Big Duck Lake Property
Location and Access
The Big Duck Lake property consists of 324 claim units and is located just east of the Winston Lake Mine. It lies within the Wawa-Shebandowan trend 80 kilometers from the famous Hemlo gold camp, the latter which has over the past 20 years produced approximately 25 M oz Au. Access to the west end of the property is via the Winston Lake Road (just west of the town of Schreiber) a distance 22 kilometers north of Hwy 17. Access to the east part of the property is made by driving north on the Aguasabon Road for a distance 30 km north of the town of Terrace Bay and then by quad trail to the north end of Big Duck Lake.
The Winston Lake deposit, one kilometer to the west of the property, produced 2.68 million tonnes of 1.05% Cu, 12.05% Zn, 31.37g/t Ag and 1.07g/t Au between 1988 and 1998. Further, the former Zenith zinc-copper-gold deposit is only 600 meters from the property. Zenith mine production totaled 180,000 tonnes of ore grading 16.5% zinc. It produced intermittently between 1891 and 1970 although much of the production was completed from 1966-1970.
Geology
The Big Duck Lake property is situated within the Big Duck Lake greenstone belt which forms part of the Archean Abitibi-Wawa-Shebandowan sub-province. The claims are underlain by a thick sequence mafic massive and pillowed flows, minor clastic sediments, and iron formation. Coarse grained synvolcanic gabbroic sills are found throughout the property. These sills are at times difficult to distinguish from coarser grained mafic flows. Felsic quartz-feldspar porphyritic rocks (QFP) intrude the above units.
The main QFP body, which is situated along the north shore of Big Duck Lake has an apparent strike length of 3.5 km and a width of 400m. Associated with the main QFP are numerous QP and QFP sills which are found throughout the property. A distinctive fragmental unit comprised primarily of QFP fragments with subordinate mafic fragments in a mafic biotite rich matrix is situated along the northern contact of the main QFP body and the mafic volcanics. The origin of this fragmental is controversial, and has been described as either a re-worked lapilli tuff, tectonic breccia or a hydrothermal breccia associated with the porphyry complex. The stratigraphy strikes 250° to 270° and dips 65° to 85° to the north. Stratigraphic tops have been interpreted to be to the north.
The Big Duck Lake porphyry has been affected by four styles of alteration including sericitization, biotization, silicification and locally, feldspathization. Disseminated pyrite is ubiquitous in all alteration styles. The heaviest concentration of pyrite (3-5 % on average) occurs within sericitically altered QFP adjacent to the fragmental unit. The presence of these fragmental rocks and associated porphyry, occurrence of mineralization in the fragmental unit north of the porphyry biotite alteration, and associated Mo-Ba-Cu geochemistry of the gold mineralization are all characteristics shared by Big Duck Lake mineralization and the mineralized zones at Hemlo.
Recent Work
Quadro Resources completed a diamond drill program on the property in 2006, which consisted of 17 diamond drill holes totaling approx 3,500 meters. The drilling program intercepted Au mineralization in most drill holes, typically associated with low grade Cu mineralization (0.1-0.2% Cu), and anomalous Mo and Zn concentrations in pyrite-pyrrhotite bearing shear zone intervals within mafic volcanic rocks and deformed porphyry lenses (see news release of February 22, 2007). The drill holes were widely distributed over an approximate 3.5 km strike length along the Big Duck Lake shear zone system, and areas between and below the broader intercepts remain prospective, as well as extensions of geophysical targets which occur over known extensions and branches of the mineralized shear zones. An additional Induced Polarization (I.P.) geophysical survey was considered to identify and trace out further prospective areas along the structures. The low grade, but broad intercepts may reflect up dip or lateral projections of larger mineralized areas which could be host to mineralization of economic grades, as is demonstrated by the Coco-Estelle prospect. Proposed diamond drilling in a few targeted holes was to focus on tracing the areas of broadest Au-Cu-Mo mineralization down known lineation plunge and mineralization plunge directions and to test for the presence of higher grade areas, beyond the generally shallow depths tested by the current and historical drilling. Quadro allowed the claims to lapse in 2010 and the property was promptly staked and is available for option.
