MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
725
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
COPPER
NTS AREA
63K9SW
REF.
CU 1
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
SPRUCE POINT
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1990 - Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting
Company Limited
P.O. Box
1500
Flin Flon MB R8A 1N9
OBJECT LOCATED
Anomaly
MINING
DIVISION
The Pas
Latitude
54°34'30
Longitude
100°24'05
Uncertainty
(m)
100 m
UTM Zone
14U
Easting
409400
Northing
6048200
L.S./Quarter
Section
3
Section
1534
Township
65
Range
20WPM
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
The deposit is situated beneath 3 metres (m) of overburden and 12 m of
Ordovician limestone within Precambrian sericitized felsic volcanic host
rocks.
"It is hosted by an overturned sequence of fragmental rhyolite in
contact with basalt to the east and west. The deposit strikes 015°, has an
average dip of 80°E, and plunges 36°SE. It has a strike length of 450-500 m, a
maximum width of 18 m and an approximate average thickness of 9 m.
Mineralization consists of solid, medium grained pyrite, sphalerite,
chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite in four lenses along one stratigraphic zone. Galena
is also present in trace amounts. Lenses No. 1 and 3 are copper (Cu) and zinc
(Zn) rich; the No. 4 lens is copper and gold (Au) rich; and the No. 5 lens is Zn
rich. The deposit has an internal metal zoning characterized by a north to south
grading of Cu-rich ore to Zn-rich ore. Erratic Au mineralization, associated
with arsenopyrite, is present in the argillite unit directly above the sulphide
zones" (Ferreira and Fedikow, 1990).
"The main or No. 1 lens has a strike
length of 121.9 m (400 ft) and a plunge length of 365.7 m (1200 ft), extending
from a vertical depth of 45.7 m (150 ft) to 228.6 m (750 ft). The No. 2 lens
appears to be of limited extent.... indications of a third lens were found at a
vertical depth of 350.5 m (1150 ft)" (Northern Miner, November 22, 1973).
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Zinc (Zn) and Gold (Au).
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The deposit is located near the south shore of Reed Lake, 1.6 km north
of Provincial Road 391, and 42-km southwest of Snow Lake.
In 1956, an
airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey was done by Parrex Syndicate under
Airborne Permit No. 16 (Non-confidential Assessment File No. 91708). In April
1957, Exploration Reservation No. 5 was issued to Bert Newman, who then assigned
it to Parmlee Manitoba Mining Company Limited in September 1957. An airborne
electromagnetic and magnetic survey and a ground electromagnetic survey was done
that year (Non-confidential Assessment File No. 91707). The ground re-opened for
staking in 1959.
In 1961, Exploration Reservation No. 19 was issued to
Canadian Nickel Company Limited. That year, a hole was drilled two claims south
of this area, on Reed 46, to a depth of 276.5 m (907 ft) and two other holes
were drilled west of this area (Non-confidential Assessment File No. 91837). The
area re-opened for staking in 1962.
In 1967, Hudson Bay Exploration and
Development Company Limited (H.B.E.D.) did a helicopter EM and radiometric
survey under Airborne Permit No. 67 (Non-confidential Assessment File No.
91661).
In November 1971, M.J. Moreau took out Exploration Reservation No.
107 (30 701 hectares) over the area south of Reed Lake. From January to March
1972, a Questor Input survey was flown for Freeport Canadian Exploration Company
and Beth-Canada Mining Company, acting in a 50-50 joint venture. The "airborne
geophysical survey outlined an anomaly running about two thirds on the south
shore of Reed Lake and one third underneath it" (Fig. 1). Drilling began in the
winter of 1972, and the first mineralized section was cut in the second last
hole of the program (Northern Miner, November 22, 1973).
Drilling, in the
fall of 1973, outlined the orebody with 25 holes out of 43 drilled and "a
preliminary estimate of about 0.9 million tonnes (t) (1 million tons) grading 2%
Cu and 4% Zn, as well as silver values, which may be recoverable, and minor gold
values" (Northern Miner, November 22, 1973).
