Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI52P09SW00009
| Record Name(s) | Wottam Lake - 1983, South Wottam Lake Occurrence - 1983, Ws41 - 2002, Coin Lake Gold Mines - 1942 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Occurrence |
| Date Created | 1991-Mar-26 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-Feb-24 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Gold
Secondary Commodities: Silver
Township or Area: Frond Lake Area
Latitude: 51° 34' 35.1" Longitude: -88° 26' 23.24"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 400230 Northing: 5714910 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay North
NTS Grid: 52P09SW
Point Location Description: TRENCH
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: Located 120 km east-northeast of Pickle Lake and approximately 140 km north of Lake Nipigon. Accessible by float plane from Pickle Lake to Wottam Lake, then by foot due south for 1 km.
1942: Coin Lake Gold Mines Ltd. created a series of 9 trenches. 1979: Questor Surveys contracted for AM - New Jersey Zinc Exploration Company Ltd. 1981: MAG, HLEM and VLF-EM by Gallion Resources Inc. 1983: 1 ddh totalling 32.6 m - Donald A. Humby. 1987: AM, VLF-EM flown by Dighem Surveys and Processing Inc. - Noranda Expl. 1988: Ground VLF-EM and MAG. 2002 - 2006: Landore Resources has carried out an exploration program on properties that cover the area between Miminiska and Goss Lakes. This work includes geological and geophysical compilation, geological mapping, prospecting, diamond drilling and assays.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 52P09SW0019 | 52P09SW0019 |
| 2.30609 | 20000000703 | 20000000703 |
| 2.4270 | 52P09SW0020 | 52P09SW0020 |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Uchi
Terrane: North Caribou
Domain: Uchi
Belt: Miminiska-Fort Hope
Geological Age: Neoarchean
Oct 10, 2006 (Mark Puumala) - The rocks of the Wottam Lake area are dominated by a thick sequence of metasedimentary rocks described by Wallace (1981) as predominantly monotonously intercalated wacke and mudstone. This sedimentary sequence also contains numerous horizons of oxide, carbonate and/or silicate facies iron formation. Some of these iron formation units have considerable thickness (i.e., up to 150 m), with the most notable iron formation being located at the eastern end of Miminiska Lake. This iron formation thins considerably toward the northeast, and several thinner (typically <10 m) iron formation horizons have been mapped to the south (Needham 2005). The metasedimentary sequence conformably overlies a thick, predominantly mafic metavolcanic sequence that is located to the south. A second predominantly mafic metavolcanic rock sequence interpreted by Wallace (1981) to overlie the metasedimentary rocks has also been mapped to the north. A number of large felsic intrusions occur to the north (Cluff Lake Stock, South Bay Stock and Troutfly Lake Batholith) and south (Kawitos Lake Batholith) of these supracrustal sequences. Mapping by Wallace (1981) indicates that sedimentary bedding in the Wottam Lake area typically strikes in an east-northeasterly direction, with moderate to steep northward dip. Further west, in the vicinity of Miminiska Lake, bedding stikes approximately east-west with near-vertical dips. A number of approximately easterly-trending isoclinal folds are interpreted by Wallace (1981) to occur within the metasedimentary sequence. These include a synclinal structure with an axial trace that passes through Wottam and Goss Lakes, and a second syncline with an axial trace that extends from an area north of Miminiska Island toward Seagreen Lake. Needham (2005) has has indicated that strong foliation is present at numerous locations throughout the Wottam Lake area. The foliation is typically parallel to sedimentary bedding, with dips ranging from 50 to 80 degrees to the north. However, it was locally observed to be 10 to 20 degrees oblique to bedding. Notable locations with strong foliations include the northern sedimentary/volcanic contact and an area approximately 200 to 300 m north of Wottam Lake associated with the WSaspy3 (International) occurrence. Outcrop-scale isoclinal folds and localized arsenopyrite mineralization are commonly observed in the strongly foliated sedimentary rocks. A number of major northeast-striking faults paralleling Ferguson Creek have also been mapped in the area by Wallace (1981). Needham (2005) indicates that gold in this area is typically associated with axial planar shear zones mineralized with pyrrhotite, pyrite and arsenopyrite. The host rock is typically strongly foliated/sheared magnetite bearing silicate to oxide iron formation.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Vein | 1 | Quartz | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironstone-unsubdivided | 2 | Iron Formation | Host | |
