Geological Investigations of the Context of Quartzite-Hosted Zn-Pb Mineralization, Sito-Adams Lakes Area, Wollaston Domain (Parts Ofnts 74A-4 and -5)
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Geological Investigations of the Context of Quartzite-hosted Zn-Pb Mineralization, Sito-Adams Lakes Area, Wollaston Domain (parts ofNTS 74A-4 and -5) G.D. Delaney and D. Savage I Delaney, G.D. and Savage, D. (1998): Geological investigations of the context of quartzite-hosted Zn-Pb mineralization, Sito Adams.lakes area, Wollaston Domain (parts ofNTS 74A-4 and -5); in Summary of Investigations 1998, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Energy Mines, Misc. Rep. 98-4. 1. Introduction the Sito West showing and mapped the geology of the surrounding area as part ofan M.Sc. thesis project at Five weeks during the summer of 1998 were spent the University of Saskatchewan. In 1977 and 1978, examining the context of Zn-Pb mineralization in the Potter mapped the area between Sito and Fable lakes. vicinity of Sito Lake near the southeast side of the This work formed the basis for an M.Sc. thesis at the Wollaston Domain (Figure I). This area contains eight University of Regina (Potter, 1980) and was a base metal occurrences, including some sandstone component of a study of base metal mineralization in hosted Zn-Pb ones, which, although of significant the Wollaston Domain by Coombe (1977, 1978a, b, grade and thickness, are subeconomic (Coombe, 1994). and 1994; Potter 1977, 1978). This work concludes the field work phase of a long term project aimed at a better understanding of the stratigraphic context of base metal mineralization in b) Mineral Exploration Activity Paleoproterozoic supracrustal rocks along the In 1971, Zn-Pb mineralization was discovered on the southeastern side of the Wollaston Domain (Delaney, peninsula in Sito Lake by Eric Partridge and Associates 1993, 1994; Delaney et al., 1995, 1996, 1997). This working with Wollex Exploration on behalf of the report summarizes some of the key aspects of CanDel-Husky consortium (SEM Assessment File stratigraphic relationships in the Sito Lake area and 74A-04-0008). The initial discovery, known as the Sito presents a preliminary synthesis of the stratigraphic West Showing, was followed by that of several other context of base metal mineralization in the Wollaston showings in the area between Robyn Lake in the Domain. northeast and Fable Lake in the southwest. Follow-up work included prospecting, trenching, geological Geological mapping focused on the area encompassing mapping, geochemical surveys, magnetometer, EM Sito and Adams lakes with the purpose of reviewing and SP surveys, and diamond drilling at the Sito East and augmenting observations of previous workers (i.e. and Fable Lake showings (SEM Assessment Files 74A- Potter, 1980). In addition, most showings were briefly 04-0009, -0010, -0011, -0012, -0013, and -0014; 74A- examined, as was selected core from recent diamond 05-0031, -0032, and -0034). Although this work drilling. As a part of this work, D. Savage is defined three significant occurrences of sandstone undertaking a B.Sc. thesis investigation under the hosted Zn-Pb mineralization-the Fable Lake, Sito East, direction of Dr. K. Ansdell at the University of and Sito West showings-none proved to be economic. Saskatchewan. The purpose of his study is to better In 1979, Mark V Petroleums and Mines Ltd. completed understand the nature, origin, and economic an airborne EM and mag survey over the Sito Lake significance of a thin unit oflayered garnet-pyroxene area. In 1980, Pressuag Canada Ltd., entered into a amphibole rock in pelitic sedimentary rocks near the joint venture agreement with partners Mark V base of the Paleoproterozoic sedimentary succession. Petroleums Ltd. and Saskatchewan Mining Previous workers have suggested that this distinctive Development Corporation, to earn an interest in their unit is a variety of iron formation. Sito Lake area properties. A subsequent exploration program by Mark V included a lake sediment geochemical survey, ground EM and magnetometer 2. Previous Work surveys, and diamond drilling which focused on an area southwest of the Sito East shm-ving (SEM a) Scientific Assessment File 74A-05-0043). In t 990, Falconbridge acquired four claims over an area that encompassed the In 1973, Fuh (1976) mapped the east halfofthe Robyn Lake, Sito East, and Sito West showings. In Pylypow Lake (NTS 74A-5) at a scale of I :63,360. The 1991 , Noranda optioned the Falconbridge ground and east half of the Hewetson Lake map-sheet (NTS 74A- staked additional claims encompassing the showings to 4) was included in I: I 00 000 scale mapping of the the southwest, including the Fable Lake area. Foster Lake (south) and La Ronge (northwest) areas in Subsequent follow-up work, that concluded in 1994, 1974 by Ray ( 1981 a). In 1972, Harper ( 1975) studied included geological mapping, boulder prospecting, I Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, I 14 Science Place, Saskatoon. SK S7N 5F2. Saskatchewan Geological Survey 29 WOLLASTON DOMAIN PETER LAKE DOMAIN Proterozoic Reworked Archean I L Proterozoic CJ Granfte/granodlorlte FY,,: 1 Mofle/ telslc gneisses Wollastor, Lake and granltolds - Mylonfte Paleoproferozolc - Courtenay/Cairns Fold Baff ~ Rfft nil and rift cover supracrustal rocks Paleoproferozolc - Wollasfon Supergroup D Alkose/ calcareous arkose f?