Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI52O08NW00003

Record: MDI52O08NW00003

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Copper, Nickel

Secondary Commodities: Cobalt, Platinum, Palladium, Silver, Gold

Location

Township or Area: Kapkichi Lake Area

Latitude: 51° 29' 53.32"    Longitude: -90° 20' 53.96"

UTM Zone: 15    Easting: 684053   Northing: 5708557    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay North

NTS Grid: 52O08NW

Point Location Description: shaft cap

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: Pickle Lake is accessed by Provincial Highway 599 approx. 300 km north of the town of Ignace, which is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway #17. The Thierry project site is accessible by all-weather road from Pickle Lake.

Exploration History

1946-50: Trenching, ground magnetic survey and diamond drilling by Central Patricia Gold Mines. 1956 - 58: Geophysical surveys and diamond drilling by Kapkichi Nickel Mines. 1969: UMEX signed a joint venture agreement with Kapkichi Nickel Mines and conducted magnetometer, EM and geologic surveys. Follow-up drilling led to the discovery of low grade copper and nickel mineralization in mafic and ultramafic rocks. Additional drilling in the immediate area by UMEX outlined 4 principal areas with Cu-Ni mineralization: the K1-1, K2-1, G and J anomalies. 1970: UMEX drilled the Thierry Deposit discovery hole. Following the discovery, the Thierry Deposit was drilled off in 77 DDH totalling 45,000 ft. 1971-76: UMEX awarded Kilborn Engineering a contract to prepare a preliminary feasibility study of the deposit and to assume the project engineering. 1974: UMEX decided to proceed with development of the deposit. 1976 - 1982: Production from Thierry Deposit by Umex from two open pits and underground workings. A total of 15,850 m of underground diamond drilling was completed to delineate mineralization. 1987-89: UMEX resampled and assayed select holes to test for PGEs. An airborne geophysical survey (EM/Resistivity/Magnetometer/VLF) was flown in 1988. 1990-95: Etruscan Resources Inc. purchased the property with plans to put it in production. 2002: Diamond drilling of Thierry deposit by PGM Ventures – 25 DDH totalling 8952 m – and contracted an EM and Mag survey. 2004 - 2005: Mineral resource estimates and diamond drilling by Richview Resources. 2006: NI 43-101 undertaken by P&E Mining Consultants for Richview, Feb 01, 2006. 2007: Richview Resources commenced 14,000 m surface drilling program around K1-1 open pit and a 3 km corridor of unexplored ground between the Thierry Mine and the K1-1 deposit was cleared of overburden. 2008: Summer program involving excavation, geological mapping, prospecting and geochemical sampling. 2010: Cadillac Ventures Inc. and Richview signed an agreement whereby Cadillac assumed 100% control of the Thierry Project. Cadillac completed 3 deep DDH totalling 3330 m on the Thierry deposit. 2011: Cadillac drilled 12 DDH on the Thierry deposit. 2012: new 43-101 report and resource was released. 2020: Braveheart Resources purchased the property from Cadillac. 2021: Braveheart completed a preliminary economic assessment on the property and released an updated resource calculation. 2023: Braveheart renamed the company to Canadian Critical Minerals Inc.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Uchi

Terrane: North Caribou

Domain: Uchi

Belt: Pickle Lake

Geological Age: Mesoarchean  

Geology Comments

Feb 06, 2007 (Mark Puumala) - The ultramafic rocks in the Kapkichi Lake area that host copper-nickel mineralization are located adjacent to a shear/mylonite zone having an approximate orientation of 240/50 (Patterson and Watkinson (1984). Conjugate faults oriented 025/55 and 270/45 are also reported by Patterson and Watkinson (1984). Several faults oriented approximately 030/50 were also mapped in the Kapkichi Lake area by Patterson (1980). Cameron (1980) has interpreted structural features in the Thierry Mine area as representing four separate episodes of deformation. The first deformation event (D1) is represented by compositional layering (S1) within the amphibole schist that forms the hanging wall and footwall of the ore deposit. This deformation event is interpreted to have transposed compositional layering to an orientation approximately parallel to foliation. The S1 fabric is also indicated by Cameron (1980) to be oriented approximately parallel to the Thierry ore body, which is reported to have an orientation that ranges between 240-250/45-55. The second deformation event (D2) is interpreted by Cameron (1980) to have resulted in the development of folds with an axial planar cleavage (S2) having an orientation ranging from approximately 251/54 in the hanging wall amphibolite schist and 248/46 in the footwall amphibolite schist. Patterson (1980) interpreted the presence of an axial planar fabric oriented approximately 248/68 based on structural measurements taken at locations away from the mine site. The fold axes are reported by Cameron (1980) to be approximately parallel to a well-developed mineral lineation in the amphibolite schist. The orientation of this lineation is reported by Cameron (1980) to vary significantly between the hanging wall and footwall amphibolite schist, with reported average orientations of 358/47 and 293/36. This discrepancy is interpreted to have been caused during a later rotational deformation event. A third deformation event (D3) is represented by kink bands that affect the S2 fabric (Cameron 1980). Patterson (1980) also suggests that a broad bend in the D2 folds. The final interpreted (D4) deformation event is reported by Cameron (1980) to be represented by splay faults in the ore body and the rotation of the S2 fabric described above. Stott (1996) has interpreted that the deformation and related remobilization and concentration of sulphide minerals observed in the Thierry deposit is likely to have been related to the emplacement of the 2740 Ma Pickle Lake Stock.

