Ontario Geological Survey
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MDI52G14SW00001
| Record Name(s) | Watcomb Ballast Quarry - 1971 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Past Producing Mine Without Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1997-Jan-02 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Sep-27 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Trap Rock
Township or Area: GTP Block 8
Latitude: 49° 50' 30.15" Longitude: -91° 20' 30.41"
UTM Zone: 15 Easting: 619226.678 Northing: 5522350.035 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Kenora
NTS Grid: 52G14SW
Point Location Description: Quarry
Location Method: Conversion from MDI
Access Description: The quarry is located on the southeastern border of Slaught Township, approximately 50 km southeast of Sioux Lookout. The quarry can be accessed by Highway 642 from either Sioux Lookout or Silver Dollar on Highway 599. From Sioux Lookout drive 50 km southeast on Highway 642. From Silver Dollar drive 12 km northwest on Highway 642. The quarry is located on the south side of the highway.
This area has received very little exploration for precious, base metal or industrial minerals. 1971 Canadian National Railways obtained a Quarry Permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources and began operations. 1991 Operations ceased in September. 1994 Canadian National Railway continues to hold a permit on the quarry. However, there are currently no plans to resume operations. Produce 130,000 tons/year from 1971 to 1991.
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Wabigoon
Geological Age: Archean
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The quarry is underlain by the North Sturgeon Lakes volcanic rocks of the Western Wabigoon Subprovince (Blackburn et al. 1991). The volcanic rocks consist of sequences of mafic flows and intermediate to felsic fragmentals. Minor metasedimentary rocks in the area include wacke and conglomerates.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Mafic Schist | 1 | Pl,Tr-Act,Qtz,Chl,Hbl,Ath,Bt, | Massive-Foliated-Schistose | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Tuff | 2 | Pl,Tr-Act,Qtz,Chl,Hbl,Ath,Bt, | Fragmental (Tuffaceous) | Host |
| Conglomerate | 3 | Near | ||
| Sandstone | 4 | Wacke | Near |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The mineralogy of the mafic to intermediate flows are described by Trowell (1983): The metavolcanics are variably massive, foliated, and schistose. Banding in metavolcanics marginal to the batholithic complexes is due to the accentuation of primary bedding features of tuffaceous members or to metamorphic differentiation accompanying deformation. The mafic to intermediate metavolcanics consist of the following mineral assemblages: (1) plagioclase (albite-oligoclase) + tremolite-actinolite + quartz +/- chlorite +/- chloritoid (uncommon) +/- biotite +/- epidote +/- carbonate +/- white mica for rocks of the greenschist facies rank and (2) plagioclase (oligoclase-andesine) + hornblende +/- anthophyllite +/- quartz +/- biotite +/- clinopyroxene +/- garnet +/- epidote +/- zoisite +/- carbonate for rocks of the almandine-amphibolite facies rank. Accessories include iron-titanium oxides, sphene, apatite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and uncommon chalcopyrite. Retrograde zeolites were noted in rocks of the far northern part of the map area.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plagioclase | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Tremolite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 3 | Actinolite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 4 | Hornblende | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 5 | Anthophyllite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 6 | Quartz | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 7 | Biotite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 8 | Clinopyroxene | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 9 | Chlorite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 10 | Chloritoid | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 11 | Epidote | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 12 | Carbonate | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 13 | Garnet | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 14 | Zoisite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Sphene | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Apatite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 3 | Pyrite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 4 | Pyrrhotite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 5 | Chalcopyrite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 6 | Zeolite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| Actinolite | Alteration | Skarn | 1 | Replacement | |||
| Tremolite | Alteration | Skarn | 2 | Replacement | |||
| Epidote | Alteration | Skarn | 3 | Replacement | |||
| Chlorite | Alteration | Skarn | 4 | Replacement | |||
| Clinopyroxene | Alteration | Skarn | 5 | Replacement | |||
| Zoisite | Alteration | Propylitic | 6 | Replacement | |||
| Carbonate | Alteration | Propylitic | 7 | Replacement | |||
| Zeolite | Alteration | Zeolitic | 8 | Replacement |
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The mafic to intermediate metavolcanics consist of the following mineral assemblages: (1) plagioclase (albite-oligoclase) + tremolite-actinolite + quartz +/- chlorite +/- chloritoid (uncommon) +/- biotite +/- epidote +/- carbonate +/- white mica for rocks of the greenschist facies rank and (2) plagioclase (oligoclase-andesine) + hornblende +/- anthophyllite +/- quartz +/- biotite +/- clinopyroxene +/- garnet +/- epidote +/- zoisite +/- carbonate for rocks of the almandine-amphibolite facies rank. Accessories include iron-titanium oxides, sphene, apatite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and uncommon chalcopyrite. Retrograde zeolites were noted in rocks of the far northern part of the map area.
Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The mafic to intermediate metavolcanics consist of the following mineral assemblages: (1) plagioclase (albite-oligoclase) + tremolite-actinolite + quartz +/- chlorite +/- chloritoid (uncommon) +/- biotite +/- epidote +/- carbonate +/- white mica for rocks of the greenschist facies rank and (2) plagioclase (oligoclase-andesine) + hornblende +/- anthophyllite +/- quartz +/- biotite +/- clinopyroxene +/- garnet +/- epidote +/- zoisite +/- carbonate for rocks of the almandine-amphibolite facies rank. Accessories include iron-titanium oxides, sphene, apatite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and uncommon chalcopyrite. Retrograde zeolites were noted in rocks of the far northern part of the map area.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Volcanogenic |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Massive |
| Shape | Length | Thickness | Depth | Strike | Dip | Plunge | Trend | Age | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown |
Date: Jan 02, 1997
Geologist: R Degagne
Notes: Visited by P. Hinz | R. M. Landry , July 1991 ( OGS OFR 5889, 1994). ECONOMIC FEATURES: When the quarry was visited it employed a 17-21 person crew and was producing approximately 5,000 tons per day. Over 130,000 tons of ballast was being stockpiled per month. The pit was at a depth of 72 feet and was not forecast to be deepened. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: Trowell (1983) conducted geochemistry on the mafic to intermediate metavolcanics of the North Sturgeon Lake Assemblage which hosts the Watcomb Quarry. Results are listed below: SAMPLE NO.: E3-5 - 58.00 SiO2, 14.70 Al2O3, 2.06 Fe2O3, 6.63 CaO, 3.14 MgO, 3.75 Na2O, 0.11 MnO, 0.19 P2O5, 0.92 TiO2. E4-4 - 54.70 SiO2, 11.80 Al2O3, 2.27 Fe2O3, 6.44 CaO, 8.67 MgO, 2.53 Na2O, 0.13 MnO, 0.15 P2O5, 0.71 TiO2. Analyses by Geoscience Laboratories, Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The quarry ceased operations in September of 1992. Pit Foreman E. Kerluk of Broda Construction stated that Canadian National Railways was considering abandoning the Watcomb Quarry. He stated that the south wall of the pit had reached the extent of quarriable material. A subsequent visit in 1993 found a significant stockpile still present. It appeared that there would be at least 2 to 3 years of material still available.
Book - SUPERIOR PROVINCE, WABIGOON SUBPROVINCE, IN GEOLOGY OF ONTARIO, PT.1, P.302-81
Publication Number: OGS SV4 Date: 1991
Author: Blackburn, C.E. et al.
Publisher Name:
Location: Patricia RGP
Article - Northwestern Ontario Industrial Minerals Program-1991
Publication Number: MP158.008 Page: 165-180 Date: 1997
Author: Hinz P., Lucas R.T.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Sturgeon Lake area, districts of Kenora and Thunder Bay, Ontario
Publication Number: ARM39B Scale: 1:126,720 Date: 1998
Author: Graham A.R.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Map - Superior Junction-Sturgeon Lake area, District of Kenora, Ontario
Publication Number: ARM46D Scale: 1:126,720 Date: 1997
Author: Horwood H.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of the Sturgeon Lake area, districts of Thunder Bay and Kenora
Publication Number: R221 Date: 1983
Author: Trowell N.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
File - Industrial Minerals Geologist's Files, Thunder Bay
Publication Number: Date:
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
Map - Watcomb Clarkdon area (west half), District of Kenora
Publication Number: P0524 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1997
Author: Trowell N.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Industrial Mineral Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5889 Page: 27-29 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Watcomb, Kenora and Rainy River Districts, Ontario
Publication Number: Map 557A Scale: 1:253,440 Date: 1940
Author: Geological Survey of Canada
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/107639
Map - Watcomb area, Kenora District
Publication Number: M2209 Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1970
Author: Trowell N.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
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