MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
521
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
NICKEL
NTS AREA
63O1NW
REF.
NI 2
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
SOAB MINE NORTH
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1975-The International Nickel Company of
Canada Limited
Manitoba
Division
Thompson, MB
OBJECT LOCATED
Shaft
MINING
DIVISION
The Pas
Latitude
55°13.95’
Longitude
98°24.11’
Uncertainty
(m)
200 m
UTM Zone
_____
Easting
_______
Northing
_______
L.S./Quarter
Section
___
Section
___
Township
72
Range
7 WPM
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
Massive to disseminated sulphides occurs in Precambrian peridotite and
also possibly in schist and pegmatite (Coats, et al., 1972). Pyrrhotite, pyrite,
pentlandite, and chalcopyrite are found in three horizons in an egg-shaped
body.
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Copper
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The mine is located .2 km west of Provincial Road 391 and 67.6 km
southwest of the city of Thompson.
An aerial magnetic survey helped pinpoint
the mineralization in 1951. Follow-up air and ground electromagnetic surveys and
subsequent diamond drilling discovered nickel bearing material in 1953. That
year R.M. Koronovich staked Roy 2 (P27696) and assigned it to Canadian Nickel
Company Limited shortly thereafter. This claim may not directly overlie the
deposit, but a shaft was sunk here later. Diamond drilling was done on the
deposit in 1953 and 1956, though not necessarily on this claim.
Roy 2 was
assigned to The International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited in 1956 and
leased as M-4322 two years later.
Development of the Soab deposit
began in 1965. Shaft sinking commenced on Roy 2 in 1966 and was completed to 1
541 feet by October 1967. By 1970 the shaft was 1 652 feet deep. The Northern
Miner, October 8, 1970, stated that mining was to start on the 1 000 - and 1
300-foot levels, with development taking place on the 400- and 700-foot
levels.
The article said that about seven years worth of ore was "in sight
with deep drilling exploring for additional tonnage." Another report states that
there were 8-10 years of pre-production reserves if production was 1 000 tons
per day at Soab North, (Macke). Mackenzie (1968) estimated that the
Soab deposit contains 100 000 to 1 000 000 tons of mineralized material
(including ore and subore) grading up to 1.5% Ni.
The Soab North Mine
produced from 1967 to 1971 (INCO staff, personal communication). After 1968, ore
was trucked to the Soab South Mine and transported from there to
Thompson, by a private INCO railroad, for processing. Projected production was 1
000 tons per day from Soab North but it is not known if this was ever
reached.
Mining ceased in 1971 due to several factors leading to a decrease
in "ore". The mine is dewatered and on standby.
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
N/A
REFERENCES
Bell, C.K., 1971: Boundary Geology, Upper Nelson River Area, Manitoba
and Northwestern Ontario, in Geoscience Studies in Manitoba; Geological
Association of Canada, Special Paper 9, p. 11-40.
Coats, C.J.A., Quirke,
T.T., Bell, C.K., Cranstone, D.A., and Campbell, F.H.A., 1972: Geology and
Mineral Deposits of the Flin Flon, Lynn Lake and Thompson Areas, Manitoba, and
the Churchill-Superior Front of the Western Precambrian Shield; International
Geology Congress, 24th Session, p. 53-63, 74.
Davies, J.F., 1960: Geology of
the Thompson-Moak Lake District, Manitoba; Canadian Mining Journal, Volume. 81,
No.. 4, p. 101-4.
Douglas, R.J.W., 1970: Geology and Economic Minerals of
Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Economic Geology Report 1, p.
180-1.
Godard, J.D., 1968: Geology of the Halfway Lake Area (West Half);
Manitoba Mines Branch, Publication 64-5.
International Nickel Company of
Canada, Limited, The; NW 1, 63 0; Corporation File, Manitoba Mineral Resources
Division.
Kilburn, L.C., Wilson, H.D.B., Graham, A.R., Ogura, Y., Coats,
C.J.A., and Scoates, R.F.J., 1969: Economic Geology Monograph 4, p.
276-7.
Macke, Willis; Manitoba Mining Operations, Unpublished Notebook,
Mining Engineering & Inspection Branch, Manitoba Mineral Resources Division,
Soab North.
Mackenzie, B.W., 1968: Nickel-Canada and the World;
Mineral Resources Division, Ottawa, Mineral Report 16, p. 75-6.
Quinn, H.A.,
1956: Mineral Occurrences Between Chipewyan and Herb Lakes, Manitoba;
Precambrian, v. 29, No. 11 (Nov.), p. 10, Showing No. 32.
Quirke, T.T.,
Cranstone, D.A., Bell, C.K., and Coats, C.J.A., 1970: Geology of the
Moak-Setting Area, Manitoba; Geological Association of Canada and Mineral
Association of Canada, 23rd Annual Meeting, Field Trip 1, p. 45.
Sabina,
A.P., 1972: Rocks and Minerals for the Collector, La Ronge-Creighton,
Saskatchewan; Flin Flon-Thompson, Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper
71-72, p. 72.
Zurbrigg, H.F, 1963: Thompson Mine Geology; C.I.M.M., Trans.,
v. LXVI, p. 227-36.
MAP REFERENCES
Map 63 0/1, Halfway Lake, (Topographic), Scale 1:50 000; Surveys &
Mapping Branch., Ottawa.
Map 54-13, Nelson House, (Geology), Scale 1:253 440;
accompanied. Marginal Notes by Quinn (1955); Geological Survey of Canada.
Map
64-5, Halfway Lake Area, (Geology), Scale;. 1:60 200; accompanied Publication by
Godard (1968); Manitoba Mines Branch.
Map, Moak-Setting Lake Area, (Geology),
Scale 1:96 000; accompanied I.G.C. Field Excursions by Coats, et. al. (1972),
24th Session, International Geological Congress.
Map 2591 G, Halfway Lake,
(Aeromagnetic), Scale 1:63 360; Manitoba Mines Branch and Geological Survey of
Canada.
Maps, NW 1, 63 0 (Claim), Scale 1:31 680, "Circa 1975" Claim Map
Series, Mining Recording, Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.
URL
N/A
REMARKS
In articles and reports it is often difficult to differentiate between
Soab North and Soab South. When no distinction was made the term
"Soab Deposit" was used on the front of this card.
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
SMH
Date
2-73 11-75
