RG 114(A) SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF TOWNSHIP, ABITIBI-EAST COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES .

RENÉ LÉVESQUE, Minister P.-E. AUGER, deputy minister

MINERAL DEPOSITS SERVICE

P.-E. Grenier, Chief

GEOLOGICAL REPORT 114

SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF BARRAUTE TOWNSHIP

ABITIBI-EAST COUNTY

BY

DAVID J. McDOUGALL

QUÉBEC 1965

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION 1 General 1 Location and access 2 Topography and drainage 2 Settlement 3 Previous work 3 Field work 3 Acknowledgments 4 GEOLOGY 4 General 4 Table of formations 5 Extrusive rocks 6 General 6 Basic to intermediate extrusive rocks 7 Tuff and agglomerate 8 Siliceous extrusive rocks 8 Intrusive rocks g Basic and ultrabasic intrusives 8 Mogador plug 9 Barraute plug 10 Granite dykes and sills 10 Quartz feldspar porphyry 11 Keweenawan-type rocks 11 Pleistocene and Recent deposits 11 Esker 11 Moraine 12 Glacial lake deposits 12 Recent deposits 12 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 12 General 12 Strike and dip of formations 13 Folding 13 Shearing 13 Faulting 14

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 14 General 14 Description of properties 15 Bar-Manitou Mines Ltd. 15 Page

Bar-Ore Mines Ltd. 15 Barrentier Gold Mines Ltd. 16 Barvin Mines Ltd. 16 Belfort Mines Ltd. 16 Bouscadillac Gold Mines Ltd. 17 Caron Réal Claims (Vallee Syndicate) 18 Celta Development and Mining Co. Ltd. 18 Conwast Exploration Co. Ltd. 18 Damascus Mines Ltd. 19 Malbar Goldfields Ltd. 19 Mogador Mines Ltd. 20 Montbar Mines Ltd. 21 Southbar Mines Ltd. 21 Tri-Cor Mining Co. Ltd. 22 Tri-Cor Mining Co. Ltd. (Paquette-Anderson Group) 22 Valray Explorations Ltd. 23 Holes drilled for water 23

REFERENCES CITED 24

ALPHABETICAL INDEX 26

MAP

No. 1536 - Southeast Quarter of Barraute Township (In pocket)

- IV- Geological Report

on the

SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF BARRAUTE TOWNSHIP

Abitibi-East County, Quebec

by

David J. McDougall

INTRODUCTION

General

Barraute township forms part of the Amos district, which district has been intensively prospected at several intervals since the construction of the National Transcontinental Railway in the early part of the present century. During the first years of exploration, the search was almost'éxclusively for gold, and a number of gold occurren- ces located in and near the map-area were explored by surface work, diamond drilling and underground development. However, by the latter part of the 1940's, exploration was directed mainly toward the search for base metals. In the late summer and early fall of 1950, diamond drilling of an occurrence of zinc mineralization located 1 mile north of the present map-area outlined the large tonnage, low-grade Manitou- Barvue zinc-silver deposit. In 1951-52, the smaller, but higher-grade, Mogador zinc-copper-silver deposit was outlined in Fiedmont township, at a location 6.5 miles south of Manitou-Barvue and about half a mile south of this map-area. As a result of these two base-metal discoveries, - 2 - staking and prospecting of a large number of mining claims were ener- getically carried out in 1950, 1951 and 1952. A substantial amount of the prospecting was done by geophysical and diamond drilling methods, and, as a consequence, a certain amount of new geological information has become available. This report covers much of the ground lying between the Manitou-Barvue and Mogador ore deposits.

Location and Access

The southeast quarter of Barraute township, Abitibi-East county, comprises an area of 25 square miles. The village of Barraute, in the southwest part of the map-area, is located 24 miles north of the town of Val-d'Or in the northwestern Quebec mining district.

The village is served by the Senneterre-Amos branch of the transcontinental line of the Canadian National Railways. Highway 45, from Senneterre to Amos, passes through the village and traverses most of the map-area in a north-south direction. Direct access from the mining district to the south is provided by the Val-d'Or road. Range roads, at one- to two-mile intervals, and range lines permit easy access to most sections of the map-area. The main Canadian National railway line and the spur line to Chibougamau are also use- ful means of access to some parts of the area.

Topography and Drainage

The terrain rises gently toward the northern limit of the map-area where elevations are about 150 to 200 feet higher than those shown on the bench marks along the main railway line; these bench marks range between 1,026 and 1,075 feet above sea-level. The area shows little relief. Locally, moraines, which have been deeply dissected, and large outcrops may have a relief of about 50 to 75 feet. An esker traverses the area in a north-south direction. The crest is dotted with five ponds, which represent glacial kettles that have become filled with water.

The principal drainage feature is the northerly flowing Laflamme river, which takes its source in Fiedmont lake about three miles south of Barraute village. Several swamp-fed streams, notably Blin creek and Fisher creek, are tributary to the Laflamme river. Rompre lake, which is of tectonic rather than glacial origin, lies along the east side of the esker and is the only large-sized lake in the map-area. The distribution of the swamps and of many of the streams is controlled by the underlying bedrock structure, which has been only partly masked by glacial and post-glacial deposits. - 3 -

Settlement

Being part of the Abitibi clay belt, the west half of the map-area has seen the development of a well established farming com- munity, with the village of Barraute as its focal point. Dairy farm- ing and the culture of cereals are the principal agricultural occupa- tions. Limited amounts of pulp wood and small timber are also produced.

Previous Work

The present area was traversed in the course of geological reconnaissance of the surrounding townships. Among the earlier refer- ences are the reports of W.J. Wilson (17), who noted the presence of Keewatin rocks along Laflamme river. G.W. Bain(1) and H.C. Cooke, W.F. James and J.B. Mawdsley(3,7,8) carried out more detailed work in the region and outlined its broader geological features. L.P. Tremblay carried out mapping in the Barraute and Fiedmont map-areas at the scale of 1 inch to 1,200 feet and subsequently published maps at scales of 1 inch to 1/2 mile(11) and 1 inch to 1 mile(12). In the compilation of the Senneterre map-sheet by A.S. MacLaren(9) at the scale of 1 inch to 2 miles, Tremblay's work was used with little modification.

