EXPLORATION ’95 — “Diamond Willow zone” returns significant

With several major exploration companies — the group includes Metall Mining (TSE), Rio Algom (TSE), Inco (TSE) and Noranda (TSE) — jockeying for position at the southeastern end of the Red Lake greenstone belt, it is clear that the search for base metals in volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits is alive and well in this northwestern Ontario mining camp.

Working near the past producing South Bay underground base metal mine, Noranda Mining and Exploration is continuing to consolidate its position. With hundreds of claims in various stages of exploration and with activity on the technical and financial front, Noranda is demonstrating a continued interest in the region.

The Joy property is of particular interest to Noranda. It is a Noranda-operated venture with earn-in partners Major General Resources (VSE) and Pathfinder Resources (VSE) situated about 60 km southeast of here, consisting of 23 contiguous claim blocks and totaling 45 claims. A recent assessment report filed with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Red Lake contains some geologically significant results.

According to Denis Francoeur, Noranda’s Toronto-based regional manager of Precambrian exploration, the company is encouraged by what it has encountered in the entire volcanogenic belt in general and on the Joy property in particular.

“In the last two years we have been able to enhance the geological setting in terms of more information on the extent of the alteration zones,” Francoeur said. “We were able to test some definite targets and come up with mineralization in the form of both massive sulphide and stringer mineralization.”

Working with Noranda’s encouraging 1992 drilling results, which revealed massive sulphide mineralization at a vertical depth of 200 metres and assayed 4.01% copper, 0.17% zinc and 16.8 grams silver per tonne over 3.35 metres, the company developed a 3-phase drill program with systematic lithogeochemical sampling on 14 holes (4454.8 metres).

The first phase indicated strong footwall alteration along strike to the east and west at the 200-metre level and at depth at the 300-metre level. However, it was during the testing of an off-hole that the company intersected significant values in an area named “the Diamond Willow zone.” At the 200-metre level, intersections included up to 2.26% copper and 1.81% zinc over 4.2 metres, and 1.24% copper and 0.98% zinc over 5.35 metres. And in wrapping up the report, Craig MacDougall, project geologist, stated that “the Joy and Diamond Willow zones both remain open down plunge at the 300-metre level, and the potential for additional mineralized zones remains high.”

A major economic zone has yet to be located. However, encouraged by results to date, Francoeur said that “as a result of this cents recent program] we have enhanced and consolidated our land position in the area and we are continuing our efforts in the whole belt.”

Encouraged by results, which also may have prompted Pathfinder’s recent 25% earn-in agreement with Major General, and as a follow-up to the 1994 program, diamond drills are currently turning on the Joy property.

“There is a 4-drill-hole program on that particular property (Joy) ongoing at the present time,” Francoeur said. “We just drilled east of the South Bay Mine on a block we call the Confederation Lake Block and there we are testing deep EM (electromagnetic) targets.”

He added that in addition to the testing of near-surface targets, emphasis will be placed on trying to identify slightly deeper targets with the pulse EM technique.

Outside of the Joy property, Noranda has many 100% owned claims in the same belt. And in the nearby Dixie Lake area, the company operates with some Selco options.

Francoeur would not state exactly how extensive were Noranda’s holdings in the area. He did say, however, that “we have several claim blocks and over the up-to-15-km strike length we are covered.”

The regional manager said Noranda has every intention of proceeding with its current commitment in the province’s northwest: “I would say we are no longer very active in the belts near Mattabi but . . . in northwest Ontario we are still quite active in the Geco and Snake Falls (the company name for the south end of the Red Lake mining camp) belts.”

In the hunt for base metal mines, company efforts often parallel those of precious metal prospectors, searching for new deposits near past producers. By the time the South Bay Mine closed in 1981 after 10 years of operation, it had produced about 1.4 million tonnes (grading 1.8% copper, 11.06% zinc and 72.7 grams silver). Noranda hopes to use history and aggressive exploration techniques to uncover a similar nearby massive sulphide deposit of economic significance.

— The author is a freelance writer and resident of Red Lake, Ont.