- SMDI #
- 0801
- Current Showing Name
- Pitching Lake Cu Deposit or Glen Uranium Mines Cu Showing/Adit (Zones A to C)
- Historical Showing Names
- Pitching Lake Cu Deposit or Glen Uranium Mines Cu Showing/Adit (Zones A to C)
- Company Name
- Project Name
- UTM Easting (NAD83 Z13)
- 554483.0300
- UTM Northing (NAD83 Z13)
- 6143752.7300
- NTS Sheet
- 073P08
- TRM (Township-Range-Meridian)
- 74-14-2
- Primary Commodities
- Copper
- Associated Commodities
- Graphite
- Discovery Type
- Drillhole
- Status
- Deposit: Advanced Exploration
- Geological Details
- The showing consists of several zones of sulphide mineralization located at the southwest end of Pitching Lake. The shaft is located 75 m (246.1 ft) in from the shore on the southeast side of Hunter Falls and an adit is located on the southwest side of Mathieu Bay on Pitching Lake approximately 1.0 mile (1.6 km) north of the shaft on the west side of the falls..
The area of the showing is underlain by a northeast-plunging synclinal band of Archean hornblende schists and interbanded sedimentary rocks which were originally impure limestones, intruded by granitic rocks to the east and west. The showings are associated with layers and lenses of calc-silicate gneisses in high strained hornblende gneisses and schists. These rocks form the immediate hangingwall to the Guncoat Thrust - an internal high strain zone within a nappe of Paleoproteroic supracrustal and granitoid rocks. The host rocks occupy a northeast plunging synform formed subsequent to the thrust event which emplaced the nappes. Three zones of sulphide mineralization have been outlined as part of a broad band on the northwest limb of the syncline on the west side of Drinking River and Pitching Lake. This band extends for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from a point on Boland Bay to the south, to the east shore of Alexander Bay to the north and is now exposed in over 20 trenches and numerous gossaned outcrops.
The mineralization occurs as disseminations to massive stringers and irregular lenses of pyrrhotite and as pods and irregular lenses of pyrrhotite and pyrite. Copper mineralization, in the form of chalcopyrite, bornite, malachite and azurite occurs mainly in the southern half of the zone. The mineralization occurs in an intensively sheared and locally folded band of hornblende gneiss.
The main zones consist of the A Zone, a gossan zone at the foot of Hunter Falls on the Drinking River, which has been extensively trenched (main trench No. 3) and which has a shaft on it. Two samples taken from the trenches, in 1924, returned assays of 0.05% and 1.30% Cu. The majority of the drilling was completed on the A Zone. The drilling indicates that the surface showing forms part of the head of a copper-bearing ore shoot of irregular shape. From a surface strike length of 80 ft (24.3 m) the shoot lengthens to 400 ft (121.9 m) at a depth of 120 ft (36.6 m) and has an average grade of 2.01% Cu over 18 ft (5.5 m). At a depth of 300 ft (91.4 m) the shoot shortens to a strike length of 75 ft (22.9 m) averaging 2.24% Cu over 13 ft (4.0 m). From 400 to 500 ft (121.9 to 152.4 m) the shoot is 17 ft (5.2 m) wide with a length of 100 ft (30.5 m) grading 8.03% Cu. The A Zone dips 35° to 60°E and plunges to the south.
The mineralization conforms to a layer of hornblende biotite, quartz and carbonate gneisses, however the higher copper values were obtained where the host rock had been altered to a black, chloritic, possibly graphitic fine grained mass. The body averaged 2.2% Cu over 9.9 ft (3.0 m).
Seven holes were drilled in the vicinity of the A Zone, and intersected disseminated to massive pyrite-pyrrhotite and minor chalcopyrite over a true width of 20 to 30 ft (6.9 to 9.1 m). The better drill intersections encountered are:
DRILLHOLE INTERVAL WIDTH PER CENT
NUMBER FEET METERS FT M COPPER
_________________________________________________________
67-4 103.5 - 111.0 31.5 - 33.8 7.5 2.3 1.06
67-6 200.8 - 205.7 61.2 - 62.7 4.9 1.5 3.16
205.7 - 210.7 62.7 - 64.2 5.0 1.5 0.91
Zone B and Zone C, lie 1 mile (1.6 km) and 2 miles (3.2 km) respectively north-northeast of the A Zone. Both the B and C zones consist of narrow lenses and irregular pods of semi-massive to massive sulphide that assay low in copper values. Pyrrhotite predominates over pyrite and chalcopyrite is present in only trace amounts. At the A Zone, pyrite predominates over pyrrhotite and graphite is present.
Another minor zone, outlined by geophysics, occurs to the west of Zone B. This zone is capped by a gossan and contains pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and bornite. Trenching has traced the zone for 1600 ft (487.7 m) over an average width of 100 ft (30.5 m).
