- SMDI #
- 0023
- Current Showing Name
- Coronation Mine
- Historical Showing Names
- Coronation Mine
- Company Name
- Project Name
- UTM Easting (NAD83 Z13)
- 694105.0800
- UTM Northing (NAD83 Z13)
- 6052729.6600
- NTS Sheet
- 063K12
- TRM (Township-Range-Meridian)
- 64-30-1
- Primary Commodities
- Copper, Zinc
- Associated Commodities
- Cadmium, Gold, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium
- Discovery Type
- Status
- Deposit: Post-Production
- Geological Details
- The Coronation Cu-Zn Mine is located on the northwest shore of Phil Lake, a small lake located approximately 22 km (13.7 miles) southwest of Flin Flon. The orebodies, which are not exposed at surface, are contained within a northwesterly trending, southwesterly dipping sequence of massive arc-type Amisk Group Ruth Lake Assemblage basaltic amygdaloidal and pillowed flows. East of the mine, the basaltic rocks are overlain by basaltic to andesitic pyroclastics and semi-conformable quartz-feldspar porphyry.
The mine horizon consists of a tuffaceous horizon that separates the basaltic flows and the overlying pyroclastics. The Coronation orebodies occurred as replacements in a weakly discordant zone of shearing in a dilatent section of a major N trending fault structure which truncates, but locally parallels the bedding of, enclosing Amisk Group volcanic rocks. The zone follows the discontinuous basic tuffaceous unit occurring at the contact of, and below, a massive to pillowed andesite or andesite breccia and overlying an amygdaloidal flow. The zone has been traced for a length of 4 miles (6.4 km), and over most of its length it lies 5000 to 1000 ft (1524 to 304.8 m) west of large bodies of granodiorite and gabbro. The rocks have been metamorphosed to lower amphibolite facies.
The deposit, which has a width of approximately 20 m (65.6 ft) over a strike length of 215 m (705.4 ft) and a depth of 335 m (1099.1 ft), consists of three oreshoots within a zone of lower-grade mineralized rock. The mineralized area is 899.6 ft (274.2 m) long, up to 120.1 ft (36.6 m) wide, and extending vertically to a little over 100.0 ft (304.8 m). As mined, the deposit was 182 m (597.1 ft) long by up to 20 m (65.6 ft) wide and 320 m (1049.9 ft) deep. In addition to the pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite mineralization, the deposit contains rare, relatively narrow, flat-lying, narrow veins of chalcopyrite-tetrahedrite-calcite plus minor magnetite.
The Coronation Deposit is a metamorphosed copper-rich massive sulphide deposit formed by the relatively small massive North Lens, which makes up less than 20% of the deposit and which grades ± 6.5% Cu. The North Lens is underlain by a larger alteration pipe. This pipe - or the South and HW lenses, which grades ± 4.5% Cu, forms over 80% of the deposit. The pipe alteration consists of a lower amphibolite sequence of anthophyllite-cordierite-magnetite-gahnite.
The North Lens is a tabular massive sulphide lens with a sharp footwall contact (against volcanics) and a gradational hanging wall contact (with cordierite-anthophyllite rock). The lens contains two types of ore. The first type or the massive pyrite-chalcopyrite ore (up to 100% pyrite in places) consists of pyrite, silicates, and subordinate chalcopyrite, sphalerite and magnetite. The second ore type, or the massive pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite ore, is made up of roughly equal amounts of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite and lesser silicates with subordinate sphalerite and magnetite. This ore type consists of alternating layers of pyrrhotite-rich and chalcopyrite-rich ore. Rare massive sphalerite occurs locally.
The South Lens forms over 75% of the deposit. It comprises sulphide stockworks and overgrowths, which reflect a possible footwall alteration pipe within a silicate gangue. The sulphides form 10 to 20% of the ore by volume. The South Lens mineralization consists of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, magnetite and gangue minerals with subordinate pyrite, sphalerite and illmenite. The gangue minerals include anthophyllite, cordierite, biotite, quartz, chlorite and lesser andalusite, cummingtonite and gahnite. This silicate-sulphide ore exhibits a streaky layering parallel to foliation.
The HW lens consists of a anthophyllite-cordierite rock intermixed with sulphides. The sulphide-silicate content of the HW lens is 10 to 20% sulphide by volume and the mineralogy is similar to that of the South lens. Streaky layering is prominent throughout much of the lens.
- Geological Domain
- Flin Flon
- Host Rocks
- Host Minerals
- Indicators
- Exploration History
- 6/24/1988 The Coronation Mine was first located on claims Tik 166 (ML 4814) and Tik 163 (ML 4811) on the NE shore of, and underlying, Phil Lake by diamond drilling in 1953 on an electromagnetic anomaly outlined the previous winter. 55 delineation drill holes outlined an orebody with a strike length of 705 feet (215 m), a width of 65.6 feet (20 m) and a depth of 1100 feet (335 m). Reserves were intitally released in 1953. Revised reserves figures were released in 1969.
