GM 35775 A MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF THE HEMO-ILMENITE ORE FROM LAC TIO A MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF THE HEMO—ILMENITE ORE
FROM LAC TIO, QUEBEC
by
Michel Bergeron
Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources Gouvernement du Québec Documentation Technique
QUE: 1980 MAPS 0 5
No. QM: 36/1S
Feb. 73 I
A MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF HEMO-ILMENITE ORE FROM LAC TIO, OUEBEC
ABSTRACT
The Lac Tio orebody consista of a large deposit of massive hemo-ilmenite within andesine anorthosite rocks. The deposit has been mined continuously since 1951 by the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation.
It is located some 22 miles north of Havre St-Pierre, a small sea port on the north coast of the St.Lawrence River.
The purpose of this work has been to study in detail the mineralogy and chemistry of the hemo-ilmenite ore in order to detect possible chemical and mineralogical variations within the orebody. The work involved the systematic study of 135 specimens cif ore by X-ray diffraction, the complete chemical analyses of 48 high purity hemo- ilmenite concentrates, and the microscopic and electron probe exam- ination of some 40 polished sections.
Our study shows that the Fe-Ti ore is almost entirely made up of hemo-ilmenite, of average composition 70% ilmenite and 30% hematite, unmixed to a regular intergrowth of hematite and ilmenite. Microprobe analyses and crystal chemical considerations indicate that the average composition of the unmixed phases is : (144.11814n. 00.4Fe.873 C1.004)Ti°3
203. Other minerals identified in the ore and (Fe,971y.014 A1 012Cr.004) consist of accessory amounts of plagioclase (An46, commonly antiperthitic), pleonaste spinel, and pyrite, as well as minor or trace quantities of magnetite, chlorite, hypersthene, zalcite, zircon, corundum, apatite, chalcopyrite, millerite, pyrrhotite, Co-Ni sulphides (linaeite series), II
rutile and anatase. rrimary magnetite is almost absent in the ore; the most common magnetite is secondary in origin and together with anatase and rutile has formed at the expense of hemo-ilmenite during the subsolidus stage. The study of the variation of the hemp-ilme:.tite chemistry throughout the orebody indicates that the mineral deviates little from the average composition. All attempts to find regular or stratigraphic variations of the minor elements (Mg, Mn, Cr, Al, V) of the hemo-ilmenite were unsuccessful.
The geology End origin of the deposit is reviewed in the light of our data. It is suggested that the ore crystallized from an oxide melt that separated by liquid immiscibility early in the evolution of the regional anorthosit:e mass{,f. From textural evidence it is concluded that b emo-ilmenite accumulated by crystal settling. The lack of fraction- ation trends in the ore is attributed to repeated injections of oxide magmas and to a slow rate of crystallization which favored adcumslus growth of the hemo-ilmenite crystals. ETUDE MINERALOGIQUE D;: MINERAI D'HEMO-ILMENITE DU LAC TIO QUEBEC
Résumé
Le gisement du Lac Tio est constitué d'un amas massif d'hémo- ilménite â l'intérieur d'un complexe anorthositique de type anorthosite
A and.ésine. Ce dépôt, exploité depuis 1951 par la société Fer et Titane du Québec, est situés environ 22 milles au nord de Havre St-Pierre, petit port de mer sur la rive nord du fleuve St-Laurent.
L"objectif de ce travail était de déceler d'éventuelles varia- tions minéralogiques et chimiques dans le gisement par une étude détail- lée de la composition du minerai. Le travail est basé sur l'é,ude systé- matique de 135 échantillons de minerai par diffraction des rayons-X, sur l'analyse chimique de 48 concentrés d'hémo-ilménite de très grande pureté et sur l'examen au microscope et à la microsonde d'environ 40 sections polies.
Nous avons montré que le minerai de fer et de titane est com-
posé presqu'exclusivement d'hémo-ilménite qui se présente sous forme d'une intercroissance lamellaire régulière formée d'environ 70% d'ilmé- nite et de 30% d'hématite. Les analyses à la microsonde et les données
ct'istallochimiques in-liguent que la composition moyenne de chacune des .W4)TiO3 et phases exsudeés est la suivante (Mg.118M.004Fe.873Ca .004)203. Les minéraux. . - c.essoires identifiés dans (Fe.0.,1V.014M .012G1 le minerai sont le plagioclase (An46, communément an~::lperthitique), le
spinelle de type pléonaste et la pyrite. De petites quantités, voire des
traces, de magnétite, chalcopyrite, chlorite;, rutile, hyperathène, pyrrho- IV
tine, anatase, zircon, corindon, apatite, willerite,calci:e et des sul- fures de cobalt et de nickel (série linaeite) sont aussi 1résentes. La magnétite primaire est presque inexistante dans le minerai, la magnétite la plus commune dans le minerai est d'origine secondaire: islle s'est formée, tout comme le rutile et l'anatase, à varti.r d'hémo-iiménite lors du stade subsolidus. L'étude des vari itior i. de la compositaio. chimique de l'hémo-ilménite dans le gisement montre qu'elle s'écarte p:u de la composition moyenne. Tous nos efforts visant à prouver l'existence de variations régulières ou stratigraphiques dans les éléments mi•aeurs (Mg,
Mn, Cr, Al, V) d:~ i'hémo-ilménite ont été infructueux.