The area immediately to the north of the map-area is not included in Tremblay's and MacLaren's reports and maps. In 1936-37, L.J. Weeks(15,16) mapped this section at the scale of 1 inch to 1 mile. In 1950 and 1951, the Quebec Department of Mines authorized W. W. Weber to carry out detailed mapping of the northern part of Barraute township as part of an extended program of detailed geological mapping in the Amos-Barraute district(13,14).

The map-area has been covered in the aeromagnetic survey of the Barraute and Lamorandière sheets(18,19).

Field Work

The field work for the present report was done during the summer of 1952. Additional field work and compilation of new geological data were carried out by the resident geologist of the Val- d'Or district in 1960 and 1961.

i Figures in brackets relate to references cited at end of report. - 4 -

Outcrops were located by systematic pace and compass tra- versing, at intervals of 1,000 feet in open country, and at intervals of 750 feet or less in bush land. Where possible, all traverses ori- ginated and finished at lot posts on the range lines, with corrections being applied where necessary for errors in closure. Aerial photographs were used extensively for control of traverses, base-map corrections, definition of the larger outcrop areas, and delimitation of the esker that passes through the map-area.

Particular care was taken in gathering structural inform- ation, as the localization of both the near-by Manitou-Barvue and Mogador base-metal ore zones has been dependent to a considerable extent on structural controls.

Acknowledgments

Members of the writer's field party were W. Gilman, senior assistant; R.J. Assad and J.P. Laurencelle, junior assistants; and L. Baldwin, cook. All of them carried out their assigned duties in an efficient manner. Acknowledgments are due to W.N. Ingham and Maurice Latulippe, of the Quebec Department of Mines, Val-d'Or, and also to I. Christopher, P. D'Aragon, P.R. Geoffroy, J. Honsberger and W.W. Weber, all of whom provided information on various properties.

GEOLOGY

General

The map-area is underlain by Precambrian rocks that are largely mantled by Pleistocene deposits.

The oldest and most widespread of the Precambrian rocks are Keewatin-type extrusives of intermediate to basic composition interbedded with numerous bands of rhyolitic, trachytic and andesitic. tuffs and agglomerates. Intruding these older rocks are two granitic plugs, diorite sills, pyroxenite and peridotite plugs and dykes and stringers of quartz-feldspar porphyry. Two Keweenawan-type diabase dykes intrude the Keewatin-type extrusive rocks. Unconsolidated material covers more than 75 per cent of the area and it includes an esker, annual moraines, glacial erratics and varved clays.

The volcanic rocks have been tightly folded and in most cases overturned; they appear to belong to the south limb of a major anticlinal structure, the axis of which is just north of the map-area. - 5 -

Strike-shearing is a feature of most of the extrusive rocks. Cross- faults offset the formations and can be divided into two major sets. Movement along some of these cross-faults has produced flexures in the volcanic s.

Table of Formations

Unconsolidated stream, swamp and organic Recent accumulations

Gravel, sand and clay. Annual moraine, Cenozoic Pleistocene esker, varved clays and erratic bould- ers

Unconformity

Late Keweenawan-type Diabase dykes Precambrian Rocks

Intrusive contact

Dykes and sills of granite and quartz- feldspar porphyry. Mogador granodiorite mass. Barraute porphyritic granite mass.

Intrusive contact Post-Keewatin(?) Early Intrusives Dykes and sills of diorite, gabbro, Precambrian peridotite and pyroxenite

Intrusive contact

Siliceous rhyolite and pyroclastics. Keewatin-type Intermediate tuffs and agglomerates. Volcanics Trachyte, andesite, dacite - 6 -

Extrusive Rocks

General

Most of the Keewatin-type volcanic rocks found throughout the mining districts of northwestern Quebec and northern Ontario have suffered a low-grade metamorphism that has almost destroyed the origin- al mineralogical make-up of the rocks. In hand specimens and under the microscope, the original minerals of these rocks can be seen to have been altered largely or wholly to fine-grained aggregates of secondary albite, amphibole, chlorite, epidote, sericite, zoisite, carbonate, leucoxene and iron oxides. Primary feldspar laths are present in many places, but they are usually difficult or impossible to identify un- der the microscope because of clouding by secondary minerals.

A similar obliteration of the original rock minerals also prevails in this map-area. Accordingly, there was used a field class- ification that depends on the colour and hardness, rather than on the mineralogy, of the rocks. This classification was described in detail by Dresser and Denis(5, pp. 57-59) and is summarized in the following table.

Name Colour Dominant Minerals Structures and Textures Qtz. Feld. Femag.

as Dark green Commonly shows large pil lows and amygdules Lav Basalt to black x en e

Gr Andesite Green x x Porphyritic in many places

Trachyte Pale grey x to white Trachytes in particular are in many places pil- Dacite Pale green x x

as lowed and porphyritic. to grey

Lav They are soft.

ey Rhyolite Light coloured x Contains quartz pheno- Gr crysts in many places. Pillows very rare. A hard rock. - 7 -

Greenstone General term usually applied to basalts and andesites, but also used to describe other lavas when strongly altered or sheared.

Tuff and The pyroclastic rocks may be equivalent in colour and Agglomerate composition to any of the flow types.

Basic to Intermediate Extrusive Rocks

Most of the volcanic rocks of the map-area are classed as trachyte and andesite, with andesite predominating. Dacite is locally present. Rocks that might have been properly classed as basalt are sufficiently rare to have been grouped with the andesites.

In all these rocks the grain size is variable, but rarely exceeds three millimetres. Pillow structures are abundant, particular- ly in the andesites. The flows are normally sheared but massive va- rieties are also present.

