Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52G14SE00005

Record: MDI52G14SE00005

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Location

Township or Area: Valora Lake Area

Latitude: 49° 50' 43.28"    Longitude: -91° 5' 9.25"

UTM Zone: 15    Easting: 637613   Northing: 5523193.99    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kenora

NTS Grid: 52G14SE

Point Location Description: Shaft

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: Access in summer is by boat from Beidelman Bay of Sturgeon Lake. The closest boat access is OBriens Landing on Hwy. 599. The shaft is approximately 300 m south of the shore. In winter a snow-mobile can usually access the shaft area from the lake. The mine road to Mattabi Mine from Highway 599 passes close to the property. A logging road north from the Mattabi Mine road passes within 250 m of the shaft.

Exploration History

1909: Prospectors Lemaire and Lavoie, who were prospecting along the Grand Trunk Pacific (CNR) rail line, discovered the showing and staked claims K 333 and K 405. 1910: J. C. Beidelman bought the claims in 1910 and added claims K355, 356 and 357. The quartz-tourmaline veins were examined, and the better ones developed. In 1912 the claim block was surveyed and patented. No additional work was done until 1932. 1932: J. C. Beidelman resumed development work in the summer of 1932. 1934: Robb-Montbray Mines Ltd. examined the property, drilled several holes and added a number of new claims to the property (Horwood, 1937). 1935: Darkwater Mines Ltd. was formed in Oct. 1935 to develop gold bearing quartz veins near Beidelman Bay. In 1935 the principal vein was stripped and trenched. A number of holes were drilled on this vein. 1936: A mining plant was installed in the summer of 1936 and underground work started in November. 1937: Three levels were established from a 3 compartment shaft and considerable sampling and development work done. By the fall of 1937 it was decided to shut down the operation due to lack of ore in the lower levels. 1935: Darkwater Mines Ltd. was formed in Oct. 1935 to develop gold bearing quartz veins near Beidelman Bay. In 1935 the principal vein was stripped and trenched. A number of holes were drilled on this vein. 1936: A mining plant was installed in the summer of 1936 and underground work started in November. 1937: Three levels were established from a 3 compartment shaft and considerable sampling and development work done. By the fall of 1937 it was decided to shut down the operation due to lack of ore in the lower levels. 1988: Minnova Inc. drilled 2 DDH.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wabigoon

Belt: Sturgeon Lake

Geological Age: Archean  

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Tuomi) - Gold content in drill hole and underground development varied greatly. Often drill indicated grades could not be confirmed in sampling underground. In the lower 2 levels the grades were lower and the variability increased. 28 drill holes were completed, 26 in the A zone (Horwood 1937). While bulk samples taken at surface ranged from 0.348 to 1.03 ounces gold per ton, a 211.2 ton bulk sample on the 125 ft. level indicated a grade of 0.135 ounces gold per ounce. Bulk samples taken on the 250 and 375 levels gave even lower grades. Several visits were made to the shaft area between 1980 and 1991. The shaft was not capped at the last visit. Very little mineralization was noticed in rocks taken from the muck piles and the best assays from samples containing vein quartz with pyrite and tourmaline gave results less than 0.1 ounces gold per ton.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Jan 31, 2020 (Therese Pettigrew) - In the vicinity of the Darkwater Mine, fissure quartz veins contain gold, pyrite, and minor arsenopyrite (Trowell, 1974). Horwood (1937) reports that “the gold content of the vein is erratic, and it is practically impossible to obtain an idea of the average content by assaying channel samples. Samples taken across the vein in surface pits and trenches showed variations from nil or a trace to over 2 ounces per ton. Samples taken in 6 trenches and on a stripped zone 100 feet long in the southwestern continuous vein section gave an average uncut assay of 0.268 ounce of gold per ton for a distance of 321 feet across an average width of 4.3 feet. Bulk samples from these trenches and the stripped zone were shipped out for assay in the fall of 1936. A total of 23.45 tons gave an average of 0.348 ounce per ton. The second or central section of the vein zone contained only small lenses of quartz, and no estimate of the average gold content could be made. The third or northeastern section gave an average of 0.414 ounce per ton for a length of 95 feet across an average width of 5.6 feet. A bulk sample of 4.2 tons assayed 1.03 ounces per ton” (Horwood, 1937).

Mineral Record Details

References

MonoMap - Geology of the Bell Lake-Sturgeon Lake area, districts of Kenora and Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R114 Scale:     Date: 1974

Author: Trowell N.F.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

Part - Geology at the Darkwater Mine

Publication Number: ARV46-06.002 Scale:     Date: 1997

Author: Horwood H.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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