Mineralization
Exploration for both gold and base metals in the Big Duck Lake area has been carried out intermittently since the discovery of a high grade zinc deposit at Kenabec Lake in the late 1800's. The majority of gold exploration on the Big Duck Lake property has focused on the Coco-Estelle Zone located west of Big Duck Lake, however, there are over 40 gold and/or base metal occurrences within the property. A few of the more interesting showings are discussed below:
Little Duck #1
The Little Duck #1 showing consists of a carbonate-quartz vein with pods of massive sulphides (sph, py, gal, cp) which crosscut the stratigraphy. A grab sample of these sulphides by Falconbridge in 1984 assayed 9.82% Zn, 7.65% Pb, 238 g/t Ag and 41.5 g/t Au. An intensely biotitic and chloritic QP dyke is intimately associated with the mineralization. The carbonate vein is thought to be related to a north-south structure but it is uncertain as to when the actual vein was emplaced or where the source of the metals is located. Lead isotope studies may resolve these latter 2 problems. In addition to the mineralization there is a mafic pillowed unit which has been intensely altered (magnetite-garnet and epidote patches). Due to the poor outcrop exposure and the thinness of this unit, it has not been traced along strike.
Little Duck #2
The Little Duck Lake #2 showing represents an old trench which extends into the lake as well as an old timber-lined, water-filled shaft. Massive sulphides (sph,po,py) are exposed in the trench but the present exposure is too poor to establish the exact nature of the style of mineralization. The host rock to the mineralization is a coarse-grained gabbro and the mineralization consists of a massive sulphide vein. Grab samples of the massive sulphides by Falconbridge in 1984 returned the following assays:
TBS 1560: 0.11% Cu; 9.49% Zn; 7.1 g/t Ag; 0.16 g/t Au
TBS 537: 0.06% Cu; 25.5% Zn; 0.01% Pb; 9.1 g/t Ag; 451 ppb Au.
Little Duck #3
There are numerous pits which constitute the Little Duck #3 showing. As with Little Duck #1, the carbonate veins are poly-metallic (sph, gal, py, cp). A grab sample of this material assayed 0.3% Cu, 2.55% Zn, 3.52% Pb, 9.1 g/T Ag and 451 ppb Au. Despite the fact that there are lenses of massive sulphides exposed in one of the pits, there are no HEM anomalies in the immediate area. Thus the continuity of these veins, which occur in a coarse-grained gabbro, appears limited.
Longworth
This showing has a number of trenches into the overburden and the actual showing has a timber-lined, water-filled pit on it. The "Mud Vein" is a rusty shear zone trending at 30° and dipping at 45° to the southeast. A grab sample of this vein material ran 930 ppb Au. The host rock for the mineralization is a mafic pillowed flow.
Church Deposit
This deposit contains three showings; all trenched and with X-ray holes drilled in the 1950s' by Kinasco Exploration and Mining Co. (Kinasco) and by KRNO Mining Ltd. (KRNO) in I960. Mineralization is described as hosted by a massive sulphide vein(s) in mafic volcanics rather than a quartz vein in a shear zone (Wells, 1984). Grab samples have returned values of up to 5-7% zinc and 8 g/t gold. Drilling by Kinasco on the Church returned an interval of 5.49% Zn and 0.24 opt Au (8.7 gpt/1.2m) over 4.0 ft. (Pye, 1964). A hole by KRNO cut two zones with intervals of 0.25 opt Au (8.6 gpt/0.5m) over 1.5 ft. and a second zone containing 0.38 opt Au (13 gpt/2.4m) over 8.0 ft. (Pye, 1964).
Coco-Estelle Deposit
The Coco-Estelle (C-E) auriferous zone has been subject to some 60 drill holes to a maximum longitudinal depth of 200 meters. This zone, which has a noted strike length of 700 meters and a small localized reserve of 53,700 tonnes grading 10.7 g/t Au, is comprised of an east-west trending deformation zone exhibiting strong foliation, pervasive biotite, local silicification and disseminated and locally enhanced pyrite. The western portion of the C-E deformation zone is contained within mafic volcanics immediately adjacent to the footwall QFP. Preceding to the east in the area of the noted reserve the zone is in direct contact with the QFP intrusive, where significant quartz veining is largely responsible for the high gold values from drilling.
