Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI53B09SW00004

Record: MDI53B09SW00004

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Gold

Location

Township or Area: Zeemel Lake Area

Latitude: 52° 34' 16.21"    Longitude: -90° 15' 34.24"

UTM Zone: 15    Easting: 685713.82   Northing: 5828096.45    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay North

NTS Grid: 53B09SW

Point Location Description: General

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The property is SE of Musselwhite Mine. Easiest access is by float plane to Graff or Karl Lakes.

Exploration History

1981-82: Geological and geophysical surveys by Canadian Nickel Company. 1985-1988: Geological and geophysical surveys and diamond drilling by Power Explorations Inc., including 50 DDH totalling 5337 m. 1996: Placer Dome Canada conducted a ground mag survey. 2005: Goldcorp drilled 45 DDH totalling 2334 m. 2010: Goldcorp conducted a magnometric survey.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Sachigo

Terrane: North Caribou

Geological Age: Mesoarchean  

Geology Comments

Sep 11, 2019 (Mark Puumala) - Huston (1988) indicated that the Karl-Zeemel prospect (along with the closely-related Zone 2, 5, 6 and 7 showings) approximately straddles the boundary between the predominantly mafic to ultramafic metavolcanic Opapimiskan unit of the McGruer assemblage, and the metasedimentary Zeemel-Heaton assemblage (based on nomenclature of Thurston, Osmani and Stone (1991)). The metasedimentary rock assemblage, which is located to the north of the mineralized zone, consists largely of feldspathic wacke, quartz wacke and pelitic metasediments, with lesser amounts of quartz/feldspathic arenite and polymictic conglomerate (Huston 1988). This deposit is hosted by the metavolcanic rock-dominated sequence, immediately to the south of the metasedimentary rock contact. The metavolcanic assemblage is approximately 650 m wide and is dominated by fine to medium grained mafic to ultramafic metavolcanics. The metavolcanics are interbedded with several bands of chert and oxide facies iron formation. Metasedimentary rocks of the Zeemel-Heaton assemblage are also present to the south of the metavolcanics. Mapping by Huston (1988) indicates that bedding and foliation in the area of this showing are generally subparallel, striking approximately 300 with near-vertical dip. Huston (1988) also reports the presence of folds with axes that consistently plunge 18 to 20 degrees to the northwest. Shearing is also reported to be common in the metavolcanics and banded iron formation/chert units, with shearing planes generally subparallel to the regional foliation and fold axes.

Lithology

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Mar 17, 2008 (Mark Puumala) - Gold mineralization associated with the Karl-Zeemel Zone 1 was encountered by Power Explorations in 15 diamond drill holes at depths ranging from 15 to 50 m (Huston 1988). However, because deeper drill holes and some shallow holes did not encounter the mineralized zone, the deposit was interpreted by Huston (1988) to have been folded and/or boudinaged. This gold-bearing zone has subsequently been re-interpreted by Goldcorp Canada (Thompson and Lengyel 2007), who evaluated it through a 45 hole 2334 m diamond drilling project in 2005. The revised interpretation suggests that the Karl-Zeemel prospect represents a re-occurrence of the Musselwhite Southern Iron Formation that has been folded into a synform structure. The synform is a double-plunging canoe-shaped structure that extends to a maximum depth of 50 m (Thompson and Lengyel 2007). Huston (1988) subdivided the Zone 1 deposit into four separate areas (sub-zones) of significant mineralization. The easternmost sub-zone was encountered by four shallow diamond drill holes (KZ-88-18, 19, 21 and 22) and consists of one to four bands of mineralized iron formation that form an approximately 215 m long sub-zone ranging in width from 1.4 to 9.75 m. The most notable assay from this portion of the deposit was 0.218 oz/ton Au over 3.2 m from a section of sulphide-rich chert encountered in drill hole KZ-88-18. This sub-zone is open to the east and below 27 m. Further to the west, a similar 0.85 to 7.3 m wide sub-zone (which may be continuous with the easternmost one) that covers a minimum strike length of 180 m, is exposed at surface and was outlined in four diamond drill holes (KZ-87-12, 13 and 14, and KZ-88-6). However, Huston (1988) reports that drill holes advanced in an effort to intersect this sub-zone below 41 m were unsuccessful. The most notable assay reported from this area was 0.971 oz/ton Au over 0.85 m in drill hole KZ-87-13. The most significant surface grab sample assay (0.382 oz/ton Au) from this prospect was reported from the surface expression of this sub-zone. A third, relatively isolated pocket of mineralization was encountered by drill hole KZ-88-10 in two horizons of weakly brecciated chert-rich iron formation with abundant pyrrhotite stringers (Huston 1988). A 1.46 m section of this material assayed 0.122 oz/ton Au. The westernmost extent of the Zone 1 mineralization was encountered in drill holes KZ-87-4 and 8, which intersected a single 6.1 m banded iron formation horizon that assayed up to 0.119 oz/ton Au over 1.68 m in KZ-87-8. Samples collected from the surface expression of this portion of the deposit assayed up to 0.106 oz/ton Au. Follow-up diamond drilling conducted in 2005 by Goldcorp Canada (Thompson and Lengyel 2007) was reported to have intersected several zones of significant gold mineralization in zones located at depths of 10 to 50 m on both limbs of the synform. Gold grades obtained from this drilling were reported to be inconsistent (i.e., similar to the earlier Power Explorations results), with notable assays including true width intersections of 22.33 g/t Au over 0.46 m and 5.98 g/t Au over 6.18 m (Thompson and Lengyel 2007). According to Thompson and Lengyel (2007), Goldcorp Canada had calculated an in-house resource estimate, and was considering the economic viability of the deposit.