Reed No. 19 (P 4414E) was staked
over the deposit in 1973, by Ingi Bjornson, as part of the 50 claim Reed Group,
which was then assigned to M.J. Moreau, and then to Freeport Canadian
Exploration Company.
From January to April 1974, the deposit was to be tested
on strike and down dip using five drills (Northern Miner, November 22, 1973).
Work continued on the property in 1974 and 1975 (Northern Miner, March 7, 1974
and March 6, 1975).
In August 1976, Reed No. 19 became part of Explored Area
Lease No. 26, along with 16 other Reed claims and a few Reservations of Mineral
Rights (dispositions over open water). The property was acquired in December
1977, by H.B.E.D. through Anglo American Corporation of Canada Limited for "a
cash payment of approximately $800 000 and the assumption of a royalty
obligation to the original prospector-vendors of 23 cents/t (25 cent/ton) of ore
mined, against which an advance royalty payment of $125 000 had already been
made". It was estimated that the deposit contained 454 000 t "(500 000 tons)
assaying 2.8% Cu and 4.5% Zn" (HBMS, Annual Report 1977, p. 25).
Construction
of an underground mine was started in August 1978; shaft sinking began in April
1980, and was completed to a depth of 655 m (2150 ft.) in July 1981. Lateral
development was underway and a significant amount of development ore was
expected to be treated in 1982 (Northern Miner, January 21, 1982; HBMS, Annual
Reports, 1978 to 1981).
As of January 1981, proven ore reserves were 507 000
t (559 000 tons) averaging 2.70% Cu, 4.3% Zn, 32.57 g/t (0.95 oz/ton) Ag and
1.92 g/t (0.056 oz/ton) Au (Department of EMR, Mineral Bulletin M.R. 191, p.
17).
E.A.L. 26 was discontinued on July 11, 1981, and a new lease was
requested. In 1982, former E.A.L. 26 was split into two parts (Lease 1, 2) and
its acreage was increased. The property was transferred to HBMS in 1983.
As
of December 31, 1984, ore reserves were reported at 1 164 508 t at 2.24% Cu and
1.7% Zn (Esposito, 1986).
Reserves as of December 31, 1987, were 567 000 t
grading 2.15% Cu, 1.7% Zn, 1.44 g/t Au and 15.04 g/t Ag (F. Bill, HBMS, March
17, 1989 in Ferreira and Fedikow, 1990).
According to Ferreira and Fedikow
(1990), "The No. 1 lens was first to be mined. Currently the bulk of ore
production is from the No. 3 lens. The No. 4 lens is under development, and the
No. 5 lens is being explored. The mine has been developed from the 45 m to the
574 m levels and is open at depth".
Operations continued until March 1992,
when the mine closed due to resource depletion. As of 2002, no further work has
been completed on this property.
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
Tonnage figures mined for the Spruce Point Mine, which was
still in production in 1990, have been reported by various sources as follows
(*Esposito, 1986; Ferreira and Fedikow, 1990):
Year Tonnes Cu% Zn% Au g/t Ag
g/t
1984* 169 934 2.69 2.90
1982-1984* 428 774 2.64 3.50
1982-1988 1
123 000 2.36 2.80 2.0 25.0
REFERENCES
Aggarwal, P.K. 1986: Fluid-rock interaction during retrograde
alteration of metamorphic minerals
at Spruce Point, Manitoba; EOS, v.
67, No. 44, p. 1256.
Aggarwal, P.K. and Nesbitt, B.E. 1987: Pressure and
temperature conditions of metamorphism in
the vicinity of three massive
sulfide deposits, Flin Flon-Snow Lake belt, Manitoba; Canadian Journal of Earth
Sciences, v. 24, No. 11, p. 2305-2327.
Bailes, A.H. 1971: Preliminary
compilation of the geology of the Snow Lake - Flin Flon - Sherridon
area;
Manitoba Mines and Natural Resources, Mines Branch, Geological Paper 1/71,
27p.
Canadian Mines Handbook 1993: Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co.
Ltd.; Canadian Mines
Handbook 1992-1993, p. 187.