Beaver Deposit
Located about 500m north of the Coco-Estelle the Beaver Deposit occurs as a < l m wide calcite vein with minor pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena within or along the sheared contact of QFP and mafic volcanics. It strikes east-west and dips 65 degrees north. A hand cobbed shipment of 2,700 Ib. (1,200 kg) of vein material from a shaft developed in 1915 graded 2.0 opt Au (68 gpt) and 3.9 opt Ag (135 gpt). In the late 1950s' six X-ray holes were drilled here with the best result being 0.89 opt Au over a core length of 5.5 ft. (30 gpt/1. 7 m). A grab sample of float material from one of these trenches (by Falconbridge in 1984) which consists of a quartz-carbonate-actinolite vein with 5-10% pyrite and traces of sphalerite and galena assayed 0.10% Cu, 0.94% Pb, 1.62% Zn, 142 gm/T Ag and 10.9 gm/T Au (TBS 1556). B.N. Schneiders from the MNDM in Thunder Bay also visited this showing and his assay of this material gave 0.10% Cu, 0.87% Pb, 0.10% Zn, 0.92 oz/t Ag and 0.52 oz/t Au. Another grab sample of quartz carbonate vein material assayed 0.58 oz/t Au. In addition, Minnova obtained a grab sample with 10.9 gpt Au and 142 gpt Ag (Schnieders, 1996). Other than the six X-ray holes from the 1950s' this showing does not appear to have been drilled.
Fisher Showing
The showing has three 15 meter deep shafts. The host rock is a massive mafic rock but 25 meters to the north is an intrusive quartz-porphyry. Most of the rubble from the shafts are massive mafic material although a few blocks of rusty vein material consisting of carbonate, quartz, actinolite, 1-2% pyrite and traces of hematite were found. A grab sample of carbonate vein material with 1-2% pyrite assayed 5.7 g/t Au.
Northern Fragmental Unit
Another interesting target is a fragmental QFP which strikes across the central portion of the property. A similar fragmental unit in the area of the Nelson Pit-North Shore Zone has returned 3.25 gpt Au over 3.15m within a gold anomalous zone grading 0.77 gpt Au over 24.7m (hole BD-46, Nelson Pit area). Other drilling by Minnova at this location returned 4.4 gpt Au/5.5 m and 7. l gpt Au/3.2 m (Schnieders, 1996).This fragmental shows remarkable similarities to the rocks at the Hemlo Deposit. As a result, the northern fragmental unit may have similar potential and is considered a high priority target.
Sjolander-McKirdy
A 1.5 meter wide carbonate-quartz vein hosted by a hornblende schist about 244 meters north of a large quartz porphyry outcrop. The vein strikes S70W and dips 75 degrees to the north. The hornblende schist contains quartz and carbonate and is well mineralized 3.0 meters either side of the vein. A pit has been blasted to a 2.4 meter depth over a 7.3 meter width of the zone. Considerable gold occurs about 1.5 meters from the hanging wall. The whole zone is heavily mineralized with pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and a little pyrrhotite. Assays indicate an ore-shoot about 2.0 meters wide near the hanging wall. A thin section of ore shows interlocking quartz and carbonate veins with gold and pyrite closely associated lying between the grains. Apparently a 226.8 kilogram bulk sample was sent to a smelter in 1914, but no results were recorded.
Dalsland Occurrence
The Dalsland showing contains appreciable amounts of sphalerite over a width of 6 meters. The mineralization consists of traces of disseminated sphalerite in a bedded magnetite-rich chert. Thin (5 cm) garnetiferous beds and quartz-porphyritic tuffs are interbedded with this
exhalite. This exhalite-sediment package which is bounded to the north by a coarse-grained gabbro and to the south by a mafic flow is quite discontinuous along strike. The only other occurrence of the magnetite-rich chert occurs directly south of the gabbro. At the Dalsland showing there is an enrichment of sphalerite in the cross-cutting actinolite-quartz veins. A historical drill hole (Canabel Syndicate, 1958) drilled 10 cm of 40% sphalerite at a depth of 117 meters. Grab samples taken from the showing by Falconbridge in 1984 are listed below:
TBS 1574: 27 ppb Au - garnet-magnetite-rich beds.
TBS 1576: 43 ppb Au; 4.4 g/t Ag; 5.08% Zn - actinolite-quartz vein with disseminated sphalerite.
TBS 521: 60 ppb Au; 909 ppm Cu, 5400 ppm Zn - bedded cherts, trace disseminated sphalerite.
There are two other 'veins' shown on geological map 2023 (Pye, 1960) that are not named. One of these veins, just north of the Sjolander-McKirdy showing (mentioned above) has a shaft on it. There is no recorded history of either vein. Interestingly, both veins are along strike of the Dalsland zinc occurrence and may represent a new mineralized trend in the area that hasn't been previously recognized.
Madson Showing
The Madson showing is a quartz-calcite vein which has reported a 1.5 meter channel sample grading 3.7 g/t gold.
