Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52F13SW00044

Record: MDI52F13SW00044

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Uranium

Secondary Commodities: Thorium

Location

Township or Area: MacNicol

Latitude: 49° 50' 50.44"    Longitude: -93° 54' 56.89"

UTM Zone: 15    Easting: 434159.937   Northing: 5522060.086    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kenora

NTS Grid: 52F13SW

Point Location Description: Uranium site determined from sample location in Kenora Assessment File, 52F13SE KK-2 AFRO 2.41986

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The western part of uranium-bearing areas is located approximately 30km east of the city of Kenora and the eastern boundary of area is located 50km west of the town of Dryden. Access to the area is via the Trans Canada Highway, bush roads and all terrain vehicle. The Trans Canada Pipeline, the Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway all lie parallel to the Trans Canada Highway for the majority of the property - see topo maps or Landsat images for best access to site.

Exploration History

Uranium was first discovered in the Kenora area in 1949 near the shore of Willard Lake. This was followed by the discovery of the Richard Lake deposit by Campbell and McFarland in the early 1950s and numerous other occurrences, including Hawk Lake, Bee Lake, Kenoratomic, Quebec Ascot, and Viceroy. To date 2008, Richard Lake MDI52F13SW00044) still shows the highest uranium concentrations. Falling uranium prices in the 1950's lead to little exploration in the area until the 1970's when the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) mapped west of Richard Lake and found numerous additional showings (Pryslak, 1976). In 2008 Delta Uranium Inc. conducted a sampling program to test historical and mineral occurrences and target anomalous areas identified by their airborne radiometric geophysical survey. A surface sampling master map illustrating sampling location and assay results in presented in Kenora District Geologists Assessment File, Delta Uranium Inc., 52F13SE KK-2 AFRO 2.41986

Geology

Province: Superior

Geological Age: Precambrian  

Geology Comments

Mar 03, 2011 (C Ravnaas) - All the rocks in the area are of Archaean in age and belong to the Superior Province. One belt of volcanic rocks, regionally metamorphosed to lower amphibolite to upper greenschists facies forms an east-trending belt varying in width from about 2.8 km in the east (Langton Township), to 0.8 km in the west (Macnicol Township). Additional mapping has indicated the belt continues in a westerly direction up to Silver Lake. This volcanic belt is bordered to the north by the English River subprovince and to the south by the Wabigoon subprovince, composed of distinct granitic batholiths with a complex history: the Lount Lake batholith to the north, and the Dryberry batholith to the south. In the Macnicol, Tustin, Bridges, Docker and Langton townships, the metasedimentary sequence is composed of a mafic volcanic band, 1 to 2 km wide, with intercalated sandstones, argillites and siltstones, along with discontinuous bands of felsic to intermediate pyroclastics in the west (Tustin, Bridges) and flows (Docker). Throughout the area, the metasedimentary sequence is intruded by gabbro sills and pegmatite dikes. Numerous occurrences of copper and uranium mineralisation are known throughout the above townships, in association with the pegmatites. The pegmatite dikes vary greatly in size and shape, ranging from a meter to about 1,500 m in length and centimetres to 300 m in width; they often branch out and appear to follow the foliation, but locally they transect it. Reference: Laine, R. Technical Report on the Kenora Uranium Properties for Canada Inc. 4316282 Delta Uranium Inc. March 2007. The felsic intrusions of the Kenora area consist of granitoid stocks and plutons with the Dryberry Batholith Complex (DBC) encompassing the southern intrusive portion of the Kenora property. Sanborn-Barrie (1991) investigated the DBC in order to determine if the Archean batholithic complex played a role in the mineralization of the adjacent metavolcanic sequences, such as the Lake of the Woods and Vermillion Bay belts. Numerous occurrences of uranium and base metal mineralization are found within the area. Uranium occurrences are often found associated with granite/pegmatite dykes and sills, while base metal mineralization is found within volcanic rocks. Reference: Kenora District Geologists Assessment File, Delta Uranium Inc., 52F13SE KK-2 AFRO 2.41986