Esposito, B.E. 1986:
Copper and Zinc in Manitoba; Manitoba Energy and Mines, Mineral
Education
Series, p. 13.
Ferreira, K.J. and Fedikow, M.A.F. 1990: Mineral deposits
and occurrences in the Tramping Lake
area, NTS 63K/9; Manitoba Energy and
Mines, Geological Services, Mineral Deposit Series, Report No. 7, p. 7-9,
73-76.
Franklin, J.M. and Thorpe, R.I. 1982: Comparative metallogeny of
the Superior, Slave and
Churchill Provinces; in Precambrian Sulphide Deposits
(R.W. Hutchinson, C.D. Spence and J.M. Franklin, eds.); Geological Association
of Canada, Special Paper 25, p. 15.
Gale, G.H., Baldwin, D.A., and Koo,
J. 1980: A geological evaluation of Precambrian massive
sulphide deposit
potential in Manitoba; Manitoba Department of Energy and Mines, Mineral
Resources Division, Economic Geology Report ER79-1, p. 98.
Gunter, W.R.
and Yamada, P.H. 1986: Evaluation of industrial mineral occurrences in the
Flin
Flon - Snow Lake area; in Manitoba Energy and Mines, Minerals Division,
Report of Field Activities, 1986, p. 86, 91.
Harrison, J.M. 1949: Geology
and mineral deposits of File-Tramping Lakes area, Manitoba;
Geological Survey
of Canada, Memoir No. 250, 92p.
Hosain, I.T. 1980: Summary of results of
geophysical data compilation from open assessment
reports Flin Flon - Snow
Lake and Bird River greenstone belts; Manitoba Energy and Mines, Mineral
Resources Division, Economic Geology Paper EP79-1, p. 6.
Hosain, I.T.
1984: Interpretation of airborne magnetic gradiometer surveys of the area south
of
the Flin Flon - Snow Lake belt (parts of NTS 63K and 63J); Manitoba Energy
and Mines, Mineral Resources Division, Mines Branch, Open File Report OF84-2,
26p.
Hosain, I.T. 1988: An update summary and evaluation of geophysical
data from open assessment
files of the Flin Flon - Snow Lake greenstone belt
(NTS sheets 63K (N l/2) and 63J/l2, l3); Manitoba Energy and Mines, Mines
Branch, Open File Report OF87-11, p. 10.
Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting
Co., Limited: The Financial Post Corporation Service
(Information card, circa
December 19, 1981), Maclean Hunter Publishing Company Limited.
Manitoba
Mines Branch: Non-confidential Assessment Files; File Nos. 90244, 91661,
91707,
91708, 91735, 91837.
Manitoba Mines Branch: Corporation Files,
Manitoba Mines Branch: Corporation Files, Freeport
Canadian Exploration
Company
Manitoba Mines Branch: Corporation Files, Hudson Bay Mining and
Smelting Co. Limited
1986 File: "This is Hudson Bay
Mining...").
McCabe, H.R. 1984: Stratigraphic mapping and stratigraphic
and industrial minerals core hole
program; in Manitoba Energy and Mines,
Mineral Resources, Report of Field Activities, 1984, p. 139,
142.
McRitchie, W.D. and Hosain, I. 1984: Project Cormorant -
sub-Paleozoic investigations south of
Flin Flon and Snow Lake; in Manitoba
Energy and Mines, Mineral Resources, Report of Field Activities, 1984, p.
83.
Northern Lights 1981: v. 41, No. 2, Summer, p. 18; in Manitoba Mines
Branch, Corporation File,
Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co.,
Limited.
Price, D.P. 1977: Geology and economic potential of the Flin
Flon - Snow Lake area; in University
of Manitoba, Centre for Precambrian
Studies, 1977 Annual Report, p. 67, 78.
White, R.L. 1981: Diverse mines
feed Hudson Bay's Flin Flon zinc copper complex; Engineering
and Mining
Journal, v. 182, No. 11, p. 169.