East of Helin Shaft
The East of Helin Shaft lies on the north shore of Big Duck Lake where there is an old trench and shaft. The host rock is a QP but the material in the trench is so highly silicified that it is difficult to see any quartz phenocrysts. Disseminated pyrite (3-5% and locally 20%) and traces of chalcopyrite are associated with the alteration. The exposure in the area is quite poor and thus it was not possible to trace this zone along strike. Assays of grab samples of the mineralization contain up to 0.62 g/t gold, 9.3 g/t silver and 0.07% copper. The width of the silicified and pyritized zone is estimated to be at least 5 to 6 meters in the trench area.
North Gold Zone
The North Gold Zone is within a mafic tuff which is finely bedded. A rusty zone with 2 to 4% disseminated pyrite occurs at the contact with a quartz-eyed (3-5%) QFP sill. Although there is a cross-cutting quartz vein, the gold is concentrated in this tuff. A grab sample of the mineralization assayed 6.32 g/t gold. Subsequent chip samples across the zone assayed as high as 1.67 g/t gold.
Stewart Pit
At the Stewart Pit showing there is a 3 meter deep pit into the side of the hill. This pit exposes a 1.5 meter wide rusty siliceous tuff with 3% to 10% disseminated pyrite and traces of sphalerite.
This mineralized zone, which trends 261° and dips 52° to the north, seems to be at the top of a stretched mafic pillow-pillow breccia sequence. The zone is overlain to the north by mafic pillows. A grab sample of the mineralized tuff assayed 2350 ppm zinc and 281 ppb gold.
Gray Showing
The Gray showing occurs in a gossaned pillowed mafic flow containing quartz veining. A sample of the gossan was taken by MNDM geologists (G. Wells, Corp Falconbridge Copper, 1984) and assayed 6.2 g/t gold.
Harvey Point Showing
The Harvey Point showing is located at the eastern end of Big Duck Lake. The showing consists of 4 trenches on the southern shore of the point. The host rock is a fine-grained massive mafic rock with QFP sills to the north and south of the showing. Pyrite occurs as disseminated and massive sulphides in a silicified and epidotized zone. Locally there is also hematite staining.
Although there is good alteration at this showing, the best assays to date are 0.35 % copper and 227 ppb gold.
Stares Big Duck Island
In 2003, a total of 60 samples were taken, by the Stares Brothers of Thunder Bay, around the shore of Big Duck Lake to see if potential of a gold zone could be lying in the center of the lake. Their best assay results was 13.5 g/t Au in a siliceous biotite-rich piece of rubble with 10% py and 20% cpy located on a Island in the middle of Big Duck Lake. Several other samples ran greater than 1 g/t Au, with the rest being anomalous. In lieu of the amount of anomalous gold up to ore grade that sit on the shores and on the Islands of Big Duck Lake, they felt there was a high possibility of a gold zone sitting in the lake. They recommended a geophysics survey (I.P and mag) should be conducted, followed by diamond drilling.
Estelle
Three pits constitute the Estelle A and B showings. Stratmat Ltd. drilled a number of holes into these mineralized quartz veins in 1955. The quartz veins are weakly mineralized with 1 or 2% disseminated pyrite and traces of chalcopyrite and molybdenite and malachite staining. A grab sample taken by CFC assayed 633 ppb Au. Bernie Schneiders of the MNDM in Thunder Bay examined this showing and took several grab samples. The best assay by from Falconbridge in 1984 was 0.05 oz/t Au and 0.52% Cu. The mineralization is hosted in fine-grained mafic rocks.
Cooper
There are two pits at the Cooper showing. Both pits exposed quartz veins which are heavily mineralized with pyrite (15-20%). Grab samples of this material by Falconbridge in 1984 returned anomalous gold and molybdenum (312 ppb Au, 1092 ppm Mo in sample TBS 1261 and 764 ppb Au in sample TBS 1262). More stripping and cleaning of the old pits is required to get a better handle on the orientation and dimensions of the quartz vein.
Sjolander
The Sjolander showing is a mineralized quartz-biotite-quartz vein which is hosted in a fine-grained massive, mafic flow and is exposed in a 10 by 10 meter pit. Up to 5% pyrite and traces of chalcopyrite are in the quartz vein. The exposure is too poor to determine the orientation and dimensions of the quartz vein, however, it does not appear to be very wide. Grab samples from Falconbridge in 1984 assayed 0.26% Cu, 75 ppb Au (TBS 1264) and 0.92% Cu, 1.16 g/t Au (TBS 1265).
Tribe
The Tribe showing consists of two small pits in mafic volcanics. Mineralization consists of traces of pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite and malachite in quartz veins. A grab sample of this vein material by Falconbridge in 1984 assayed 296 ppb Au. A pile of "high grade" material was found at the remnants of an old cabin and assayed 4.98 g/t Au. The presence of such anomalous material dictates that more work be done in this area.