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Feb 06, 2007 (Mark Puumala) - The Kapkichi Lake Area copper-nickel-PGE deposits are located within a narrow east-west trending belt of metavolcanic rocks consisting predominantly of pillowed mafic flows, with minor amounts of felsic to intermediate metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks (Patterson and Watkinson 1984). Regional metamorphism has converted the mafic metavolcanic rocks of the area to amphibolites, while the intermediate to felsic metavolcanic rocks (interpreted to be tuffs) have been converted to biotite-plagioclase schist (Patterson 1980). Metasedimentary rocks occur as narrow units conformable with the tuffaceous metavolcanics, and are dominated by calc-silicate rocks with minor pelitic and graphitic horizons (Patterson 1980). The supracrustal rocks have been intruded by a series of tabular mafic to ultramafic intrusions consisting of gabbro, peridotite and dunite. These intrusions host copper-nickel-PGE mineralization, with the most notable example being the Thierry Mine deposit. Stott (1996) suggests that these mafic to ultramafic intrusions are likely to be synvolcanic sills. The metavolcanic rocks are wedged between Granitic rocks of the Williams Lake batholith to the north and the Pickle lake stock to the south (Stott 1996). The Williams Lake batholith has in turn been intruded by the dioritic Kibler Lake stock (Sage and Breaks 1982). The mafic metavolcanic sequence that hosts the mineralized intrusions has been classified by Young (2003) as being part of the >2860 Ma Pickle Crow Assemblage.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Feb 06, 2007 (Mark Puumala) - Between 1976 and 1982, the Thierry Mine produced 113.6 million pounds of copper, 2.8 million pounds of nickel, 17,500 ounces of platinum, 47,000 ounces of palladium, 17,000 ounces of gold and 900,000 ounces of silver from 5.8 million tons of processed ore (Richview Resources 2006). As of February 1, 2006, Richview Resources reports the following mineral resource estimates based on a 1.3% Cu cut-off grade. Measured and Indicated: 4,623,000 tons grading 1.71% Cu and 0.20% Ni. Inferred: 4,366,000 tons grading 1.71% Cu and 0.18% Ni. The known deposit covers an approximate strike length of 1800 m and extends to a depth of approximately 900 m below surface (Richview Resources 2006). The mafic and ultramafic rocks that host the Thierry deposit are indicated by Patterson and Watkinson (1984) to include metagabbro (75%), mafic metagabbro (20%) and talc-carbonate schist (5%). These rocks are cross-cut by a shear zone (phyllonitic mylonite) that consists of chlorite-biotite schist. This shear zone pinches and swells, ranging in width from 2 to 100 m. The shear zone is typically widest where it cross-cuts the mafic to ultramafic intrusive rocks that host the ore body, while the adjacent amphibolite schist generally only shows minor deformation (Patterson and Watkinson (1984). Rocks in the Kapkichi Lake area were metamorphosed to middle amphibolite grade prior to shear zone formation (Patterson and Watkinson 1984). However, the characteristics of the shear zone (high iron chlorite in mylonite matrix) are interpreted to indicate that greenschist-facies conditions existed during the deformation event that contributed to the concentration of ore minerals. The ore has been subdivided into four types referred to by Patterson and Watkinson (1984) as breccia ore (40%), mylonite ore (58%), bornite ore (1%) and disseminated sulphides (1%). Breccia ore contains 20 to 50% sulphides consisting of angular fragments of gangue in a matrix of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite and pentlandite. Mylonite ore contains 5 to 20% of stringer chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite and pyrite that has been sheared parallel to foliation. Bornite ore is comprised of 1 to 5% stringers and dissemination of chalcopyrite and bornite in carbonate veins associated with blocks of amphibolite schist. The disseminated ore occurs as metamorphosed primary magmatic sulphides occurring as composite blebs of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite. Patterson and Watkinson (1984) have interpreted the sulphides in this ore body to be of primary magmatic origin. However, much of the mylonite and breccia ore was mobilized during deformation. This mobilization may explain the relatively high Cu:Ni ratios found in this deposit, as copper is more mobile than nickel and may have become concentrated in the vicinity of the shear zone during deformation. Intrusive Cu-Ni deposits typically have a Cu:Ni ratio of 2:1, while Thierry has a ratio of 8:1 (Patterson and Watkinson 1984).