A. Morris concluded that the sulphide mineralization present was partly derived from syngenetic sulphides which were remobilized and concentrated along shear zones during a period of metamorphism. L. Beck described the showing host rocks as a series of chloritized banded hornblende schists (amphibolites) with interbedded calc-silicate horizons and metasedimentary graphitic horizons and tremolite- and calcic plagioclase-bearing grey schists. W. Coombe concluded that the mineralization occurs within a series of volcanic-sedimentary rocks of the Keg-Sadler greenstone belt. The host amphibolitic rocks have been altered to chlorite schist and graphite has been reported in association with the sulphides. Claude geologists describe the host rocks as a series of possibly reworked intermediate to mafic crystal tuffs or flows with intercalated metasedimentary wackes (biotite and muscovite schist), calc-silicate horizons, and minor sulphide-bearing iron formation, marble and shale.
- Geological Domain
- Glennie
- Host Rocks
- Host Minerals
- Malachite
- Indicators
- Exploration History
- 7/14/1988 Sulphide mineralization in the Pitching Lake area has been explored periodically for many years. Very little information on the work perfomed early in the century is available. The first record on file indicates work prior to 1924 on the NIVEN claims which consisted of trenching and sampling gossan zones on the west shore of the lake.
In 1928, Churchill Minerals Ltd. Held a group of claims covering the showing; these lapsed, and in 1952 the main showing was restaked as the FALL group of 8 claims which were allowed to lapse in 1953.
In 1954 to 1955, the Sten and P.C. claim groups were staked to cover the prospect, and in 1955, Glen Uranium Mines Ltd. (Now Canmindex Mines Ltd.) acquired 50 claims, including the Sten and P.C. claim groups, centered on the main A zone. In 1956 to 1957, air and ground geophysical surveys, trenching and other surface work was carried out. By March 1957, 32,575 ft (9928.9 m) of drilling had been done in 53 holes on the property; trenching had been done on all known mineralized zones, and a large pit about 178 ft (54.3 m) long, 65 ft (19.8 m) wide and 20 ft (6.1 m) deep had been excavated on the A Zone, the site of the original discovery, just west of Hunter Falls.
During the winter of 1956 to 1957, a shaft was started on the A Zone and sunk to a depth of 42 ft (12.8 m). An adit was driven for 235 ft (71.6 m) to test the B Zone which is located 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the A Zone on the west shore of Pitching Lake. This work resulted in the reporting of reserves for the A Zone.
In 1957, Gresham Exploration Ltd. Completed an airborne EM survey over the showing area (Af 63M05-0005).
The Rio Tinto Mining Company of Canada Ltd. Optioned the property in 1957. In 1958, the claims lapsed and the ground was restaked as the EXP and TB groups by J.G. McAlphine of Laronex Mining & Exploration Co. Ltd.
In 1961, B.R. Richards conducted ground electromagnetic and magnetic surveys of the area for Laronex and in 1963 the geology of the property was mapped. During the latter survey, several of the trenches were sampled; trench 1A on the shore of Boland Bay gave 0.09 to 6.84% Cu. In 1962, deposit reserves were calculated. In 1966, Laronex Copper Mines Ltd. (Laronex Mining renamed) completed the electromagnetic coverage of the area.
In 1967, 7 holes were drilled in the vicinity of the A Zone, 3 holes near trench 1 and 1A on Boland Bay and one hole on a conductor, for a total of 1697 ft (517.2 m). The drilling returned the intersections listed above.
Dominion Geophysics Ltd. Inspected the property briefly in 1967. No further work was done and the last of the claims lapsed in 1971.
On 25 February 1984, Claude Resources Inc. staked the showing as S-103167. In 1986, Claude completed ground EM and magnetic surveys in the general area (AF 73P08-0038).
In 1987, Cogema Canada Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, prospecting, and rock sampling in the general area. In the same year, Claude geologically mapped the immediate showing area, re-sampled the existing trenches and completed a soil sample survey over the showing (AF 73P08-0039). The soil samples returned a maximum 1373 ppm Cu, 723 ppm Zn and a maximum of 5 ppm Au. World Geoscience Corporation completed an airborne high resolution VLF-EM and magnetic survey over the property (AF 63M05-0030).
In the fall of 1988, a Claude Resources Incorporated (30%)-Dome Gold Syndicate (70%) partnership completed grid prospecting and rock and soil sampling of the grid that covers the adit (AF 73P08-0040). Anomalous copper values were returned in the vicinity of the adit and anomalous Mo was returned from samples taken from a pegmatite.
- Production History
- Reserves and/or Resources
- 1962-01-01
A Zone: 100,000 tons grading 2.6% Cu.
Summary:
A zone: Historic reserve (unspecified) of 100,000.00 ton
- Copper: 100,000.00 ton @ 2.6 %
1957-01-01
At 120 ft depth: a 400 ft long by 18 ft wide ore shoot grades 2.01% Cu. At 300 ft depth the 75 by 13 ft wide ore shoot grades 2.24% Cu. At 400 to 500 ft depth the 100 ft long by 17 ft ore shoot grades 8.03% Cu.
Summary:
450 ft depth: Historic reserve (unspecified)
- Copper @ 8.03 %
300 ft depth: Historic reserve (unspecified)
- Copper @ 2.24 %
120 ft depth: Historic reserve (unspecified)
- Copper @ 2.01 %