Silicification appears to have taken place in the south- ern part of the area, especially in the vicinity of the larger granitic intrusives. In most cases, the silicified rocks have a cherty appear- ance, particularly on fresh surface. They have maintained the charac- teristics and the colour of the original lavas, which renders difficult their differentiation from rhyolite. A greenish tinge on fresh surface is in places the only means of identification of an altered rock. Some outcrops mapped as rhyolite may well be silicified lavas and vice versa.

In the eastern part of range II and III, carbonate is a prominent constituent of the lavas and pyroclastics. The carbonatized rocks are usually sparsely mineralized with pyrite. An area in the extreme eastern part of ranges II and III is so strongly carbonatized that small spalls, due to chemical weathering of the carbonate, litter the surface of the outcrops. This area is underlain by an aeromagne- tic low and cut by dykes of fine-grained granite and granodiorite and numerous small quartz veins.

Amphibolitization of intermediate to basic lavas has occur- red in the western part of ranges IV and V. In range V, two bands of outcrops are completely altered to a tremolite-rich rock. Tremblay (12, pp. 20-22) considers the amphibolitized rocks in this range to be intrusive in character and relates them to rocks in the townships of and north Barraute that were mapped by Weeks(15,16) as altered pyroxenites. However, the conformity of the outcrops of - 8 - tremolite rock with the surrounding lavas and the partial amphibolitiz- ation of flow rocks a short distance away in range IV suggest that these outcrops represent altered flows. It may also be noted that Weber(14) mentions several cases of amphibolitization of extrusive rocks that he relates to gabbroic intrusives or hidden intrusive cupolas of granitic rocks.

Tuff and Agglomerate

Most of the tuffs and agglomerates of the map-area are of intermediate composition, probably equivalent to the andesite or tra- chyte of the present classification. In general, these rocks occur as narrow bands, less than a foot in width, within lavas of similar composition. In some cases the exposed and inferred widths may reach several thousand feet and become useful as horizon markers.

Dark grey to black graphitic tuff and agglomerate were encountered in the course of diamond drilling at the north end of lot 60, range IV, and in the central parts of lots 55 and 56, range V.

Siliceous Extrusive Rocks

Rhyolitic flows and siliceous pyroclastics are generally found in the central part of the map-area, where they occur in proximity to the granitic intrusive, but they are also present as interstratifi- cations in the intermediate to basic flows. They weather to a dull white, but on fresh surface they range in colour from light grey to black with a cherty luster. Much of the rhyolite contains quartz phenocrysts.

Some silicified basic to intermediate extrusives and some quartz-feldspar porphyry have probably been included with these rocks.

Intrusive Rocks

Basic and Ultrabasic Intrusives

A complex of gabbro, pyroxenite and peridotite, in part altered to talc, carbonate and serpentine, is found at the north end of lots 45 and 46, range V.

The complex is a sill in which differentiation by gravity separation has taken place. The most basic members of the complex,. - 9 - the peridotite and pyroxenite, are found on the north side, or bottom, of the intrusion. A complementary sill, which is lithologically and mineralogically similar, lies in the same stratigraphic horizon on the north side of the Amos anticline in range IX, Barraute township. These ultrabasic sills may have originally formed a large, partly discontinuous sheet, which was infolded with the volcanic rocks.

A few diamond-drill holes and some outcrops have confirmed the presence of masses of diorite and gabbro that had been traced magnet- ically across the eastern part of range IV. These masses may be in- trusive sills or they may be thick flows of coarse-grained lavas.

A large number of very fine-grained basic dykes, which rarely exceed six inches' in width, were found in the area. Invariably the original minerals have been destroyed by a low-grade metamorphism similar to that which has affected the extrusive rocks. The chemical composition appears to vary between fairly broad limits, since the weathered surfaces are variously-coloured dark green, light green or rusty brown.

Mogador Plus

This intrusive is located partially in range I, Barraute township, and partially in range X, Fiedmont township. It is roughly lens shaped, with a length of about 12,000 feet and a width of about 2,500 feet. The intrusive is not exposed at the surface. It was located and defined by geophysics and diamond drilling. From its shape and attitude, it appears to be partly conformable with the surrounding rocks. The rocks of the marginal parts, as seen in dia- mond-drill core, are made up of quartz and feldspar, with a consider- able amount of interstitial chlorite. The quartz grains are opales- cent blue, the feldspars have a composition close to that of oligo- clase,and are usually altered, and usually the ferromagnesian miner- als are completely replaced by chlorite. The available information indicates that the Mogador plug is largely granodioritic in composi- tion, but with some dioritic, gabbroic and amphibolitic phases.

Narrow quartz veins carrying coarse pyrite and some gold were found in drill core intersections along the northern margin, and elsewhere in the intrusive. The extrusives adjoining the contact in the map-area have been extensively chloritized. - 10 -

Barraute Plug

The outcrops of this intrusive are confined to parts of lots 42 to 48, range II, immediately east of Laflamme river. Diamond drilling and geophysical work outlined its extension in the south part of lots 43 to 48, range III. The intrusive is about 7,000 feet long and 5,000 feet wide.

The rock is a porphyritic albite granite in which the phenocrysts of quartz and feldspar reach nearly half an inch in size. Quartz phenocrysts dominate over feldspar phenocrysts. Both are resist- ant to weathering and give a very rough texture to the weathered sur- face. In thin section(12) the rock is composed mainly of albite, about half as much quartz and a little biotite. Alteration and accessory minerals are chlorite, sericite, epidote, apatite and zircon.

Numerous quartz veins, some of which carry pyrite, chal- copyrite and some gold, cut the porphyritic granite. Parts of the adjacent extrusives have been silicified, whereas others have been locally replaced by fine-grained magnetite, specular hematite and sul- phides, principally in the form of pyrite. Tremblay(12) reports the presence of tourmaline and chalcopyrite in the contact zone. He also points out the probable existence of arsenopyrite.

Several sets of joints cut the intrusive. The most pro- nounced of these sets are parallel to the northerly-trending Laflamme river-fault.

