GeologyOntario has moved. You will be redirected to the new site in 10 seconds. If you are not immediately redirected please follow the below link to the new GeologyOntario platform. For assistance please contact us.
Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI53A13NW00004| Deposit Name(s) | Big Beaver House - 1961 |
|---|---|
| Related Deposit Type | None |
| Deposit Status | occurrence |
| Date Created | 1985-Aug-20 |
| Date Last Modified | 2019-Aug-19 |
| Created By | Q Unknown |
| Revised By | T Pettigrew |
Primary Commodities: niobium
Secondary Commodities: phosphate
Township or Area: Misamikwash Lake Area
Latitude: 52° 54' 9.22" Longitude: -89° 54' 45.16"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 304121 Northing: 5865404 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay North
NTS Grid: 53A13NW
Point Location Description: Precise
Location Method: conversion from mdi
Source Map: OGS 1979, P2237 BIG BEAVER HOUSE CARBONATITE COMPLEX
Sources Map Scale: 1:12 000
Access Description: Accessible by float plane
1960: Many Lakes Exploration conducted line cutting. 1961-62: Many Lakes Exploration conducted a ground magnetic survey and drilled 7 DDH totalling 977.5 m. 1966: Teck Corporation drilled 7 DDH totalling 915 m. 1975: Property was staked by International Minerals & Chemical Corp. 1976: International Minerals drilled 5 DDH totalling 192 m.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 53A13NW0011 | 53A13NW0001 | Open |
| 53A13NW0010C1 | 53A13NW0003 | Open |
| 53A13NW0010A1 | 53A13NW0002 | Open |
Province: Superior
Subprovince: Sachigo
Intrusion: Big Beaver House Complex
Geological Age: Late Precambrian Geochronological Age: 1109+/-61 My Geochron. Age Ref.: Thurston et al., 1979
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| carbonatite | 1 | is | ||
| ultramafic intrusive | 2 | pyroxenite | near |
08/19/2019 (T Pettigrew) - The Big Beaver House complex has a prominent circular aeromagnetic expression approximately 5 km southwest of the now abandoned Big Beaver House settlement and is estimated to have a surface area of 16 km2 (Thurston et al., 1979). Drilling in 1977 intersected mainly biotite pyroxenite and some calcite carbonatite. The biotite pyroxenite is a dark green, medium-grained friable rock composed mainly of pyroxene but always having significant coarse biotite content in amounts of at least 20%, usually higher, in places grading into biotitite. Magnetite is also ubiquitous in the 10-20% range. Apatite, also ubiquitous, is in the 5-10% range. There is almost always some calcite, 5-15%. Bands of white calcite carbonatite is intruding the pyroxenite, constituting up to 10% of the rock. The calcite carbonatite is white, medium grained, well banded rock with minor accessories up to 5% each of magnetite, phlogopite, apatite, pyrite. Mafic-, phlogopite-, and/or magnetite-rich bands are common (Assessment report 53A13NW0001). Diamond-drill logs by Parsons (1962; 1966) for Many Lakes Exploration Company Limited and Teck Corporation Limited indicate that "mafic rock" is the most abundant rock type encountered. It has been intersected in widths of 0.3-94 m averaging just over 10 m. The second most abundant rock is carbonatite which varies from 0.3-77 m in width and averages 8 m. Ijolite occurs in widths of 0.6-39 m, averaging 8.2 m and is the least abundant of the three major rock types. Magnetite-apatite intersections of 0.9-3 m are reported although one intersection of 99 m (inclined at 45 degrees) was cut in hole number M-1, but it is generally the least abundant rock type (Thurston et al., 1979).
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Habit Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | apatite | economic | ore | ||||
| 2 | magnetite | economic | ore | ||||
| 3 | chalcopyrite | economic | ore | ||||
| 4 | ilmenite | economic | ore | ||||
| 5 | pyrochlore | economic | ore | ||||
| 6 | perovskite | economic | ore | ||||
| 7 | pyrite | economic | ore | ||||
| 8 | pyrrhotite | economic | ore | ||||
| 9 | zircon | economic | ore |
08/19/2019 (T Pettigrew) - Only one outcrop occurs on this complex and that is on "Pyrochlore Point" on the south side of "Camp Lake". The complex is covered by swamp, glacial till, and an esker along its western flank, making it impossible to find exposed or weathered carbonatite. The rock partially exposed in two of the trenches consisted of pink calcite cut by seams of blue-green fibrous amphibole. Zircon in crystals up to 5 mm were observed in one hand sample, and trace amounts of pyrochlore, apatite, and perovskite were noted in thin sections. Actinolite, magnetite, and biotite are common in amounts up to 10-15 percent. Many Lakes Exploration’s hole number M-4, drilled at a dip of 60 degrees, encountered niobium mineralization from 70.0 to 70.3 m and from 71.5 to 73.2 m. The two intersections assayed 3.05 and 5.30% Nb2O5 respectively. The mineralization consists of light yellow to amber octahedrons of pyrochlore in fine-grained, pink carbonatite composed of apatite, calcite, amphibole, platey ilmenite, and sulphide minerals. Teck Corporation’s DDH 8 assayed 2.92% Nb2O5 over 1.6 m. DDH 9 assayed 1.06% Nb2O5 over 2 m (Thurston et al., 1979). Results from the 1976 drill program ranged from 2.01-8.80% P2O5 (Assessment report 53A13NW0001).
Book - NMI FILE, 53A/13 CB 1
Publication Number: N/A Date: 1996
Publication - Geology of Winisk Lake Area, p. 115-123
Publication Number: R193 Date: 1979
Author: Thurston, P.C., Sage, R.P., Siragusa, G.M.
Publisher Name: OGS
We are continuously updating the Mineral Deposit Inventory. If you notice errors in the data please contact us.
Please review our Terms of Use agreement for this data product.
For detailed information regarding this mineral deposit please contact the Thunder Bay North Resident Geologist District Office