During the period 1955 to 1958, a 3-compartment production shaft to a depth of 1492 feet (454.8 m) with levels at 150 foot intervals to the 1340 foot horizon and a 2 compartment service shaft to a depth of 1057 feet (322.2 m), 80 feet (24.3 m) southeast of the main shaft were completed. A total of 261 underground drill holes were used to calculate a indicated reserve figure for the deposit.
Mining commenced in 1960. The lowering of cut-off grade to 0.9% and the discovery of additional ore resulted in a larger than expected final recovery. The deposit was mined out in 1964 and the mine was closed in 1965. In 1981, Hudson Bay Exploration and Development completed ground EM and magnetic surveys and one drill hole in the vicinity of the mine on TIK claims Nos. 163 and 166..
On September 25, 1985, Coronation Mines Ltd (50%) and Freewest Resources Inc (50%) staked the showing as CBS 3745. In 1988, L. Clark and Associates completed ground IP/ resistivity surveys over the minesite area (AF 63-0002). In 1989, the partners completed geological mapping, prospecting, and rock sampling over a grid which covers the minesite (AF 63-0005). Between 1989 and 1990, the partnership completed drill hole CF-13 approximately 500 m north northeast of the mine shaft (AF 63-0004). The hole failed to intersect significant mineralization.
On March 20; 1986, TIK claim No. 163 was converted to ML 4811 and TIK claim No. 166 was converted to ML ML 4814.
In 1990, Hudson Bay completed drill holes COR90-1 to -3 on the COR 1 grid to the north and south of the orebody to test the mine alteration package at a relatively deep level (AF 63K12-0177). The drill holes encountered several bands of pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite±sphalerite and arsenopyrite mineralization which returned up to 0.85% Cu and 0.26% Zn over 6.3 feet.
In February of 1995, Hudson Bay completed a ground TDEM survey on grid NER 31 which covered the showing (AF 63K12-0183).
- Production History
- Production Period: 1964-01-01 to 1965-12-31
The deposit was mined out in 1964 and the mine closed in 1965
Summary:
- Copper
- Zinc
Production Period: 1960-01-01 to 1960-12-31
Mining commenced in 1960.
Summary:
- Copper
- Zinc
Production Period: 1958-01-01 to 1958-12-31
In 1958, an adjacent two compartment shaft was sunk to 322 m.
Summary:
- Copper
- Zinc
Production Period: 1955-01-01 to 1965-12-31
1,412,861.00 tons
The deposit was mined out in 1964 and the mine closed in 1965. Ore was transported to the Flin Flon smelter by railroad.
The final recovery was 1,412,861 tons of ore which averaged 4.25% Cu, 0.3% Zn, 0.059 oz/ton Au, and 0.14 oz/ton Ag. This yielded 107,936,503 lbs Cu, 4,960,196 lbs Zn, 12,464 lbs Cd, 118,041 lbs Se and Te, 75,055 ounces Au, and 167,437 ounces Ag.
Summary:
- Cadmium: 12,464.00 lb
- Copper: 107,936,503.00 lb @ 4.25 %
- Gold: 75,055.00 oz @ 0.06 oz/ton
- Selenium: 59,020.50 lb
- Silver: 167,437.00 oz @ 0.14 oz/ton
- Tellurium: 59,020.50 lb
- Zinc: 4,960,196.00 lb @ 0.30 %
Production Period: 1955-01-01 to 1956-12-31
Between 1955 and 1956, a three compartment shaft was sunk to 455 m and underground lateral development commenced.
Summary:
- Copper
- Zinc
- Reserves and/or Resources
- 1969-01-01
Summary:
Historic reserve (unspecified) of 825,000.00 ton
- Copper @ 5.08 %
- Gold @ 0.044 oz/ton
- Silver @ 0.16 oz/ton
- Zinc @ 0.4 %
1958-01-01
Underground drill indicated reserve:
- 722,000 tons averaging 4.83% Cu, 0.2% Zn, 0.06 oz/ton Au, and 0.02 oz/ton Ag (Cut-off grade of 0.2% Cu).
Summary:
Historic indicated resource of 722,000.00 ton
- Copper @ 4.83 %
- Gold @ 0.06 oz/ton
- Silver @ 0.02 oz/ton
- Zinc @ 0.2 %
1953-01-01
Initial reserves estimate:
- 545,000 tons grading 5.37% Cu, 0.5% Zn, 0.055 oz/tonAu and 0.23 oz/ton Ag to 600 foot depth.
Summary:
Historic reserve (unspecified) of 545,000.00 ton
- Copper @ 5.37 %
- Gold @ 0.055 oz/ton
- Silver @ 0.23 oz/ton
- Zinc @ 0.5 %