Granitic Dykes and Sills

Dykes and sills of rocks that, in hand specimens, show compositions ranging from granitic to granodioritic outcrop at several places in the map-area. Diamond-drill holes, located on the axial trace of a syncline in lots 32 to 44, range II, and at the north end of lots 39, 40 and 45, range I, brought up many intersections of this type of rock. Dykes or sills of granitic rock were also observed on outcrops in lot 49, range II, in a hole drilled in the centre of lot 45, range III, and in a water hole drilled at the south end of lot 46, range V. In lot 55, range IV, the outcrop of granitic rock belongs to a north- easterly-trending dyke that crosscuts a wide diorite sill. .Quartz-feldspar Porphyry

Quartz-feldspar porphyries are present only as small dykes and stringers and occur either singly or in swarms. They are usually parallel or sub-parallel to the shearing of the extrusive rocks. Their width does not exceed four feet. They occur mostly in the vicini- ty of the railway line in the southwestern quarter of Barraute township, but they also outcrop sparingly in almost all parts of the map-area.

The massive rock weathers either white or yellowish white, whereas the sheared rock takes on a considerably more pronounced yellow- ish colouration owing to the development of sericite.

Keweenawan-type Rocks

Outcrops of a northerly-striking diabase dyke occur in ranges I and V. Ground magnetometer surveys and diamond drilling have shown the presence of this northerly-trending dyke across the whole map-area, with the exception of a one-mile gap in ranges II and III. This dyke is known to continue north for about 13 miles and south for at least 5 miles. The rock is' composed of fresh-looking feldspar and pyroxene of variable grain size in which an ophitic texture is usually visible. The dyke is a quartz gabbro in which the quartz is only visible in thin section(12,14).

Pleistocene and Recent Deposits

The unconsolidated accumulations covering most of the map-area can generally be related to the retreat of the glaciers of the Wisconsin stage of continental glaciation. Glacial striae can be group- ed in two sets striking N. to N.12°E. and N.22°E. to N.29°E. The first group is believed to indicate the general direction of movement of the ice. The second direction closely parallels a dominant set of rock fractures and undoubtedly reflects local bedrock control of the direc- tion of movement of the ice sheet.

Esker

A narrow, somewhat sinuous esker crosses the map-area from north to south, generally paralleling Laflamme river. As observed in the field, this deposit appears to consist of a series of discon- tinuous hummocks of sand and gravel. However, examination of aerial photographs shows that the deposit is continuous but that some parts of it are very nearly buried by more recent lake deposits. A number - 12- of rounded ponds and swampy depressions located along the crest of the esker are kettles formed by the melting of blocks of ice buried in the esker materials.

Moraine

Deposits of annual moraine composed of boulder till are present throughout the area. Tremblay(12) notes that in general they strike slightly north of west and are commonly 400 to 600 feet apart, which corresponds closely with figures obtained in the Chibougamau area for the annual retreat of the ice sheet.

Glacial erratics are widespread in the map-area and are of a great variety of shape, size and composition.

Numerous frost-heaved blocks were observed, usually in areas of swampy ground adjacent to outcrops.

Glacial Lake Deposits

One of the last stages of the Pleistocene glaciation was the formation of lake Barlow-Ojibway by the impounding of melt-water between the decaying front of the ice sheet and the height-of-land to the south. Varved and unvarved clays, which were deposited on the floor of this lake, underlie most of the farmed lands and swamps of the map-area.

Recent Deposits

Deposits of recent origin are principally those that have accumulated in swamps, with lesser amounts of lake and stream sediments, most of which are reworked glacial debris.

STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY

General

The most striking structural feature is the change in strike of the formations crossing the map-area. In Landrienne town- ship to the west, and in most of the adjoining northwestern part of Barraute township, the average strike of the lavas and pyroclastic rocks is very nearly east-west. However, starting in the northwest corner of the map-area, the strike changes progressively to one with a direction of S.45°E. in the southeast corner and continues in this - 13 - southeasterly direction for many miles. In detail there are numerous minor flexures, part of which can be ascribed to faulting. Strike- shearing, apparently due to folding, is common. Two sets of major cross-faults displace the various formations.

Ground geophysical surveys on a number of properties and aerial magnetometer surveys of the area have been useful aids in the interpretation of the bedrock structure.

Strike and Dip of Formations

The strikes observed in the field and the trend of form- ations as inferred from geophysical surveys generally range between east-west and southeast, with some strikes of a few degrees north of east and a few degrees east of south. The dips of the flows and of the pyroclastic bands range through extremes of 25° north to 55° south,. but dips between 60 and 80° north are statistically most common.

Folding

Only one principal fold structure is indicated within the map-area. This structure is best defined in the southwest quarter of Barraute township (Tremblay, 1950; Doig 4, 1963), where it is recognized to be an overturned syncline, the axis of which trends and plunges north- west. The axial plane dips to the north. This synclinal axis enters the present map-area in lot 32, range II, and leaves it at the south end of lot 57, range I. Thus all the rocks in the map-area that lie north of this fold axis represent its overturned north limb and, also, the overturned south limb of an anticline, the axis of which is found to the north of the map-area in range VI of Barraute township (Weber and Latulippe, 1964).

Shearing

Strike shearing due to folding is everywhere present in the extrusive rocks of the map-area. But because of inherent weak- nesses the tuffaceous rocks have been more highly sheared by the fold- ing stresses. This is particularly evident in the thick bands of tuf- faceous rocks along the north edge of the ultrabasic sill in range V. This strong shear zone is the continuation to the southeast of the Barvue break that outcrops in range VII of the northwest quarter of Barraute township (Weber 13). - 14 -

Faulting

Cross-faults have offset parts of the formations within the map-area.

Field evidence and geophysical information indicate an important zone of faulting striking between N.20°E. and N.30°E. and extending across the north central part of the map-area. This zone is about 4,000 feet wide and is referred to as the Laflamme fault zone. A left-handed fault in this zone has a strike displacement of 1,300 to 1,400 feet in range V.