MAP REFERENCES
Bailes, A.H. 1971: Map, Snow Lake - Flin Flon - Sherridon area, 1:253
440 scale, geological map,
accompanies Bailes (1971), Manitoba Mines
Branch.
Ferreira, K.J. and Fedikow, M.A.F. 1990: Map 7, MDS, Mineral
deposits and occurrences in the
Tramping Lake (63K/9) area; 1:50 000 scale,
geological map, accompanying report by Ferreira and Fedikow (1990), Manitoba
Energy and Mines.
Geological Survey of Canada 1982: Map 63K/9 c, d,
McClarty Lake, 1:20 000 scale,
aeromagnetic map, accompanying; GSC Open File
937, Geological Survey of Canada (1982).
Geological Survey of Canada
1985: Map 77-1985, West-Central Manitoba, (Lake sediment and
water
geochemical survey), 1:250 000 scale; survey map, accompanying GSC Open File
1212, Geological Survey of Canada (1985).
Geological Survey of Canada
1970: Map 2465G, Tramping Lake; Manitoba Mines Branch and
Geological Survey
of Canada, aeromagnetic map, scale 1:63 360.
Harrison, J.M. 1949: Map
906A, Tramping Lake area; 1:63 360 scale, geological map,
accompanying
Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 250.
Hosain, I.T. 1984: Map OF84-2,
South of the Flin Flon - Snow Lake area; 1:100 000 scale,
airborne
gradiometer interpretation map, accompanying Report by Hosain (1984), Manitoba
Mineral Resources Division.
Hosain, I.T. 1988: Maps
0F87-11-1A/0F87-11-1B, Tramping Lake area; 1:50 000 scale,
geophysical
compilation maps, accompanying report by Hosain (l988), Manitoba Mines
Branch.
M.D. Clarke 1988: Map, Reed Lake, 1:125 000 scale, surficial
geology map, accompanies GSC
Open File 1900, Geological Survey of Canada
(1988).
Northern Miner 1973: Figure, Freeport Used Questor; Northern
Miner , December 6, 1973.
Manitoba Mines Branch: 63K/9 SW, Circa 1975,
Claim Map Series, Mining Recording, Manitoba
Mines Branch, scale 1:31
680
Province of Manitoba, Province of Saskatchewan Geological Survey of
Canada 1978: Map
36163G, Cormorant Lake; Province of Manitoba, Province of
Saskatchewan, Geological Survey of Canada, airborne gamma ray spectrometry,
scale 1:250 000.
Province of Manitoba and Geological Survey of Canada,
1983:.Maps C 20 352G, C 40 093G,
Tramping Lake; Province of Manitoba and
Geological Survey of Canada, experimental colour compilation, aeromagnetic total
field and vertical gradient map, scale 1:50 000.
Surveys & Mapping
Branch 1988: Map 63K/9, Tramping Lake; Surveys & Mapping
Branch, Ottawa,
topographic map (4th Edition), scale: 1:50 000.
Singhroy, V. 1977:
Preliminary Map 1977 CP-1, Tramping Lake; Manitoba Mineral
Resources
Division, Quaternary geological map, scale 1:50 000.
URL
N/A
REMARKS
1. Fine-grained pyrite and pyrrhotite in chloritic graphite schist
formed up to 40% of short (1.22 m) sections of drill core from a hole drilled on
Base No. 21 and 22, approximately 3.5 km east of the Spruce Point
deposit. Assays showed only traces of copper and zinc, and no nickel. Maximum
assays of 0.68 g/t (0.02 oz/ton) gold and 3.43 g/t (0.10 oz/ton) silver were
reported (Non-confidential Assessment File No. 90244; Location #34, Ferreira and
Fedikow, 1990, p. 75).
2. About 3.8 km northwest, a hole (ddh 19549) returned
0.15% nickel, 0.04% Cu over 3.29 m (10.8 ft) at a drilled depth of 137.9 m
(452.6 ft) (Non-confidential Assessment File No. 91735; Location #33, Ferreira
and Fedikow, 1990, p. 73).
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
RM SMH JDB AGJ PA JJJ
Date
11-75 01-78 08-83 02-87 09-90 06-02
