- SMDI #
- 2072
- Current Showing Name
- Beartooth Island Radioactive Erratics, Drill Hole BTD-80-3
- Historical Showing Names
- Beartooth Island Radioactive Erratics, Drill Hole BTD-80-3
- Company Name
- Project Name
- UTM Easting (NAD83 Z13)
- 232730.2700
- UTM Northing (NAD83 Z13)
- 6572609.9100
- NTS Sheet
- 074N04
- TRM (Township-Range-Meridian)
- 117-22-3
- Primary Commodities
- Uranium
- Associated Commodities
- Copper, Nickel, Zinc
- Discovery Type
- Float Rock
- Status
- Mineral Location
- Geological Details
- Beartooth Island is an isolated island located in Lake Athabasca on which the showing was discovered. The showing radioactive erratics are located on the beaches and very occasionally inland on Beartooth island.
Little is known of the local geology of the area as no outcrops are present on the island. The wedge-shaped island is located within the Athabasca Basin and diamond drilling done on the island indicate that bedrock on the island is overlain by at least 200 m (656.2 ft) of Athabasca sandstone. Four major units are present on the island; eolian sand blankets glacial outwash, sand, gravel and boulders. Glacial lacustrine deposits are also common as well as beach deposits in the form of pebbles, cobbles and boulders.
The showing consists of over 220 radioactive glacial erratics located on Beartooth Island. Eight main types of erratics and three minor types of erratics are present on the island. Most are radioactive and some exceed 15,000 cps while the average scintillometer reading is 1000 cps. All except three erratics were located on beaches surrounding the island. The types are as follows:
Type I erratics: consist of pink, medium-grained Athabasca sandstone
and are moderately silicified and weakly hematized. The highest
scintillometer reading from this group was 700 cps and some of the
erratics exhibit uranium staining.
Type II erratics: are green, fine to coarse-grained Athabasca sandstone,
exhibit limonite staining and a thick weathering rind. Radioactivity
never exceeded 500 cps and some uranium staining was observed.
Type III erratics: exhibited less than 550 cps and very minor uranium
staining. They are composed of white, medium to coarse-grained Athabasca
sandstone and have a sugary texture. They show low to moderate
silicification.
Type IV erratics: are moderately silicified white to buff coloured Athabasca
sandstone which are weakly to moderately hematized and contain trace
hematite. The maximum radioactivity value returned was 1400 cps but the
majority of them were less than 400 cps.
Type V erratics: consist of medium-grained Athabasca sandstone, moderately
limonitized and silicified and weakly hematized. Many show hematite-
stained weathering rinds and uranium stains are commonly noted.
Scintillometer values returned exceeded 8500 cps.
Type VI erratics: purple, mottled and banded Athabasca sandstones. These are
strongly hematized and silicified but show little or no limonite
staining. The erratics have a sugary texture and return up to 12,000
cps, although the majority returned less than 800 cps. Uranium staining
is commonly noted in samples of this type.
Type VII erratics: widely distributed, moderately hematized and strongly
silicified purple Athabasca sandstone erratics. The majority exhibit
uranium staining. Highs of 5500 cps were returned.
Type VIII erratics: consists of weakly hematized Athabasca sandstone,
strongly silicified and containing some black quartz. Uranium staining
is common in this type and up to 8000 cps were returned.
Type IX erratics: exhibit very high radioactivity (some exceeding 15,000
cps) and consist of black Athabasca sandstone with a weak purple colour.
Over 50 per cent of the rock is composed of black quartz and the rocks
are strongly silicified with little or no hematization. Uranium stains
and pitchblende are common.
Type X erratics: are brecciated Athabasca sandstone which have been annealed
by quartz veins. They are buff to pink to purple to brown in colour and
strongly silicified and all exhibit weak to moderate hematization and
limonitization. A maximum radioactivity of 2200 cps was returned with
the average generally being less than 900 cps. Three of this type
showed uranium staining.
Type XI erratics: the last type of erratic includes all others located and
the maximum radioactivity returned was 2500 cps with the average less
than 400 cps. Two showed uranium stains.
Two radioactive sources have been identified in the area: the first consists of a low-grade fracture zone associated with a topographic low within 300 m (984.3 ft) of the up-glacial advance direction.
The second source consists of a very large, high-grade zone 1 to 3 km (0.6 to 1.9 miles) long located at 060° from the island. This zone consists pf a uraniferous fracture zone with a peripheral hematite, silica and possibly kaolinite alteration zone. It is associated with a linear topographic depression.
- Geological Domain
- Zemlak
- Host Rocks
- Host Minerals
- Indicators
- Exploration History
- 7/25/1989 The claim block enclosing the showing was staked on 3 October 1976 by a joint venture made up of Union Oil Company of Canada Ltd., Norcen Energy Resources Ltd. and SMDC formed in order to explore for and develop economic uranium deposits. The area was staked in a series of claims including CBS 5804 to CBS 5810, CBS 5907 and CBS 5506. CBS 5506 enclosed the only exposed land in the area; the other claim blocks cover Lake Athabasca.
The first exploration which pertains to the showing was begun in 1978 by the joint venture with Union Oil as the operator. Soil sampling and ground scintillometer surveys were completed over Beartooth Island, the only part of the property exposed in Lake Athabasca, that same year (AF 74N04-0002). The following year an EM (input) and magnetic survey were flown over the property (AF 74N04-0004) and a surficial geological survey and radioactive boulder fan study was completed by Union Oil. As a result of these studies the boulders which comprise the showing were located, mapped and recorded (AF 74N04-0001).
These surveys were followed up in 1980 by diamond drilling to provide information regarding the depth to the Helikian unconformity and to test and evaluate geophysical results obtained from previous surveys. One drill hole, BTD-80-3, was significant; it reached a maximum depth of 137.9 m (452.4 ft) and terminated in Athabasca sandstone. Fracturing and shearing were noted and spatially associated with this was copper, nickel, and zinc mineralization (2.56% Cu, 0.79% Zn, 0.87% Ni over 7.62 cm) in fine-grained siltstone (AF 74N04-0005). As a result of this hole, more work, consisting of underwater radiometric prospecting, diamond drilling and several other programs was recommended.
Ground geophysical surveys were completed that year (AF 74N04-0006) as well as 'marine' seismic and radiometric surveys (AF 74N04-0007). No other encouraging results were obtained and no further work has been reported on the property. The claim block was transferred to Loutitt Exploration Ltd.
- Production History
- Reserves and/or Resources