Cross-faults striking between N.60°E. and N.70°E. are found on the eastern part of the map-area. Some of these faults have been shown on the map but they may be much more prevalent than indi- cated. In general, the movement has been right-handed. Observations on a fault zone, east of the Barraute plug, indicate that the movement on the individual fault planes has been small, but that the aggregate displacement has been sufficient to cause pronounced deflections in the extrusive bands and in parts of the intrusive bodies.

Where faults of both sets are observed in outcrop, the northeasterly faults appear to be more recent than the northerly one. Both sets are zones of considerable adjustment and appear to be direct- ly related to the broad flexing of the extrusive rocks.

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY

General

Gold and zinc-copper-silver mineralizations were found in and near the map-area. However, the work on mining properties within the boundaries of this map-area has not as yet passed beyond the initial exploration stage.

Gold has been reported in: (a) quartz veins cutting the larger intrusive masses, usually in association with pyrite and chalco- pyrite; (b) quartz-feldspar porphyry dykes and associated quartz stringers; (c) quartz veins in carbonatized intermediate to basic extrusive rocks; and (d) sulphide zones in the tuffaceous rocks.

Base-metal mineralization occurs as argentiferous spha- lerite-pyrite or argentiferous sphalerite-chalcopyrite-pyrite. It is found in tuffaceous formations of siliceous composition particularly where flexing is pronounced. - 15 -

In any renewed search for gold, special attention should be given to the intrusive masses, as the work accomplished in the vi- cinity of these masses returned the most encouraging results in the past. Base metal mineralization, on the other hand, should be sought for in the siliceous pyroclastic rocks. Bands of such rocks are com- mon particularly to the east of the Barraute plug and in the north part of the map-area.

A number of pits have been opened on the esker that crosses the area to obtain the sand and gravel needed for the construction of roads and railways and the alimentation of a concrete plant.

Description of Properties

Bar-Manitou Mines Limited

The part of the property of Bar-Manitou Mines covered by the map-area comprised lots 39 to 42 in range V. An exploratory hole near the centre of the line between lots 42 and 43 cut andesitic lavas.

Bar-Ore Mines Limited

Ref.: Que. Bur. of Mines; Ann. Rept., 1933, Pt. A, p. 112. Que. Dept. of Mines; G.R. 20, Vol. III, pp. 110-111. G.S.C. Mem. 253, p. 92.

Bar-Ore Mines held lots 46 to 51 in range II and the north halves of lots 42 to 45 in the same range.

This group comprised part of what has been referred to in the past as the Vallée claims. It was situated on the contact of the Barraute plug with the adjoining extrusive rocks. During 1933, Damara Mines stripped and trenched some quartz veins, with most of the work concentrated in lots 47, 48 and 49. In December 1933, the claims were optioned to Noranda Mines, and that company drilled seven holes for a total of 628 feet. No further work is known to have been done.

Two sets of veins occur in the granitic rocks. Most of the veins consist of glassy, barren quartz, but a few are comprised of milky quartz containing some pyrite and chalcopyrite along fractures. Gold was reported to be associated with the sulphides. Tourmaline, carbonate and a little black quartz were also found in the mineralized veins. Most of the veins are short, but one was traced by trenching for 150 feet on lot 48. - 16 -

A sulphide-bearing zone was trenched on lot 49 in the vol- canic rocks. This zone is about 6 feet wide, strikes about N.409E. and carries quartz-feldspar porphyry stringers in carbonatized rocks. Pyrite, chalcopyrite and, possibly, some arsenopyrite are reported to be present along with much magnetite. The zone is said to contain gold also.

Barrentier Gold Mines Limited

Ref.: Que. Dept. of Mines; Mining Ind. in 1941, p. 52.

The part of the property of Barrentier Gold Mines covered by the map-area comprised lots 59 to 62 in range V.

In 1951, the company carried out a magnetometer survey over these lots. In 1953, two diamond-drill holes, totalling 1,012 feet, were put down near the south end of the line common to lots 60 and 61. They cut tuff, agglomerate and an ultrabasic sill made up of peridotite, gabbro and diorite.

Barvin Mines Limited

Barvin Mines held lots 40 to 45 in range IV and lots 36 to 40 in range III.

In 1951, the company carried out magnetometer surveys over the property. A diabase dyke trending slightly east of north was magnet- ically outlined in the north part of the claim group. To explore the volcanic rocks adjacent to the dyke, four holes were drilled in lot 44 and one in lot 43. Another hole was drilled near the south end of lot 42. The rocks encountered were andesitic and dacitic lavas with tuff- aceous interbands cut by a few siliceous porphyry dykes. A hole in the north part of lot 44 cut 20 feet of pyrite mineralization but assaying of the core did not yield any base or precious metals in commercial quantity.

The drilling was directed by J.C. Honsberger.

Belfort Mines Limited

The part of the property of Belfort Mines that is covered by the map comprises lot 32 in range I and the north halves of lots 33 and 34 in the same range. - 17 -

Four short holes, totalling 497 feet, were drilled on the property, in 1949 and 1950, by P.R. Geoffroy. Two of these holes were located in the central part of lot 34. In 1952, Roymont Mines completed a magnetometer survey over the property. At the end of 1952 Belfort Mines acquired the Roymont property.

A sulphide mass, carrying zinc and a low copper content, was discovered at the south end of lot 28, just outside the map-area, in tuffaceous sedimentary rocks intercalated with dacitic and andesitic lavas and pyroclastic rocks.

Nine holes were drilled within a strike length of 3,000 feet across the north contact zone of the Mogador granodiorite mass, but only one was within the boundaries of the map-area. This hole, drilled on lot 32, gave an assay of 0.11 ounce of gold per ton across 1.3 feet. Values from holes on lots 28, 29 and 30 were 0.18 ounce across 2.5 feet, 0.71 ounce across 0.8 foot and 1.15 ounces across 1.0 foot.