| Claystone | 3 | Near | ||
| Wacke | 4 | Greywacke | Near |
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenopyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Pyrrhotite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 3 | Pyrite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 4 | Gold | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Chert | Economic | Gangue |
Oct 10, 2006 (Mark Puumala) - Wallace (1981) describes the Wottam Lake (WS41) Occurence as being hosted in a unit of amphibole-biotite-garnet iron formation and banded chert. Detailed mapping in the vicinity of the showing by Needham (2003) indicates that the mineralized iron formation unit is hosted in a sedimentary sequence consisting of argillite and greywacke. Disseminated arsenopyrite mineralization (1 to 5%) was reported by Wallace (1981) to occur over a width of approximately 5 m . The centre of the mineralized zone contains massive pods and blebs of arsenopyrite, pyrite and/or pyrrhotite within the iron formation and quartz lenses. These quartz lenses were reported by Wallace (1981) to parallel the outcrop structural trend and are up to 0.5 m wide. Mineralized quartz veinlets and silicified seams described as ¿quartz ladder veinlets or flats¿ were also observed cross-cutting foliation by Needham (2003). Needham (2003) also indicates that the strongest sulphide mineralization occurs where the iron formation has been cross-folded. Grunerite alteration and foliation-parallel chlorite seams were also noted in the most strongly mineralized areas. Needham (2005) indicates that sedimentary bedding in the area surrounding the showing strikes between 250 and 270 with moderate northerly dips (50 to 65). Foliation is strongly developed at the showing and is oriented at 250/60 (Needham 2003). In the area surrounding the showing, foliation is sometimes oblique to bedding and ranges in orientation from 235 to 250, with moderate northerly dips. Occasional non-mineralized quartz stringers paralleling foliation were commonly observed within the sediments. The most favourable gold assay reported from this showing is 3.37 g/t from a grab sample of intensely silicified iron formation containing significant arsenopyrite mineralization (Needham 2003).
Mar 30, 2021 (Therese Pettigrew) - Sample 11sb313-4 returned 1.87 g/t Au from a quartz vein crosscutting oxide and sulphide iron formation with massive to disseminated sulphide (mostly pyrrhotite) up to 10% (MRD293).
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2 | Lode (Gold) |
| 1 | Replacement |
| Rank | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sheared |
| 2 | Stratabound |
Map - Keezhik-Miminiska lakes area, District of Kenora (Patricia Portion), Ontario
Publication Number: ARM48E Scale: 1:63,360 Date: 1997
Author: Prest V.K.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of the Miminiska Lake area, districts of Kenora (Patricia Portion) and Thunder Bay
Publication Number: R214 Scale: Date: 1981
Author: Wallace H.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Fort Hope area, District of Kenora (Patricia Portion), Ontario
Publication Number: ARM51B Scale: 1:63,360 Date: 1997
Author: Prest V.K.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Operation Fort Hope
Publication Number: MP042 Scale: Date: 1970
Author: Thurston P.C., Carter M.W.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Data - Geochemical and Geological Data from the Keezhik Lake and Miminiska Lake Area, Fort Hope Greenstone Belt, Northwestern Ontario
Publication Number: MRD293 Scale: Date: 2012
Author: Buse S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Wottam Lake, Kenora and Thunder Bay districts
Publication Number: M2417 Scale: 1:31,680 Date: 1979
Author: Wallace H.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Fort Hope-Lansdowne House sheet, geological compilation series, Cochrane, Kenora, and Thunder Bay districts
Publication Number: M2237 Scale: 1:253,440 Date: 1972
Author: Thurston P.C., Carter M.W., Riley R.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs
Location:
Map - Precambrian Geology of the Miminiska Lake Area, Fort Hope Greenstone Belt
Publication Number: P3764 Scale: 1:50,000 Date: 2012
Author: Buse S.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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