Jan 29, 2019 (Therese Pettigrew) - UMEX drilled the Thierry Deposit discovery hole, intersecting 20 feet of sulphides in biotite and chlorite schist containing 1.24% Cu and 0.14% Ni. Historical UMEX records indicate production of approximately 5.8 million tons of ore with an average grade of 1.13% copper and 0.14% nickel, between October 1976 and April 1982. Initially only a copper concentrate was produced; by 1981 limited amount of nickel concentrate was produced. Late in the mine life precious metals and PGEs were also recovered: platinum 17,500 troy ounces; palladium 47,000 troy ounces; gold 17,000 troy ounces and silver 900,000 troy ounces. The average grades of PGEs reported by UMEX were 0.0046 oz/t gold, 0.004 oz/t platinum and 0.020 oz/t palladium. The PGE studies undertaken between 1987 and 1988, revealed that higher grade nickel-copper zones were coincident with anomalous PGEs. Four composite samples were crated from crushed reject borehole samples from the Thierry Deposit. The composite samples returned assays of 0.69-2.0% Cu, 0.12-0.23% Ni, 0.13-0.20 gpt Pt, 0.56-0.88% Pd, 0.07-0.19 gpt Au, 4.7-13.0 gpt Ag, and 130-220 gpt Co (2012 NI 43-101 report). G. Paju of the OGS collected a sample of massive chalcopyrite with pyrrhotite taken from the waste rock pile. The sample returned an assay of 14% Cu, 1.5% Ni, 994 ppm Co, 312 ppb Au, 35 gpt Ag, >5000 ppb Pd, and 2681 ppb Pt (Thunder Bay office RGP files). Sulphide minerals in order of abundance are pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, pentlandite, violarite, mackinawite and millerite, magnetite, minor ilmenite, palladium, platinum, and silver are present. PGMs were known to be present in the mine ore, but never actively pursued; nevertheless a total of 17,500 oz of platinum and 47,000 oz of palladium were produced as by-product credits from the copper concentrates (Thunder Bay RGP files).

Mineral Record Details

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

References

Book - Canadian Mines Handbook 1979-80, Union Miniere

Publication Number: CMH 1979-80 Page: 280  Date: 1996

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location:

Publication - Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Thierry Cu-Ni-PGE Deposit

Publication Number: 2021 NI 43-101 Date: 2021

Author: Bradfield, A., Burga, D., Feasby, D.G., Puritch, E., Pearson, J.

Publisher Name: P&E Mining for Braveheart Resources

Location: SEDAR

MonoMap - Geology of the Cat Lake-Pickle Lake area, districts of Kenora and Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R207 Page: 126-133, Figure 13  Date: 1982

Author: Sage R.P., Breaks F.W.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Thesis - New Structural, Geochronological, and Geochemical Constraints on the Tectonic Assembly of the Archean Pickle Lake Greenstone Belt, Uchi Subprovince, Western Superior Province.

Publication Number: MSc thesis Date: 2003

Author: Young , M.D.

Publisher Name: Queen's University

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Mono - The Geology and Tectonic History of the Central Uchi Subprovince

Publication Number: OFR5952 Date: 1996

Author: Stott G.M.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Journal - The Geology of the Thierry Cu-Ni Mine, Northwestern Ontario.

Publication Number: Can Min Vol 22 Page: 3-11  Date:

Author: Patterson, G.C. and Watkinson, D.H. 1984.

Publisher Name: Canadian Mineralogist

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Thesis - The Geology of the Kapkichi Lake Ultramafic-Mafic Bodies and Related Cu-Ni Mineralization, Pickle Lake, Ontario.

Publication Number: PhD thesis Date: 1980

Author: Patterson, G.C.

Publisher Name: Carleton University

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Thesis - Structural Analysis of the Thierry Copper-Nickel Deposit in Northwest Ontario, Canada.

Publication Number: MSc thesis Date: 1980

Author: Cameron, P.J.

Publisher Name: Pennsylvania State University.

Location: Thunder Bay RGP

Publication - Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Thierry and K1-1 Cu-Ni-PGE Deposits; Thierry Project, Pickle Lake Area, Patricia Mining District, North-Western Ontario, Canada

Publication Number: 2012 NI 43-101 Date: 2012

Author: Puritch, E., Armstrong, T., Burga, D., Routledge, R., Pearson, J.L.

Publisher Name: P&E Mining Consultants for Cadillac Ventures Inc.

Location: Cadillac Ventures website

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology, Pickle Lake area, western part

Publication Number: P3056 Scale: 1:50,000    Date: 1989

Author: Stott G.M., Brown G.H., Coleman V.J., Green G.M., Reilly B.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Cat Lake-Pickle Lake, geological compilation series, Kenora and Thunder Bay districts

Publication Number: M2218 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1976

Author: Sage R.P., Breaks F.W., Troup W.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay North Resident Geologist District Office