Within the granodiorite mass, but near the south contact, two holes at the south end of lots 30 and 32 gave 0.72 ounce of gold per ton across 0.7 foot and 0.095 ounce across 1.0 foot.

Work on the property was done under the supervision of P. R. Geoffroy.

Bouscadillac Gold Mines Limited

The Barraute property of Bouscadillac Gold Mines covered lots 43 to 46 in range I and the north halves of lots 47 to 50 in the same range.

An electrical resistivity survey was carried out over the claims in 1951. This was followed by 2,900 feet of cross-sectional diamond drilling in three holes. Two holes were drilled at the north end of lot 45, range I, and one hole near the centre of lot 44, range I.

Most of the outcrops are made up of andesitic and dacitic lavas cut by numerous quartz porphyry dykes. The drill cores show the same types of rock. Tuff and agglomerate interbedded with andesite occur in a band in the most southerly hole. In the north hole, sili- cification of the lavas has taken place in the vicinity of a wide gra- nitic sill. Minor pyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite were noted in the diamond-drill core. - 18 -

J.D. McCannell was in charge of the work on the property.

Caron Real Claims (Vallée Syndicate)

The Caron Real claims of the Vallée Syndicate covered the south halves of lots 42 to 44 in range II.

In 1958-59, a magnetometer survey was conducted over the small claim group. This was followed by seven diamond-drill holes for a total of 2,786 feet. Two holes were located at the south end of lot 42 and five, at the south end of lot 43.

The rocks cut were mostly andesite with some rhyolite and siliceous tuffs intruded by dykes and sills of granite porphyry and granodiorite. The mineral content was low, the best assay returning 0.1 ounce of gold per ton across 3.3 feet.

The work was supervised by P.R. Geoffroy.

Celta Development and Mining Co. Limited

The part of the property of Celta Development and Mining Co. covered by the map-area comprised lots 41 and 42 in range I.

A magnetic survey was carried out in 1952 on the south half of the lots in Barraute township. Two diamond-drill holes were put down previously by P.R. Geoffroy, in 1949, in the west central part of lot 41. The most northerly hole, a vertical boring near the railway track, cut andesite. The other hole encountered andesite interbedded with tuffs that were cut by porphyry dykes.

Conwest Exploration Co. Limited

In 1951, Conwest Exploration Co. acquired a group of claims that covered the south halves of lots 44 to 48, range V, and lots 49 to 51 in the same range.

The company carried out a magnetic survey over the pro- perty and soon relinquished its claims without doing any further work.

The magnetic survey outlined the extension of the diabase dyke found on the Barvin Mines property to the south. Northerly- striking faults offsetting the magnetic gabbro, pyroxenite and peri- dotite sill located along the north edge of lots •45 to 48 were also indicated. - 19 -

Damascus Mines Limited

The property of Damascus Mines covered lots 46 to 61 in range IV.

In 1951, a magnetometer survey was carried out over the entire property. Nine diamond-drill holes, for a total of 4,436 feet, were put down. Five of them were drilled at the north end of lots 59, 60 and 61, cutting mostly siliceous tuffs and agglomerates with bands of graphitic tuff. Pyrite and pyrrhotite were common in the siliceous tuffs and agglomerates, particularly in the graphitic sections. Chalco- pyrite and sphalerite were observed as specks and streaks in the mas- sive sulphides. The best assay gave 0.65 per cent zinc across 2.5 feet. The hole drilled at the north end of lot 55 cut a magnetic gabbro-diorite sill, andesite and some tuff-agglomerate. The two holes located in the centre of lot 55 cut andesite, minor dacite and tuff, and a large magnetic diorite sill. The last hole in the programme, drilled in the south central part of lot 56, cut through diorite, andesite and tuff.

The work was supervised by C.G. Murray.

Malbar Goldfields Limited

Ref.: Que. Dept. of Mines; P.R. No. 227, p. 9, 1949.

Lot 43, range V, and the north halves of lots 44 to 48, in the same range, were the parts of the property of Malbar Goldfields covered by the map-area.

In 1946-47, the company completed 2,277 feet of diamond drilling in six holes distributed over a distance of 700 feet at the north end of lot 47. The chief rock intersected was a greenish, chloritic, carbonatized, more or less sheared tuff. Most of the holes encountered zones of intensely carbonatized and strongly sheared tuff containing quartz stringers and scattered fine pyrite. The gold content was low. One series of auriferous intersections, which appear to be mutually related, were obtained in four of the holes along a strike length of 350 feet. The zone consists of greenish to pink carbonatized tuff with numerous quartz stringers in places, and erratic, scant to abundant pyrite. Gold assaying of the core yielded a content ranging from 0.02 ounce per ton for 2.5 feet to 0.10 ounce per ton for 5 féet. - 20-

In 1950-51, a hole was drilled in the northeast corner of lot 44. Another hole was drilled, jointly with Bar-Manitou, 1,600 feet south of the northern boundary of the range on the line common to lots 42 and 43. The holes cut andesitic and dacitic lavas.

The 1946 programme was supervised by J.C. Honsberger. In 1950, the work was under the direction of D.M. Giachino.

Mogador Mines Limited

Ref.: C.I.M., Trans.; Vol. LXIII, 1960, pp. 180-186. Que. Dept. of Mines, P.R. No. 364, p. 10, 1958.

The part of the property of Mogador Mines covered by the map-area comprises lots 35 to 40 in range I and the south halves of lots 33 and 34 in the same range; also lots 36 to 40 in range II. These, along with lots 35, 36, 41 and the south halves of lots 37 to 40, range III, and lot 41, range II, Barraute township, were at one time held by Mogador Mines or optioned to one of its associated com- panies or syndicates.

The zinc orebody of Mogador Mines lies in the Fiedmont part of the property. The deposit is described in the above refer- ences.

