GM 39061 REPORT ON THE WASWANIPI AREA GEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE REPORT ON THE WASWANIPI AREA GEOLOGIC;IL RECONNAISSANCE QUEBEC - NTS 32F-9 and 32G-12 Ministère de !'nFrgiP et des Ressources Gouvernement du Québec Service du Potentiel minéral DATE: ~ E SEP. 1662 No G.M.: 33061 Jean Castonguay November, 1977 SUMMP RY A reconnaissance mapping programme was carried out in August 1977 in the Waswanipi River area of Quebec, north of Desmaraisville, in an attempt to identify a favourable volcanogenic massive sulfides environment. The map-area is mostly underlain by basic volcanics inter- stratified with sedimentary rocks and intruded by sill-like gabbro instrusives. Some horizons of intermediate to felsic flows and pyroclastics were found and geochemical results of total rock analysis revealed a possible calc-alkaline series within the belt. As this environment is believed to be favourable for volcanogenic massive sulfides, an INPUT survey is recommended to be flown over the area early in 1978. t. TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY INTRODUCTION 7LOCATION, ACCESS AND RESOURCES 3 LAND STATUS 4 PREVIOUS WORK 6 North half of Lesueur Township 7 Boyvinet Township 8 Gand Township 9 La RonciereToWn'ship 10 GEOLOGY 12 General Remarks 12 General Geology 12 Volcanic Rocks 12 Basic volcanics 12 Intermediate volcanics 13 Felsic volcanics 14 Sedimentary Rocks 14 Intrusive Rocks 15 Structure 16 GEOCHEMISTRY 17 MINERALIZATION 20 CONCLUSIONS 20 RECOMMENDATIONS 21 REFERENCES 22 1 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 Location map 2 Figure 2 Current Land Status 5 Figure 3 Assessment of Previous Work 11 Figure 4 AFM diagram 18 Figure 5 AFM diagrams 19 ANNEX: Rock Analysis 23 5'1 Ti INTRODUCTION As a result of an assessment work compilation of the Bachelor Lake-Surprise Lake volcanosedimentary belt, the Waswanipi River area was selected for the 1977 Quebec Reconnaissance Programme on the basis of little or no detailed geological mapping, relatively limited base metal exploration and absence of known recent airborne geophysical surveys. Following recommendations by D. McAuslan, geological reconnaissance mapping was carried out during the period extending from August 10 to August 21, 1977, mainly along road:3 and rivers with a few additional aircraft supported traverses, in an attempt to identify a favourable volcanogenic base metal environment. .. ... S.. .... 2, i 1 \ . \ --- - Creflor• 1.• . 6 ''''' "." H.ie \ 11.110 050N / .-- ' L Belcher V amt. :,...:1:"., \ _ ____ .. •••••, --% • ye ~ Figure 1: Location Map 3. LOCATION, ACCESS AND RESOURCES The centre of the Waswanipi area is located 245 Km north- east of Val D'Or and 125 Km west of Chibougamau along highway 113, (Senreterre-Chibougamau) just north and north-east of the small town of Desmaraisville. (Fig. 1). The study area covers about 700 square km.', bounded by latitudes 49°35' and 49°45' and longitudes 75°40' and 75°15'. Geological reconnaissance mapping was carried out in Boyvinet, Gand, and the west half of La Ronciere townships and part of Lesueur, Montalembert and Krieghoff townships. The southern part of the region is of easy access as numerous lumber roads in La Ronciere, Gand and Boyvinet townships connect to a north-east, south-west section of the Senneterre-Chibougamau highway passing through the central portion of the area. Chibougamau and Waswanipi Rivers, as well as the highway give access to most of the north half of Boyvinet and Gand townships. Float plane is the most efficient mean. 'f access for the north-western portion of the area. The town of Desmaraisville is well served by the Canadian National Railways and Hydro Quebec power lines. LAND STATUS The north halves of Boyvinet and Gand townships are at the present time, withdrawn from staking as a result of a pending agree- ment between the James Bay Development Corporation and James Bay IndiF•ns, Some of the same land is also withdrawn from staking, below the 960' level (Waswanipi Reservoir), in anticipation of future flooding resulting from the James Bay hydroe]~ctric. developments. However; according to the "Convention de la Baie James et du nord Quebecois", the Quebec Government still owns the mineral rights. Exploration and development work is allowed to be carried out with the consent of the Indians and according to the provincial regulations and laws. Very little of the land within the area of interest is known to be staked at the present time.. Figure 2 shows the current land situation: ground withdrawn from staking and ground currently staked. ~A R)BOURDE MO NTALEMBERT KRk.G,F! GROUND W iTHDRAWr FROM STAkinlG ~ ~ AGREEMENT S~B,J- iNDiANS ,~~'~~ WASwANil~► iZ.F.j~` it P.Y O l 6Z t ) CU RRE+UTx.~I ST~,!<.E,O\ ' •., \\\, NN\ \ . \ . \ ♦ ._„ ~\ ~ ~..~ ~,''''> \~..\•••••=7".\ -\\ "! T` ~ ?N \ 3 .