south shore of Mile Lake. The sulphides were found along small shears and fractures and to a lesser extent, disseminated throughout the gabbroic unit (Gibson, 1972). A 1971 property visit by H. L. King, Kenora Resident Geologist, located six pits of mostly gabbro with weakly disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite or felsite dikes with trace chalcopyrite-pyrite. (Kenora Assessment Files 52F/IO]\j'W W-4). In 1973, Nicro Mines drilled 32 holes in the Mile Lake-Contact Bay Area. Holes 2 and 5 intersected a medium grey gabbro with pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite mineralization. An interval from 72-84 feet in hole 5 assayed 0.55% Cu, 0.45% Ni, and 0.248 ounce per ton PGE. (Kenora Assessment Files 52F/I0NW W-l). The Dryden Airborne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey (Ontario Geological Survey, 1987) covers the entire area. A large magnetic high, with coincident EM conductors associated with an oval, ultramafic intrusion on the east side of Mile Lake. In 2000, S. Johnson and the author re-sampled the 1973 Nicro Mines diamond drill core in the Kenora Drill Core Library. The anomalous Au-Pt-Pd results reported in hole 5 could not be repeated. Results of drill core sampling show elevated Au-Pt-Pd-Cu-Ni. It was later found out that the Nicro Mines assays were "punch-spot" assays. These are selective assays taken with a punch to sample the sulphide mineralization. (OFR 6047, p.29-30, ROA 2000) 2001: Atikwa Minerals Inc. optioned the property from P. English and carried out prospecting and sampling. 2003: Atikwa Minerals carried out prospecting, trenching, sampling, and mapping.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wabigoon

Geological Age: Precambrian  

Geology Comments

Nov 04, 2022 (Therese Pettigrew) - The Contact Bay intrusive trends NNE with dimensions of 3.5 km N-S by 2 km E-W. Lithologies within the Contact Bay intrusive complex show it to be a differentiated mafic to ultramafic intrusion. The dominant lithologies range from leucocratic gabbro and anorthosite gabbro to pyroxene gabbro and hornblende gabbro, pyroxenite, and serpentinite. These generally trend NW to NE and dip 600 to 880 SE. The variable trend in the layering suggests that the intrusive has been deformed. The leucogabbro and anorthositic gabbro occur as layers or irregular intrusions within gabbro. Ultramafic rocks occur south of the Mile Lake showing, along the shore and some of the islands of Mile Lake. Mafic to intermediate volcanics border the intrusive to the west and to the north. South of the mafic intrusives diorite, quartz diorite to granodiorite units have been mapped. These units may represent a portion of the Atikwa batholith (Assessment report 52F10NW2003).

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Apr 30, 2010 (J Bongfelt) - In 1941, mapping by J. Satterly produced Map No. 50e of the Dryden-Wabigoon Area (Satterly, 1941). The oldest rocks on the Mile Lake property are basic to intermediate volcanic rocks of the Keewatin Group. They are overlain by acid volcanic rocks of the Keewatin Group. These volcanic rocks have been intruded by the Haileyburian norites on the north, east and south sides of Mile Lake. These volcanic and intrusive rocks were then intruded by the Algoman diorite to quartz diorites (Satterly, 1941). All of the younger formations were then intruded by late, northwest trending, Keweenawan quartz diabase dikes. An inspection of the Mile Lake property in 2000 located six blasted pits on a point at the south end of Mile Lake. The four western pits were hosted by a medium grained, quartz diorite to diorite while the two eastern pits are hosted by a fine to medium-grained gabbro. Minor, disseminated sulphides of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite occur in both rock types. Higher quantities of sulphides were found in the altered gabbroic rocks located within north-trending fracture zones, up to 5-15% pyrrhotite and 1-3% chalcopyrite were noted. Three hundred meters east of these pits, ultramafic rocks of pyroxenite were located on a lake reef and near the south shore. These are fine grained, dark brown, pyroxene-rich rocks with minor fine olivine and fine magnetite. Along the fracture zones, the ultramafic rocks can be carbonatized and can display fine aggregates of serpentine-talc with magnetite-hematite bands along the fractures. (OFR 6047, p.30, ROA 2000)

