Louvicourt discovery fuels search for more sulphides in Val d’Or

The trouble with the Louvicourt Twp. exploration camp east of Val d’Or, Que., is that the emphasis has always been on gold, says prospector Jack Stoch.

The Globex Mining (ME) president was referring to the fact that Louvicourt and the other townships surrounding Val d’Or have been explored for their gold rather than base metal potential since the area’s base metal producers shut down in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

For that reason, the recent massive sulphide discovery reported by Aur Resources (TSE) and Societe Miniere Louvem (TSE) won’t prevent other junior explorers with land positions at Val d’Or from finding new deposits, Stoch says.

Any one of a handful of exploration companies could find something significant along the favorable belt of volcanic rocks extending all the way from the East Sullivan mine site in Bourlamaque Twp., five miles east through Louvicourt village, adds Aur Vice- president Howard Stockford.

Of those companies, Aur has the best chance of finding the next deposit, Stoch told The Northern Miner. Aur has the largest land position in the camp and it has learned a considerable amount about the local geological environment while outlining 18 million tons of grade 2.8% copper and 2.8% zinc on the Louvem claims.

Last year, for example, the Toronto-based company encountered widespread stringer-copper sulphides on its wholly owned Lugold property about four miles southeast of the Louvem discovery area. Results from previous drilling include 29 ft of grade 15.3% zinc, 0.41% copper and 1.54% copper over 15 ft.

But Aur is not the only game in Louvicourt and neighboring Pascalis twps. A stringer sulphide zone has also been reported on an adjacent claim group controlled by Aurizon Mines (TSE), estimated to have similar potential to the Aur/Louvem discovery. The claims are being explored in a joint venture involving owner Aurizon and Ezekiel Explorations.

Values ranging as high as 9.3% copper, 9.9% zinc and 98 g silver across narrow widths have also been reported on a Pascalis property known as the Obasca. It was optioned recently by Globex from owner Exploration Rogi (ME). The property has since been re-optioned to Universal Trident Industries (VSE) and Nepheline Resources (VSE).

Having agreed to carry out the work program undertaken by Globex, Universal Trident and Nepheline will probably spend around $250,000 to examine the property’s massive sulphide potential in return for a 25% interest.

“If we can find a joint venture partner, we may do some work on another Pascalis property (the Julie) where surface samples assayed as high as 0.175 oz gold,” said Stoch. Julie is directly north of the Obasca property.

As indicated by a recent study of eight volcanogenic massive sulphide districts in Canada and Japan, the odds of more deposits being found in Val d’Or are reasonably good. The study, undertaken by Geological Survey of Canada geologist Don Sangster, found that each district tended to contain an average of 12 deposits with an average base metal content of 5.1 million tons. Each district examined in the Sangster study averaged 20 miles in diameter and largest deposits accounted for 67% of total metal produced.

Historically, the Val d’Or camp has supported two large base metal mines — the Manitou and East Sullivan. Together they accounted for about 26 million tons of grade 1% copper and more than 4% zinc during their 30-year life span.

The old Louvem copper-zinc mine, about 2,000 ft west of the massive sulphide discovery being drilled by Aur, was a much smaller operation than either Manitou and East Sullivan. It produced 2.1 million tons of ore during the 1970s.

Also figuring in the Val d’Or base metal story was the Dunraine copper mine which contributed about 250,000 tons of grade 1.5% during the 1950s to the region’s over- all output.

While Aur geologist Yves Rougerie warned that studies based on statistical analysis don’t always reflect reality, he supports the theory that the Val d’Or camp could yield another deposit.

Until recently, companies with land holdings in the Louvicourt belt haven’t used the kind of up-to-date thinking that Noranda Exploration, for example, utilized in the Rouyn- Noranda camp, 56 miles west of Val d’Or, Rougerie said. This factor may favor the current group of explorers.

Noranda’s volcanogenic model, which suggests that massive sulphide deposits can be found above deep-lying stringer zones, wasn’t well known until recently, Rougerie told The Northern Miner.

As reported (N.M., June 26/89), Rougerie and the Aur team used a methodical exploration strategy before intersecting zinc and copper- rich semi-massive pyrite beneath the old Louvem mine’s No 6 zone.

A 117-ft intersection of massive and stringer sulphides assaying 4.96% copper was subsequently reported by Aur in an unmined horizon 800 ft south and 2,000 ft east of the old Louvem mine workings. The Louvem mine was predicated on six zones, of which five were mined above 1,000 ft.

However, it may be more difficult for Aur to uncover its second base metal deposit in the region, said Jim Franklin, a massive sulphide specialist of Geological Survey of Canada. In outlining the zinc/copper rich massive sulphide deposit at the heart of its Louvem claims, Aur may have used up some of the more obvious characteristics in its geological model.

But he admitted that the knowledge gained so far by Aur President Jim Gill and his executives will place him in an advantageous position in the competition.

Aur has tied up much of the ground surrounding the Louvem discovery claims via a recent agreement with three companies that have combined to form Consolidated Abitibi Resources.

The agreement gives Aur the option to earn a 70% stake in three Consolidated Abitibi properties — the Bevcon-Buffadisson, Louvicourt East and Louvicourt Copper Mining properties.

If Franklin is correct, one of the first men in the area to know about it will be Annuncio Benoit, president of Benoit Diamond Drilling, one of the region’s largest drill companies. Now that the Quebec provincial elections have been decided, Benoit expects resident claim holders to firm up their plans for the fall and winter drilling season.

In addition to Aur Resources, his clients include Montreal-based Cambior Inc. (TSE) which is re-evaluating data compiled on a group of claims bordering the Aur/Louvem bet to the southwest. The claims host the former Dunraine workings which still contain 200,000-400,000 tons of 1.1% copper.

“We think that the camp has good potential for another base metal deposit,” said Cambior senior geologist Maric-France Bugnom. “We hope it is found on one of our properties.”