•~ ~ \ \ \ ~ ~ \ a,.,~: ~ \ . \ \\s41/ , " ~ gh~p b ~.~~~~, ~~'~ \ ~`:.— ~ ~ a ~ tl,,, ,,. 1 ~,;,._--; , --~ ~~ ~-~ t~" \ `\\ \ `` \ ~`:.: \ , • \\ \\\~\~ \ \ ~~ `\ /`J ~ ~f/rc \~•' ~. \ \\ •,\` \\` • \\ ~ \'â.fJ~ \_... ` ~.%.~ ` t ~ \ n \~â~~A/ .1~1A.~'T~~ . ~. `\\ \\~~ . Figure 2: Current Lan.., Status PREVIOUS WORK No recent geological mapping was done by the Q.D.N.R. in the area of interest except in ;Lesueur township. The geological maps available at the present time, at a scale of 1 mile to 1 inch; are the following: MAP AREA AUTHOR REPORT M.N.R. -852 L. Bachelor (covering Lesueur and Lcngley, G-47, Boyvinet twp.) 1946 G.S.C.-556A Opawica Lake (covering Gand twp.) ShaW„ 1940 G.S.C.-555A Lewis Lake (covering La Ronciere twp.) Shaw, 1940 The east half of Lesueur township was mapped by the Q.D.N.R. in 1950 at a scale of 1:12,000 (J. Dugan, 1950, P.R. 612 revised and released in 19 75) and the northwest quarter of the same township was mapped at the same scale in 1967. by M. Van de Walle (P.R. 599). A compilation of assessment data of the Bachelor Lake green- stone belt shows that most of the exploration done to date in the area has been concentrated in.. Lesueur, Lesperance and south half of Gand and La Ronciere townships, around known Cu-Zn deposits or showings and gold occurences (Coniagas Mine, Quebec Sturgeon Gold Mine, both in Lesueur township and Opawica Island Cu-Zn showing in Lesperance township). At least three AEM INPUT surveys are known to have been flown by Questor in the last few years (Mark V and VI INPUT surveys), the north boundary of which correspond to the south limit of our reconnaissance mapping (See Fig. 3 for location). Another AEM survey has probably been flown by Umex in the late 1960's covering the whole area as a few ground geophysical surveys with specific location and limited extension were reported all over the area of interest. A few diamond drill holes followed the Umex surveys. Within the 1977 reconnaissance area, relatively little exploration has been done. Refer to Figure 3 for location of the following assessment work. (Numbers on the map correspond to numbers in the text). North half of Lesueur township (north & west of Bachelor Lake) No important discoveries were made within this area. A few py-po mineralized zones are known but no interesting values were obtained. No base metal showings are kncwn. Two segments of an oxide iron formation were found just north and north-west of Billy Lake. (1) Uranium King Corporation drilled 5 holes in 1954, two of them (B-4, B-5) north-east of Billy Lake and Bl, B2, B3 south of the same lake. (2) Rio Tinto Exploration Limited (1955) drilled one hole that cut some agglomerates and tuffs. One foot of massive sulfides was inter- sected in addition to minor cpy, py, po, mag and 3 feet of graphite with pyrite. (3) Quebec Bachelor Mining Corporation. (1957) drilled 4 holes (H-14 to H-17) in ranges VII intersecting agglomerates and tuffs, sedimentary rocks and shear zones with graphite and pyrite. (4) McWatters Gold Mines Limited drilled 3 holes in 1958 'for a total of 1147 feet in range X. (5) Chesbar Chibougamau Mines Limited (1961). A magnetic survey followed by 5 diamond drill holes (L1 to L5) in ranges IX and X resulted in locating two segments of an oxide iron formation, the east one being 7600 feet long and 350 feet wide, the other one being 8700 feet long and 200 feet wide. One hole in the east segment cut 344 feet carrying 19.34% Fe while in the west segment 216 feet averaged 21.5% Fe. 8. (6) Tri-Ex Mines Limited (1966) drilled one hole to test an EM-Mag anomaly and intersected a graphitic zone with po mineralization. Boyvinet Township The township has probably been flown by Umex in the late 1960's and two other AEM surveys cover parts of it. A total of 26 diamond drill holes were filed in the assessment work. A few py-po sulfides inter- sections and occurences are reported but no base metal concentrations are known to exist. (1) Rio Canadian Exploration drilled one hole in 1956 in the south central part of the township. (2) American Metal Co. Limited drilled three holes (Q57-42 to 44) in 1957 intersecting graphite with py-po mineralization in sediments. (3) Mineral Management Limited (1957). Four diamond drill holes, S-1 to S-4 along the east-west centre line. (4) Ventures Limited, in 1958, flew an AEM survey and produced a detailed geological map covering the north-east corner of the township. (5) Denison Mines Limited reported a helicopter EM survey flown in 1960 over the central portion of the township. No recognizable anomalies encountered. Six holes were drilled in 1961 just north of the east- west centre line; one of them intersected 4' of disseminated py-po in a tuff. (6) Caesar Minerals Limited drilled two holes in 1960, one of which cnt disseminated pyrite in andesite.