Stratigraphic & Metallogenic Comparison of the Detour-Burntbush area with the Southern Abitibi

J.A. Ayer1, B. Dub2 & N.F. Trowell1

1

Ontario Geological Survey 2 Geological Survey of Canada

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

TALK OUTLINE
1) Detour-Burntbush Stratigraphy: Implications for VMS Exploration 2) Structural/Stratigraphic Controls: Exploration Implications for Epigenetic Gold

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Detour

Burntbush

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Abitibi Contains 6 VMS-bearing Volcanic Episodes Spaning ~40 m.y. NW Abitibi has the 3 Oldest Assemblages
Estrades

Gemini-Turgeon

2750-2735 Ma (Pacaud assemblage)

Ont Que

50 km

Gemini-Turgeon 2736 1 Ma

geochron VMS deposit

KM

Pacaud 2747 2 Ma

From Goutier, 2007

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Burntbush Belt Geology

Ayer et al 2009; Map P.3609

Gemini-Turgeon VMS deposit ~2 Mt

10 km

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

2730-2724 Ma (Deloro Assemblage)

Ont Que
Matagami TH

Selbaie

TH

TR-CA TH-TR Joutel TR-CA Riv. Bell CA Chanceux KM Chibougamau

50 km

2
Normtal Deloro Hunter Mine CA

CA

geochron VMS deposit

Goutier, 2007

-27 deposits totalling about 111 Mt of ore (13 deposits & 53 Mt at Matagami) -Zn-Cu, Cu-Zn, Au-Zn-Cu, and hybrid polymetallic deposit types

Detour-Selbaie Geology drapped on Magnetics

Detour Belt Geology

Ayer et al 2009; Map P.3609

10 km

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Selbaie Mine: ~30 Mt @ 1.2%Cu, 1.9%Zn, 0.6g/t Au, 37g/t Ag Host rocks: Felsic volcaniclastics (age 2729 +3/-2 Ma)

Normetal Deposit
BIF horizons (black) 10 Million tonnes grading 2.2% Cu, 5.4% Zn, 0.53 g/t Au and 44.5 g/t Ag

Age: 2728 Ma
Host rocks: Maficfelsic, tholeiitictransitional, flowvolcaniclastic

EM horizons (red) sulfides +/- graphite 10 km

OGS MDI Occurrences

Copper Gold

op ose d Me Dis tal cov log er en Ab y S iti Burntbush tud bi M Rhyolite Chemistry y P ap r o j p in ect g &
2723.80.8 2723.8

Pr

Normetal Mine Rhyolite Chemistry (Lafrance et al., 2000)

10 km

2720.31.1 2720.3

OEGS Sudbury 2009 Gold December 16

Copper

2723-2720 Ma (Stoughton-Roquemaure Assemblage)

Ont Que
TR-CA-CA* Estrades 2720 3 Ma Au-rich VMS KM TH CA CA

CA*

50 km

From Goutier, 2007

-1 known deposit despite large amounts of volcanic rocks OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Zn&Au MDIs (Estrades-Type?) Noseworthy Twp.

Estrades Aurich VMS 2720 3 Ma ~0.9 Mt 1% Cu, 12% Zn, 6g/t Au

Burntbush Belt OGS MDI Occurrences Gold Copper Zinc Nickel

10 km

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Zn & Au Occurrences (Estrade-type?)

Atkinson Lake Area

Statistics: Numerous Au-ZnCu occurrences Age: 2721 2 Ma Host rocks: Felsicmafic volcs, BIF, py & gf-rich cherty exhalative horizons
Eg. - 46.94 g/t Au over 1.5 m in cherty tuff -0.71% Zn, 0.15% Cu & 5g/t Au over 1.5m

Exhalitive Horizons Gold & Zinc Zinc Copper

Atkinson Lake VMS Occurrences

BIF Horizons 10 km

Part 2: Structural/Stratigraphic Controls on Epigenetic Gold Deposits

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Abitibi Gold Deposits (Poulsen et al. 2000)

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Fault Antiform Synform

Detour Lake Area Geology

Ayer et al 2009; Map P.3609

Au Zones Detour Lake NWL M A mine Main Sunda y Lake DZ A

Lower Detour Lake DZ

Detour Mine Gold System -Production to 1999 1.7 Moz @ 3.8 g/t Recent Exploration -Au zones now extend ~9 km by 1 km deep -DGC Open Pit resource ~11 Moz @ 1.5 g/t Structural Setting (Oliver et al, in prep) -D1 south verging thrust & overturned hanging wall folds -D2/3 - sinistral in Main & M zones & dextral in North Walter Lake Zone (NWLZ)

2 km

A South

SLDZ UltraMafic schist

A North
Cherty Marker Horizon thin calc alk volc unit between komatiitic & tholeiitic units Age 2725.11.4 Ma (Deloro Assemblage) Pillowed mafics Massive mafics Gabbro cutting mafic volcs Age 2720.1 1.3 Ma

Clastic Seds Age <2696 Ma

Gold is late - not synvolcanic @2722 Ma (Marmont & Corfu, 1989) -Timing constrained by <2697 Ma for unmineralized albitite dikes cutting mineralized volcanics & clastic sedimentary units OEGS Sudbury 2009 2725 to 2697 Ma) (i.e. December 16

Aurizon Mine ~ 3 Mt@9.3g/t

a Cas

i DZ r a rd Be

Casa Berardi DZ
Burntbush Belt Auriferous DZ extending ~90 km from the Aurizon Mine to Tweed Twp. Anatomising DZ; kinematics suggest early N over S thrusting -gold associated with later brittle faults within DZ (Pilote et al. 1990)

OGS MDI Occurrences

10 km

Gold Copper Zinc Nickel OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Timmins Area Au Mines PF Pipestone Thrust PDF Porcupine-DestorThrust 10 km

~10 km offset on late fault

PF
PDF
PF
New LSG Timmins Mine ~1 Moz @ 9 g/t

PF

S. verging

N. verging

F PD

PDF
HURONIAN COVER

Blake River (2704 to 2696 Ma)

Upper Unit

Stoughton-Roquemaure (2723 to 2720 Ma)

Timiskaming (2676 to 2670 Ma)

Sedimentary Volcanic UNCONFORMITY

Lower Unit

Tisdale (2710 to 2704 Ma)

Upper Unit Lower Unit

Deloro (2730 to 2724 Ma)

Pacaud (2750 to 2735 Ma)

Porcupine (2690 to 2685 Ma)

Kidd-Munro (2719 to 2711 Ma)

Sedimentary Volcanic UNCONFORMITY

OEGS Sudbury Archean granitoid 2009 December 16

Upper Unit Lower Unit

Detour

Burntbush

D1 thrusts N-side up S-side up

OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16

Summary & Conclusions

Detour-Burnbush Exploration Targets
VMS Potential Explore for VMS deposits in 2730-24 Ma volcanics similar to Selbaie (N. Detour) & Normetal (S. Burntbush) Zn & Au rich VMS in 2723-20 Ma volcanics similar to Estrades (N. Burntbush & S. Detour) Lode Gold Potential D1 thrusts are south-verging in N Abitibi; & northverging in S Abitibi Au mineralization occurs in later strike-slip DZs (D2D4) proximal to the D1 thrust Look for structures deflected off the main D1 thrust trends; & in brittle &/or Fe-rich units (eg. small intrusions, Fe tholeiites, FIII rhyolites, etc)
OEGS Sudbury 2009 December 16