Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52L07NW00004

Record: MDI52L07NW00004

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s)	Gordon Lake Mine - 1942, Werner Lake-Gordon Lake Mine - 1952
Related Record Type	Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status	Past Producing Mine Without Reserves or Resources
Date Created	1983-Mar-29
Date Last Modified	2022-Nov-04
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Nickel, Copper

Secondary Commodities: Palladium, Platinum, Gold, Silver

Location

Township or Area: Werner Lake Area

Latitude: 50° 27' 50.04" Longitude: -94° 55' 53.93"

UTM Zone: 15 Easting: 362906 Northing: 5591994 UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Kenora

NTS Grid: 52L07NW

Point Location Description: shaft

Location Method: Data Compilation

Exploration History

1942-45: Noranda Mines conducted geophysical surveys; DD. 1948-49: Rexora Mining Corp. Ltd conducted diamond drilling. Inco and Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. conducted geophysical surveys. 1952-54: Quebec Nickel Corporation - underground development, DD totalling 2508.5 m. Shaft sinking and extensive underground exploration and development. 1955-58: Eastern Smelting and Refining Co. Ltd. and Quebec Nickel Corp. merged to form Eastern Mining and Smelting Corp., which sank the No. 2 Shaft to 1297 feet with levels at 450, 600, 700, 900, 1050, 1125, and 1200 feet. Drifting totalled 9025 feet and cost-cutting 5006. Diamond drilling included 80 surface holes totalling 6398 m, and 7726 m underground. 1959-62: Eastern Mining and Smelting was renamed to Nickel Mining and Smelting Corp. and continued the No. 2 Shaft to 1817 feet. No. 3 Shaft sunk 483 feet from the 1200 foot level to 1683 feet with levels at 1350, 1500, and 1650 feet. Drifting totalled 9323 feet and cross-cutting 4101. Diamond drilling included 2 surface holes totalling 222 m and 428 underground totalling 15,268 m. Construction of 750 ton/day concentrator. 1963-66: Nickel Mining and Smelting was renamed to Metal Mines Ltd. and continued drifting totalling 5283 feet and cross-cutting 1050 feet. Diamond drilling included 29 surface holes totalling 1189 feet and 1027 underground totalling 28,385 m. 1967-68: Consolidated Canadian Faraday Ltd. took over Metal Mines and continued drifting totalling 4986 feet. Diamond drilling included 14 surface holes totalling 1673 m and 569 underground totalling 16,809 m. Concentrator increased to 1200 tons/day. 1969-72: minor production, mill closed. 1994: mine site rehabilitated.

Assessment Work on File

Assessment Work on File
Office File Number	Online Assessment File Identifier	Online Assessment File Directory
63.619	52L07NW0002	52L07NW0002
63A.53	52L07NW0011	52L07NW0011
63.136	52L07NW0005	52L07NW0005
52L07NW0025	20000005301	20000005301

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: English River

Geological Age: Archean

Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type	Rank	Relationship
Peridotite	1	Host
Amphibolite	2	Host
Granite	3
Paragneiss	4

Lithology Comments

Jan 18, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - Massive granitic rocks to the south and banded paragneiss to the north are separated by a fault zone that strikes east and dips 75N, and which is occupied by peridotite lenses surrounded by banded amphibolites.

Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank	Mineral Name	Class	Economic Mineral Type
1	Chalcopyrite	Economic	Ore
2	Pentlandite	Economic	Ore
3	Pyrite	Economic	Ore
4	Pyrrhotite	Economic	Ore

Mineralization Comments

Jan 18, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - Recovery averaged 0.83% Ni and 0.43% Cu from ore milled during the years 1962 to 1969. Palladium, platinum, gold and silver were also recovered from the concentrates and sold to Inco in Sudbury. Pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite and pyrite occur within and between the peridotite bodies either as disseminations or as massive sulphides in lenses and stringers up to 4 feet wide. Recovery averaged 0.83% Ni and 0.43% Cu from ore milled during the years 1962-1969 (SMDR 00506).

Mineral Record Details

Reserves or Resources Data
Zone	Year	Category	Tonnes	Reference	Comments	Commodities
Werner Lake-Gordon Lake Mine	1971	Exhausted	170420	Parker 1988 in OFR5975 p. 121	170,420 tonnes grading 0.85% Ni and 0.35% Cu	Copper 0.35 %, Nickel 0.85 %

Production Data
Year	Tonnes	Commodities	Reference	Comment
1972	51434	Copper 342158 Pounds Nickel 618906 Pounds Palladium 838 Ounces	MDI	56,696 t milled for 838 oz Pd, 618,906 lb Ni, and 342,158 lb Cu
1972	1480714	Copper 6560000 Kilograms Nickel 12480000 Kilograms Palladium 41600 Ounces	MDI	1.6 Mt at 0.78% Ni, 0.41% Cu and 0.026 opt Pd
1971	90474	Copper 560865 Pounds Nickel 1147606 Pounds Palladium 1566 Ounces	MDI	99,731 t milled for 1566 oz Pd, 1,147,606 lb Ni, and 560,865 lb Cu
1970	95712	Copper 593284 Pounds Nickel 1121764 Pounds Palladium 1730 Ounces	MDI	105,504 t milled for 1730 oz Pd, 1,121,764 lb Ni, and 593,284 lb Cu
1969	161230	Copper 1051462 Pounds Nickel 1974830 Pounds Palladium 3783 Ounces	MDI	177,726 t milled for 3783 oz Pd, 1,974,830 lb Ni, and 1,051,462 lb Cu
1968	188165	Copper 1732535 Pounds Nickel 3133094 Pounds Palladium 5777 Ounces Platinum 850 Ounces	MDI	207,417 t milled for 5777 oz Pd, 850 oz Pt, 3,133,094 lb Ni, and 1,732,535 lb Cu
1967	194624	Copper 2251317 Pounds Nickel 3906731 Pounds Palladium 6267 Ounces Platinum 891 Ounces	MDI	214,536 t milled for 6267 oz Pd, 891 oz Pt, 3,906,731 lb Ni, and 2,251,317 lb Cu
1966	191622		MDI	211,228 t milled. No ore production values on file
1965	167252	Copper 1930617 Pounds Nickel 3713250 Pounds Palladium 6207 Ounces Platinum 875 Ounces	MDI	184,364 t milled for 6207 oz Pd, 875 oz Pt, 3,713,250 lb Ni, and 1,930,617 lb Cu
1964	174972	Copper 1798953 Pounds Nickel 3511258 Pounds Palladium 5154 Ounces Platinum 853 Ounces	MDI	192,874 t milled for 5154 oz Pd, 853 oz Pt, 3,511,258 lb Ni, and 1,798,953 lb Cu
1963	124257	Copper 1216015 Pounds Nickel 2573459 Pounds Palladium 5042 Ounces Platinum 754 Ounces	MDI	136,970 t milled for 5042 oz Pd, 754 oz Pt, 2,573,459 lb Ni, and 1,216,015 lb Cu
1962	40977		MDI	45,170 t milled

References

Publication - Gordon Lake Nickel Deposit; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper no. 58-6

Publication Number: GSC Paper 58-6 Date: 1958

Author: Rose, E.R.

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/101215

Mono - Annual report for the year 1967, statistics of the mineral industry and mining operations in Ontario for 1967

Publication Number: ARV77 Page: 82-84 Date: 1998

Author: Riddell G.S.