Nov 04, 2022 (Therese Pettigrew) - Gabbro units are generally massive, with local subtle layering. Layering thicknesses are on the order of 1-1.5 meters, and is exhibited at the Mile Lake showing by thin, light colored anorthositic gabbro, with thicknesses on the order of 5 cm, which grade into more mafic gabbro layers with thicknesses on the order of l .5 m. The rocks are fine grained to coarse grained, with local pegmatitic pockets. Locally, rounded cognate inclusions of mela-gabbro and pyroxenite, ranging in size from 5 cm to 0.5m, occur in gabbro and leucocratic gabbro. Such features may be interpreted as liquid immiscibility between multiple magmas. Local areas with chlorite and sericite alteration, as at the main showing on Mile Lake, attest to the presence of late stage hydrothermal fluids. Blue quartz occurs as coarse discrete, disseminated grains and, at the Mile Lake showing, along fractures. Actinolite after hornblende and pyroxene is not widespread, but occurs locally, further suggestive of the interaction of late stage fluids with the host rocks. Finally, fine grained mafic dikes are common where stripping has exposed clean outcrop (Assessment report 52F10NW2003).

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Apr 30, 2010 (J Bongfelt) - In 1973, Nichro Mines drilled 32 holes in the Mile Lake-Contact Bay Area. Holes 2 and 5 intersected a medium grey gabbro with pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite mineralization. An interval from 72-84 feet in hole 5 assayed 0.55% Cu, 0.45% Ni, and 0.248 ounce per ton PGE. These holes are stored in the Kenora Drill Core Library. (Kenora Assessment Files 52F/I0NW W-l) Also, in 2000, grab samples assayed above minimum requirements for Ni: 1140 to 1834 ppm. Two grab samples of the mineralized, sheared or fractured, gabbroic rocks returned elevated combined Au-Pt-Pd values of 50 ppb and 160 ppb. The quartz diorites, gabbro, and ultramafic rocks show combined Au-Pt-Pd of 10, 15 and 10 ppb. The altered gabbro also hosts elevated copper-nickel mineralization greater than 2000 ppm. The ultramafic rocks returned elevated nickel values of greater than 1000 ppm, but not copper or Au-Pt-Pd. This ultramafic unit cannot be the source ofthis elevated to anomalous Cu-Au-Pt-Pd mineralization so another possible source must be found. (OFR 6047, p.32, ROA 2000)

Nov 04, 2022 (Therese Pettigrew) - In 1969, J.P. Harrison discovered the showing of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in gabbro. Sample 628529 taken in 2001 by Atikwa Minerals returned 1.46% Cu and 0.226% Ni from a gossan in an altered gabbro (Assessment report 52F10NW2003).

Mineral Record Details

References

Compend - Annual report of Resident Geologists Section, Geological Branch, 1971

Publication Number: MP050 Page: 35  Date: 1972

Author: Gibson S.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Compend - Annual report of the Regional and Resident Geologists, 1974

Publication Number: MP060 Page: 14  Date: 1975

Author: Pye E.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Mono - Report of Activities 2000, Resident Geologist Program, Red Lake Regional Resident Geologist Report: Red Lake and Kenora Districts

Publication Number: OFR6047 Page: 29-33  Date: 2001

Author: Lichtblau A.F., Raoul A., Ravnaas C., Storey C.C., Kosloski L., Debicki R.L., Drost A.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Journal - Kenora Historical File F10NW00143 - Mile Lake

Publication Number: Date: 2010

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Kenora Geology Office Only

Journal - Kenora Assessment File 52F10NW W-1, Nichro Mines Ltd. (1971-1974)

Publication Number: Date: 2010

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Kenora Geology Office Only

Journal - Kenora Assessment File 52F10NW W-4, Nichro Mines Ltd. (1971)

Publication Number: Date: 2010

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Kenora Geology Office Only

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Kenora Resident Geologist District Office