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Mar 03, 2011 (C Ravnaas) - The uranium deposit, discovered in the early 1950s, occurs in Precambrian granites and granitic pegmatites intruding Archaean volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The mineralization is traceable in outcrop for over 300m, before disappearing under overburden, and was trenched over widths of up to 15 feet, although sections of up to 20 feet were commonly observed during drilling. Uranium mineralization is associated with a series of parallel, magnetite-bearing pegmatite dikes, which are commonly hematized and intrude highly recrystallized, foliated to gneissic metavolcanics. Individual dikes vary in width from several inches (cm) to 30 feet (9 m) and occur in a zone that varies in width from 250 to 350 feet (76 to 110 m). The dikes trend east-northeast and dip steeply to the north. There appear to be five zones, with the most southerly two zones containing dykes of low grade material over widths of from 5 to 7 feet. Drilling has extended the southern zone to a vertical depth of 840. The two largest and most persistent zones occur in the central part of the formation, ranging in width from 10 to 20 feet [3 to 6m] as indicated by trenching, diamond-drilling, and underground work.. Sampling of underground workings and diamond drill core in these zones indicate a grade ranging from 0.08 percent to 0.14 percent U3O8, with a probable average of about 0.10 percent U3O8. Radioactive minerals include uraninite, uranothorite, allanite, and beta-uranotile Reference: Laine, R. Technical Report on the Kenora Uranium Properties for Canada Inc. 4316282 Delta Uranium Inc. March 2007. Uranium occurrences are often found associated with granite/pegmatite dykes and sills. During the 2008 Delta Uranium's sampling program, 99% of samples taken were of granites or pegmatitic granites found in either massive form or dykes. The uranium mineralization found in the granitic and pegmatitic rocks are commonly found on the flanks of the felsic intrusions and at the margins of metasedimentary rafts. The high uranium areas are often found near uranium depleted metasedimentary rocks. Metasedimentary rocks are often observed in bands intersecting the granites. These metasedimentary rocks are thought to be raft pieces, resulting from the intrusion of the granites. These metasedimentary rafts do not host uranium mineralization. The contact reaction that is the cause of the uranium concentrations is thought to be caused by magmatic and possibly late magmatic-hydrothermal processes during emplacement. Another unique relationship is the association between massive magnetite and the occurrence of high uranium concentrations. Disseminated magnetite is also associated with higher concentrations of uranium in many other occurrences. Mineralization consists of fine-grained uraninite (and probably uranothorite), while on surface one can often observe yellow, powdery secondary uranium minerals (probably including uranophane). In many areas of the Kenora property, a relationship is observed between high uranium occurrences and the presence of biotite (less commonly the presence of muscovite). Reference: Kenora District Geologists Assessment File, Delta Uranium Inc., 52F13SE KK-2 AFRO 2.41986

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 03, 2011 (C Ravnaas) - Mining development commenced in 1955 in the form of two drifts, at the -50-foot and -100- foot levels, totalling 525 feet of crosscutting and 430 feet of drifting. By 1956, the Company had failed to qualify the property as a “current supplier” of uranium, and operations were suspended. Analyses of 95 closely spaced samples across drift backs and walls in a 100-foot length (averaged 1.8lb/ton U3O8); a mill-scale analysis of 2,000 pounds of muck-car samples taken from the same drift section while mining (averaged 2.6lbs/ton U3O8). The New Campbell Mines also known as Richardson township is the only occurrences with drifting and a resource model estimated at 590,000 tonnes of 0.10% U3O8 over a width of 3 m, and 210 m length, down to 300 m. Reference: Laine, R. Technical Report on the Kenora Uranium Properties for Canada Inc. 4316282 Delta Uranium Inc. March 2007. The granitoid intrusions in this part of the Kenora District have potential for hosting a low-grade, high tonnage uranium deposit, similar to a Rossing-type uranium model. Rossing-type mineralization consists of disseminated uranium in coarse-grained felsic intrusive, often referred to as alaskite. A 2008 surface sampling master map illustrating sampling location and assay results presented by Delta Uranium indicate the site returned 1 samples which returned between 2000 to 4000 ppm U3O8 1 samples which returned between 1000 to 2000 ppm U3O8 3+ samples which returned between 100 to 1000 ppm U3O8 A detailed sample map with assay results for Richard Lake site examination by Delta Uranium 2008 exploration program is presented assessment file. Reference: Kenora District Geologists Assessment File, Delta Uranium Inc., 52F13SE KK-2 AFRO 2.41986

Mineral Record Details

References

Mono - Radioactive mineral occurrences in the vicinity of Hawk and Richard lakes

Publication Number: S001 Page: 4-6  Date: 1955

Author: Satterly J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Part - Mining operations in 1955

Publication Number: ARV65-02 Page: 143  Date: 1997

Author: Field D.J.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Uranium and thorium deposits of northern Ontario

Publication Number: MDC009 Page: 58-59  Date: 1968

Author: Robertson J.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

MonoMap - Geology of the Bruin Lake-Edison Lake area, District of Kenora

Publication Number: R130 Page: 45-46, Fig 5  Date: 1976

Author: Pryslak A.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Mono - Uranium and thorium deposits of northern Ontario

Publication Number: MDC025 Page: 85-86  Date: 1984

Author: Robertson J.A., Gould K.L.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

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