P.R. Geoffroy and Mogador Mines Ltd. drilled at least 30 holes on the Barraute part of the property between 1949 and 1951. Most of these were located in the central parts of lots 37 to 39, range I, along the north edge of the Mogador granodiorite complex and near the north-trending diabase dyke. Three of these holes, located in the central part of lot 37, range I, yielded the following gold assays: 0.302 ounce per ton across 1.7 feet, 0.338 ounce per ton across 1.0 foot and 0.538 ounce per ton across 0.4 foot.

The Vendome Syndicate, from 1951 to 1955, drilled four holes at the north edge of the Mogador granodiorite complex in lots 34, 35 and 36, range I, and two holes into the complex in lot 36, range I.

In 1953, Mogador Mines and Montbar Mines drilled jointly three holes along lot-line 35-36 at the north end of range II. - 21 -

Vendome Mines, in 1955, drilled four holes into the Mogador granodiorite complex at the south end of lot 34 and 35, range I. The most southerly hole cut two sections, one of 0.370 ounce of gold per ton across 1..4 feet and the other of 0.360 ounce of gold per ton across 0.4 foot.

Montbar Mines,in 1956, optioned the north halves of lots 36 to 40, range II, and drilled at least four holes in lot 38. There are no data available concerning this work.

Canadian Shield Mining Corporation, in 1956 and 1957, drilled 28 holes for a total of 14,188 feet. Twenty of these holes were located in the south half of range II and eight, in the south half of range III.

All the holes drilled on the lots within the map-area returned low assays in gold, except the ones mentioned above as con- taining interesting values.

The work was completed under the supervision of P.R. Geoffroy of Montreal.

Montbar Mines Limited

Ref.: G.S.C. Mem. 253, p. 96.

Montbar Mines held lots 28 to 35, range II, Barraute township. However, only the three eastern lots are covered by the map-area.

From 1952 to 1954, Montbar Mines drilled seven holes for a total of 3,629 feet. Two vertical holes were drilled at the south end of lot 33, two, on the north half of lot 32 and three, on the north end of lot-line 35-36. They were joint holes with Mogador Mines Limited. The rocks cut are andesite, tuff and some siliceous lavas intruded by narrow granitic dykes. There were no assays of interest reported.

P.R. Geoffroy of Montreal supervised the work.

Southbar Mines Limited

The part of the property covered by the map-area comprised lots 32 to 35 in range IV. - 22 -

The company, in 1952, carried out a geological, survey and a magnetometer survey of the property. An electrical resistivity sur- vey covered the south part of the claim group. The claims were dropped without further work being done.

Tri-Cor Mining Co. Limited

Tri-Cor Mining Company owns a group of claims in the map- area covering lots 41 to 49, range III, and lot 41, range II.

Northern Holdings carried out a magnetometer survey over lots 41 to 52, range III, in 1951.

Diamond drilling in 14 holes for a total of 9,929 feet was completed on the property in 1959 by Tri-Cor Mining Co. Five holes, located in lots 44 to 47, north of the Barraute granite plug, cut ande- sitic and dacitic lavas with intercalated tuffaceous rocks. There was a large number of dykes and sills of granite, granodiorite, felsite, diorite and related porphyries. One hole located at the south end of lot 48, cut tuffaceous rocks and the eastern contact zone of the Bar- raute granite mass. Pyrite and minor chalcopyrite were disseminated in the tuffaceous rocks. Eight holes, located at the south end of lots 43 to 45, cut into the large volcanic inclusion in the Barraute granite plug. This inclusion is composed of andesitic and dacitic volcanic rocks partly digested and intruded by a large number of porphyry dykes. Gold-bearing silicified zones carrying pyrite and chalcopyrite miner- alization were cut in two holes of this group at the south end of lot 44. The tenor was 1.07 ounces of gold per ton across 1.0 foot in one hole, and an average of 3.02 ounces of gold per ton across 6.0 feet in another hole. Another hole of the same group, located at the south end of the line common to lots 43 and 44, intersected a quartz vein con- taining 4 inches of nearly massive pyrite and chalcopyrite; the core assayed 0.5 ounce of gold over 2.0 feet.

Work on the property was supervised by W.N. Ingham of Toronto.

Tri-Cor Mining Co. Limited (Paquette-Andersen Group)

The Paquette-Andersen group of claims of Tri-Cor Mining Co. covered lots 51 to 56 in range V.

In 1959, the company carried out a magnetic survey over. the south half of the claims and completed soma electromagnetic work - 23 - in lots 55 and 56. Coinciding magnetic and electromagnetic anomalies, 1,000 feet long and striking N.65°W., were outlined in an area 2,200 feet north of lot-post 55 and 56. Four diamond-drill holes, of a total length of 934 feet, were put down to test the anomalies. The rocks cut are siliceous tuffs, some dacite and a band of tuffs mineral- ized with pyrite, pyrrhotite and, locally, some graphite. Only a few grains of chalcopyrite were observed.

Work on the property was under the direction of R. Masse of Val-d'Or.

Valray Explorations Limited

The part of this property covered by the map-area con- sisted of the south halves of lots 47 to 54 in range I.

A magnetometer survey was conducted over the property in 1952-53. A magnetic low was outlined in the centre of lots 52 to 54 but no work was done to test it for gold. The area may be underlain by a granitic plug.

A hole, located 1,250 feet north of lot-post 53-54, was drilled to a depth of 768 feet by T. Koulomzine. It cut intermediate lavas and pyroclastic rocks. In 1957, Valray Explorations Ltd. drilled a hole to a depth of 750 feet at the south end of lot 54. It cut andesitic lavas. There were no assays of interest reported from these two holes.

Holes Drilled for Water

Three vertical holes were drilled in ranges IV and V in 1948 by the Quebec Department of Colonization to satisfy the water needs of farmers. The hole drilled at the south end of lot 36, range IV, cut 25 feet of porphyritic dacite. The one at the south end of lot 46, lange V, cut 12 feet of grey biotite-rich granite or grano- diorite. The hole at the south end of lot 48, range IV, drilled to a depth of 213 feet, cut dacite and quartz-feldspar porphyry. A 3-foot section of the silicified contact zone between dacite and porphyry returned an assay of 0.054 ounce of gold per ton.