St. Louis and Bobbie Lake Showings
Little is known about the St. Louis and Bobbie Lake showings. Pye (1964) states the St. Louis vein is of sugary quartz hosted by mafic metavolcanics. Hopkins (1922) indicated that the gold content was low. According to the Pays Plat Lake Area GDIF (225) the showing also contains copper. The Bobbie Lake Occurrence is indicated on GDIF 225 as a Au-Pb-Zn showing and has a shaft sunk on it but little else is known about the showing.
Quartz Stockwork
Additionally, there is a quartz stockwork that lies south of the St. Louis showing. Pye (1964) describes the area as a network of quartz veins. Abundant quartz and calcite veins up to 1.0 meter wide, are present throughout the mafic volcanics and gabbro. At one location at the base of a cliff, disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite, with malachite stain, was observed hosted by a fine-grained aplite-trachyte dyke. Minor pyrite and chalcopyrite was also observed in several of the veins. Due to a major change in elevation, a long topographic lineament, and the intensive quartz and calcite veining, a major fault is assumed in the area trending 120-140 degrees. It is interesting to note that the Bobbie Lake Au-Pb-Zn Occurrence is along this same lineament to the west, and as a result, this structure is a high priority for further investigation.
Canabel Silver-Zinc Occurrence
The Canabel Silver-Zinc Occurrence is located about 300 meters east of the southern end of Heron lake. This occurrence lies along a geophysical conductor (Zone A-2, Valmont Mining, 1957) and is located in metasediments close to the contact with metavolcanics to the north. Four holes totaling 305.1 meters in length were drilled by Valmont Mining. Assay results from the core returned assays of 0.67% zinc over 0.55 meters and 0.20 oz/ton silver over 0.48 meters (page 183, OFR 5692). The drilling indicated that the mineralized zone (of the main showing) occurred in a "fine to medium-grained mica garnet schist" and "black tuff with considerable graphite". Mineralization consists of very fine disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite, with occasional stringers of pyrite parallel to bedding planes. A few small crystals of sphalerite and chalcopyrite have been noted, sometimes in quartz-carbonate. Previous drilling has been spotty and shallow. Future activity should focus on deeper drilling with an emphasis on those portions of the conductors that indicate alteration and/or anomalous soil values.
Shy Lake-Cable Lake Iron Formation
This pyrite-pyrrhotite iron formation, which extends across the northern part of the property, is exposed in pits and trenches south of Shy Lake and north of Cable Lake. There is also a pit on the southern shore of Sulphur Lake. The sulphides are massive or finely banded and contains chert fragments. Grab samples of this iron formation have returned up to 2.0 g/t silver.
Graphite Lake
In 1987, drilling by Golden Range Resources (GRZ-8) intersected 6.3 meters of massive sulphides along the north shore of Graphite Lake. The best assay in the hole was 1,280 ppm over 0.8 meters. In addition, drill hole GRZ-6 intersected 0.35 meters of massive sulphides 1,000 meters to the east along the same horizon. There is a molybdenum showing near GRZ-8 immediately north of this massive sulphide zone. Additionally, a parallel sulphide horizon, 600 meters to the north, also intersected massive sulphides (GRZ-13) and is worthy of further investigation.
Conclusion
The Big Duck Lake property is host to gold mineralization that occurs along the contact between mafic volcanics and a quartz-feldspar porphyry intrusion. To date, over 40 separate gold occurrences have been identified in the area, the most notable is the Coco-Estelle Zone, with a drill indicated resource of 53,700 tonnes grading 10.7 g/t Au. Gold mineralization is associated with disseminated Py (+/- Cpy, Sph) in zones of silicification, biotization and sericitization in the mafic volcanics, QFP and a distinctive fragmental unit located at or near the QFP-mafic volcanic contact.
The mineralized setting has many similarities to the Hemlo deposit, including the association of gold mineralization with sericitic and potassically altered QFP, the presence of a distinctive mineralized fragmental unit at the QFP-mafic volcanic contact, and the presence of green mica, molybdenite and unconfirmed reports of barite associated with the altered QFP. Given these similarities, a re-evaluation of the property with an emphasis on the potential of the Big Duck Lake porphyry as a gold bearing porphyry system is warranted.
In addition, potentially significant but enigmatic base metal occurrences are also found on the property. Some of these may be analogous with one or other of the Zenith or Pick Lake deposits on Inmet's Winston Lake property adjacent to the west.