Sep 11, 2019 (Therese Pettigrew) - Huston (1988) indicated that the Karl-Zeemel Zone 1 prospect is an approximately 820 m long zone of economically significant gold mineralization that has been delineated through a combination of surface geological mapping and diamond drilling. This mineralization is hosted in a chert-rich iron formation that contains interbedded mafic to ultramafic metavolcanics and talc-bearing chlorite schist. The iron formation consists of layers of chert-magnetite-grunerite +/- pyrrhotite alternating with chert-pyrrhotite +/- grunerite layers. The host iron formation horizon has been sheared, silicified and folded, with surface gold mineralization typically associated with shearing and folding. Huston (1988) also noted a correlation between pyrrhotite concentration and gold grades, with the highest gold assays (> 0.20 oz/ton) associated with heavily-brecciated chert containing 30% pyrrhotite and 10% grunerite (Huston 1988). Visible gold was also noted in one diamond drill hole (KZ-88-18). Huston (Assessment file 53B09SW0002) described the Zone 5 occurrence as consisting of a series of quartz veins hosted within mafic to ultramafic metavolcanic rocks. This zone is located at Zone 15, 685594 mE 5828277 mN, parallels and is located less than 100 m north of the Karl-Zeemel Zone 1 prospect, which is hosted in banded iron formation. Surface grab sampling of these veins resulted in gold assays of up to 1122 ppb Au. Three diamond drill holes (KZ-88-3, 4 and 5) also tested this zone at depth, intersecting mafic metavolcanics containing quartz veining mineralized with pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and galena. Significant assays from the diamond drilling program included 0.026 oz/ton Au over 1.37 m in KZ-88-3 from mafic metavolcanics containing quartz stringers and trace sulphides; 0.813 oz/ton Au over 1.52 m in KZ-88-4 from quartz-carbonate stringers mineralized with 3-5% pyrrhotite, trace galena and chalcopyrite; and 0.022 oz/ton Au over 1.19 m in KZ-88-5 from silicified mafic metavolcanics containing 20-30% quartz-carbonate and trace pyrrhotite. Huston (Assessment file 53B09SW0002) described the Zone 6 occurrence as a sheared iron formation containing numerous quartz pods and veinlets. This zone is located at Zone 15, 685799 mE, 5827900 mN, parallels and is located less than 100 m south of the Karl-Zeemel Zone 1 prospect, which is also hosted in banded iron formation. Surface sampling of this occurrence resulted in a number of anomalous gold assays, with the most notable being 856 ppb Au from a 0.55 m channel sample (Huston 1988). Two diamond drill holes (KZ-88-10 and 17) were also reported by Huston (1988) to have encountered this zone. An assay of 0.02 oz/ton Au over 0.3 m was obtained from KZ-88-10 in chert mineralized with pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite, while 0.028 oz/ton Au was reported over 1.31 m from pyrrhotite-bearing iron formation. The Zone 7 occurrence is located at Zone 15, 685850 mE, 5827600 mN and is described by Huston (Assessment file 53B09SW0002) as a series of concordant quartz veins that occur within mafic to ultramafic metavolcanic rocks. Grab samples from these veins assayed up to 946 ppb Au. However, no significant assays were reported from Power Explorations diamond drill hole KZ-87-16, which was advanced to test this occurrence.

Mineral Record Details

References

Compend - Report of activities, 1988, Resident Geologists

Publication Number: MP142 Page: 78-80  Date: 1989

Author: Fenwick K.G., Giblin P.E., Pitts A.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Article - Northwestern Superior province: review and terrane analysis

Publication Number: SV04-01.005 Date: 1997

Author: Thurston P.C., Osmani I.A., Stone D.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Geological series, Operation Winisk Lake, Weagamow Lake, District of Kenora (Patricia Portion)

Publication Number: P0711 Scale: 1:126,720    Date: 1997

Author: Thurston P.C., Sage R.P., Siragusa G.M.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines and Northern Affairs

Location:

Map - Geological series, Precambrian geology, Opapimiskan-Neawagank lakes area, western part, (Opapimiskan Lake project), Kenora District (Patricia Portion)

Publication Number: P3080 Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1987

Author: Breaks F.W., Osmani I.A., de Kemp E.A., Fogal R.I., Cortis A.L., Woytiuk K., Arias Z.G.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Book - Northern Miner 87/11/23, 88/08/01

Publication Number: NMINER Date: 1996

Author:

Publisher Name: Northern Miner

Location:

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