REFERENCES CITED

1.- Bain, G.W. Barraute Area, Abitibi County, Quebec; Map 2037, Geol. Surv. Can., Summ. Rept. 1925, p. 126c.

2.- Bell, L.V. Venus Gold Mine, Barraute Township, Abitibi County; Que. Bur. Mines, Ann. Rept. 1930, Pt. B, pp. 39-51.

3.- Cooke, H.C., James, W.F., and Mawdsley, J.B. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Rouyn-Harricanaw Region, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Mem. 166, 1931.

4. - Doig, Roland Geology of the Southeast Quarter of Landrienne Town- ship and the Southwest Quarter of Barraute Township, Abitibi-East County, Quebec; Dept. Nat. Res., Que. P.R. No. 510, 1963.

. -Dresser, J.A. and Denis, T.C. Geology of Quebec, Vol. 11; Que. Dept. Mines, Geol. Rept. No. 20, 1944.

6. - Dresser, J.A. and Denis, T.C. Geology of Quebec, Vol. III; Que. Dept. Mines, Geol. Rept. No. 20, 1949.

7.- James, W.F., and Mawdsley, J.B. Geol. Surv. Can., Map 206A, Fiedmont, Abitibi County, Quebec, 1929.

8.- James, W.F., and Mawdsley, J.B. Fiedmont and Dubuisson Map-areas, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Summ. Rept. 1926, Pt. C. pp. 56-73 (1927).

9.- MacLaren, A.S. Senneterre, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Map No. 997A, 1950.

10.- McDougall, D.J. Preliminary Report on the Southwestern Part of Pascalis Township, Abitibi-East County; Que. Mines, P.R. No. 258, 1951.

11.- Tremblay, L.P. Preliminary Map - Barraute-Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Paper 47-9, 1947.

12.- Tremblay, L.P. Fiedmont Map-Area, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Mem. 253, 1950.

13.- Weber, W.W. Preliminary Report on La Morandière and Parts of Duverny, Landrienne and Barraute Townships, Abitibi- East County, Quebec; Qua. Dept. Mines, P.R. No. 255, 1951. -25-

14.- Weber, W.W. and Latulippe, M. Amos-Barraute Area, Abitibi-east County, Quebec; Que. Dept. Nat. Resources, G.R. 109, 1964.

15.- Weeks, L.J. Duverny Sheet, East Half, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Map No. 529A, 1939.

16.- Weeks, L.J. Duverny Sheet, West Half, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can. Map No. 530A, 1939.

17.- Wilson, W.J. Vicinity of National Transcontinental Railway, Abitibi District, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Map 12A, 1910.

18.- Aeromagnetic Map Barraute, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Geophysics Paper No. 72, 1952.

18. - Aeromagnetic Map La Morandière, Abitibi County, Quebec; Geol. Surv. Can., Geophysics Paper No. 71. 1952.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX Page Page Aeromagnetic map 25 Epidote 6,10 Albite 6 Amphibole 6 Feldspars 9 Andesite 7,18,19 Formations 5 Apatite 10 Arsenopyrite 10,16 Gabbro 8,11,16 Assad, R.J. - Geoffroy, P.R. - Junior assistant 4 Acknowledgment to 4 Drilling by 17,18,20,21 Bain, G.W. - Giachino, D.M. - Ref. to work by 3,24 Director of work 20 Baldwin, L. - Gilman, W. - Cook for field crew 4 Senior assistant 4 Bar-Manitou mines - Gold ... 9,14,15,17,18,19,20,21,22 Drilling by 20 Granite 10 Bell, L.V. - Graphite 23 Ref. to work by 24 Biotite 10 Hematite 10 Honsberger, J.C. - 20 Canadian Shield Mining Corp. 21 Acknowledgment to 4 Carbonate 6 Drilling by 16 Chalcopyrite 10,16,19,22,23 Chlorite 6,10 Ingham, W.N. - Christopher, I. - Ref. to work by 4,22 Acknowledgment to 4 Iron oxides 6 Cooke, H.C. - Ref. to work by 3,24 James, W.F. - Copper 14 Ref. to work by 3,24

Dacite 7,19,23 Koulomzine, T. - D'Aragon, P. - Drilling by 23 Acknowledgment to 4 Denis, T.C. - Laflamme fault zone 14 Ref. to work by 6,24 Laurencelle, J.P. - Dept. of Colonization 23 Junior assistant 4 Diabase 4,16 Latulippe, Maurice - Diorite 16 Ref. to work by 4,24 Doig, Roland - Leucoxene 6 Ref. to work by 13,24 Dresser, J.A. - MacLaren, A.S. - Ref. to work by 6,24 Ref. to work by 3,24 - 27- Page Page

Magnetite 10,16,17 Silver 14 Mawdsley, J.B. - Sphalerite 19 Ref. to work by 3,24 Staking of claims 2 McCannell, J.D. - Strike - shearing 5 Work by 18 Sulphides 10,14,17 McDougall, D.J. - Ref. to work by 24 Tourmaline 10 Montbar Mines 20,21 Trachyte 7 Murray, C.G. - Tremblay, L.P. - Supervisor of work 19 Ref. to work by 3,7,10,12,13,24

Northern Holdings 22 Vendome Mines 21 Vendome Syndicate 20 Peridotite 8,16 Volcanic rocks• 4,7 Prospecting 2 Pyrite 9,10,14,16,17,19,22,23 Weber, W.W. - Pyroxenite 8 Acknowledgment to 4 Pyrrhotite 17,19,23 Ref. to work by 3,8,13,24,25 Weeks, L.J. - Quartz 10,13 Ref. to work by 3,7,25 Wilson, W.J. - Rhyolite 8,18 Ref, to work by 3,25 Roymont Mines - Work by 17 Zinc 14,19 Zircon 10 Sericite 6,10,11 Zoisite 6