&d Fanglomerate/ conglomerate -·-------- ? Unconformity ?--------- ~- : - ~ Quartz muscovite schist S Peltte/ psammlte ------·--- Unconforml1y --------- Archean U Fe/sic granltold ROTTENSTONE DOMAIN Paleoproterozo/c " 00 rJ',,~~ Granite (vi/BJ 10 20 30 _ __l____ L__ _ __ . J km 110 I02' 60"r-----------~---,60· ATHABASCA BASIN 58" 106'00 MINERAL OCCURRENCES O Marina (Pb-Zn) 9 George Lake (Zn-Pb) 9 HUis Lake (Zn-Pb) 0 Janice Lake (Cu-Ag) 6) Simon (Pb-Zn) 8 Sito Lake (Zn-Pb) 9 Joannie (Zn) Figure 1 - Geological sketch map of the east-central part of the Wollaston Domain showing the location of the Sito Lake area. Al, Anderson Lake Inlier; HI, Hewetson lake Inlier; SI, Sito Lake Inlier; Fl, Fraser Lakes Inlier; JI, Johnson River Inlier; and NFSZ, Needle Falls shear zone. trench mapping and sampling, ground geophysical 3. Local Geology surveys, and diamond drilling in the vicinity of the Fable, Sito West, Sito East, and George showings, as a) Stratigraphy well as other geophysical and geological targets (SEM Assessment Files 74A-04-0020 and -0021; 74A-05- The Sito Lake area, near the southeast side of the 0044, -0045, and -0046). Although this work helped to Wollaston Domain, is underlain by a succession of better understand the context of mineralization at some metamorphosed and deformed Paleoproterozoic of the know showings, no new mineralization was sedimentary rocks in synformal keels flanked and defined. segmented by northeast-trending inliers of Archean granitoids in the cores of anticlines. These rocks have been subjected to at least four episodes of deformation and two episodes of upper amphibolite to lower 30 Summary offnvesllgations / 99H granulite facies metamorphism (Potter, 1980; Harper, observed by the authors was about 10 m and structural 1975; Coombe, 1994 ). attenuations are common along strike. To the northeast of Sito Lake, this subunit was observed along the The Archean inliers range in size from the few northwest side of the Anderson Lake Inlier by the kilometre-long unnamed bodies to the southeast of senior author during reconnaissance mapping in the Adams Lake to those that are several tens of kilometres summer of 1994. Geochemical analyses of a sample long, such as the Hewetson Lake and Anderson Lake suite from that area revealed some contained elevated inliers. There are compositional heterogeneities within to anomalous concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Sr, V, Ba. individual Archean inliers and also between them. For and Au. Although no similar trace element data are example, although much of the Sito Lake Inlier is a available for exposures in the Sito-Fable lakes area, homogenous, coarse-grained, leucocratic granite, near Potter ( 1980) did present limited whole rock analyses. its margins it is locally highly strained and contains xenoliths and enclaves of fine-grained, calc-silicate The gamet-pyroxene-amphibole gneiss, which because bearing quartzofeldspathic paragneiss. The hooked of its unique character serves as an important shaped tail, that extends to the northeast from the main stratigraphic and geophysical marker, has been part of the inlier, is a fine-grained, leucocratic to interpreted to be a variety of silicate facies iron mesocratic, quartzofeldspathic granitoid. The unnamed formation (Potter, 1980). As noted in the introduction, inlier on the southeast side of Adams Lake includes D. Savage will be studying this unit to better some coarse-grained granite phases, but most of it is a understand its origin and economic significance fine-grained granitoid composed of 5 to 15 percent especially with respect to the Zn-Pb mineralization. biotite and locally magnetite, and in parts, as much as This study will include geochemistry and thin section 40 percent quartz. On a larger scale, much of the work. northwest half of the Anderson Lake inlier is a coarse grained leucocratic to mesocratic granite to The uppermost part of the basal pelitic unit comprises a granodiorite whereas most of the southeastern half is succession of garnet porphyroblastic biotite gneisses layered, fine-grained quartzofeldspathic paragneiss and schists that contain variable amounts of cordierite (Delaney, 1994). Potter ( 1980) and others observed and sillimanite. Potter ( 1980) estimated that this unit white granitic gneisses containing quartz-feldspar ranges from 150 to 500 m in thickness. sillimanite nodules at several places along the contact between the Archean inliers and the Paleoproterozoic The psammitic unit is exposed along Porcupine Creek, sedimentary rocks. These have been interpreted as in the Sito Lake area, and to the south of the study area derived from a regolith. along the west side Foster River in the vicinity of Fable Lake (Coombe, 1994). Th is distribution is much more The detailed stratigraphy developed by Potter ( 1980; restricted than that of the underlying pelitic gneiss unit. Coombe, 1994) for the sedimentary succession was The psammitic unit includes, at the base, a rusty adopted, in this study, with minor modifications.