Une étude de la genèse et de l'histoire du gisement à la lumière de nos résultats, nous amène à considérer que le minerai a cristallisé à partir d'un fondu d'oxydes ("ore magma") qui ze serait formé par immisci- bilit:é au tout début de l'évolution du massif anorthositique régional.
Les données texturales du minerai n7us portent à conclure que le liquide
magmatique injecté dans l'anorthosite solidifiée a cristallisé par cris-
tallisat-`.on fractionnée sous l'influence de la gravité. L'absence de
variations stratigraphiques dans le minerai est attribuée à des injections
répétées de magma et à un taux de cristallisation plutôt lent favorisant
ainsi une croissance "adcumulus" des cristaux d'hémo-ilménite.
m'Ans a matneaao:visxawmimmaimasianfiauaAial ■ ,dHUM~~es~►~~~e~~ ri~wa~s oo~
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2241 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter I GEOLOGY OF THE LAC ALLARD AREA 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Location 3 1.3 Previous Work and History of the Area 6 1.4 Physical Geography 8 1.5 General Geology . .. 10 1.5.1 "Grenville Series" of Retty (1944) ...... 12 1.5.1.1 Quartzite 12 1.5.1.2 Hornblende Gneiss and Biotite Gneiss 12 1.5.1.3 Garnetiferous Gneiss 12 1.5.1.4 Less Common Rocks of the "Grenville Series" in the Area 12
1.5.2 "Morin Series" of Retty (1944) 13
1.5.2.1 Anorthosite ., 13 1.5.2.2 Anorthosite with Coarse Pyroxene Crystals 14 1.5.2.3, Ilmenite Rich Anorthosite 114 1.5.2.4 Anorthosite Dykes 15 1.5.3 Granitic Rocks 15
1.5.4 Diorite, Gabbro and Metagabbro 4,1 15 1.5.5 Pleistocene and Recent 15 1.6 Structural Geology 17 1.7 Economic Geology 18 1.7.1 Introduction 18 1.7.2 The Lac Tio Deposit 19 1.7.2.1 General Mineralogy and Chemistry
of the Lac Tio Deposit ...... 22 1.7.2.2 Faulting of the Lac Tic Oreboc1r .. 26 1.7.2.3 Magnetic Property of the Lac Tio Hemo--Ilmenite ....."...... w.... 32 __ Yaffe Chapter II
MINERALOGY OF THE LAC TIO HEMO-I_LMENITE DEPOSIT 35
2.1 Introduction 35 2.2 Description of Minerals 35 2.2.1 Hemo-Ilmenite 35 2.2.1.1 General Megascopic and Microscopic Characteristics 35. 2.2.1.2 Chemical Composition of Hlmo-I2menite 39 2.2.1.3 Minor Element Distribution in Unmixed Ilmenite and Hematite ... 47 2.2.1.4 Lattice Parameters and Composition of Unmixed Hematite and Ilmenite 44 2.2.1.5 Distribution and Variation of ilmenite and Hematite in the Ore7lody 49
2.2.2 Plagiaiciase . .... 51 2.2.3 Sulphides . 54
2.2.3.1 General Distribution . .. 54
2.2.3.2 Chemistry of the Sulphides ...... 56 2.2.1+ Spinel 5T 2.2.5 Magnetite 61 2.2.6 Rutile and Anatase 65 2.2.7 Chlorite and Biotite 68 2.2.8 Apatite, Corundum and Zircon 71 2.2.9 Hypersthene and Calcite 75 2.3 Mineralogical Summary 75 Chapter III GEOCHEMISTRY OF HEMO-ILMENITES FROM THE LAC TIO DEPOSIT 8o 3.1 Introduction 80 3.2 Selection and Preparation of Material for Study 80 3.3 Analytical Methods and Preparation of an Hemo- Ilmenite Standard 83 3.4 Chemistry of Hemo-Ilmenites in the Deposit 85 3.5 Chemical Variations of Hemo-Ilmenite in the Orebody 87 3.6 Inter-element Correlations in Hemo-Ilmenites 94 3.7 Synopsis of Hemo-Ilmeni.se Chemistry 103
romaimummiummull
VII
Page Chapter IV
CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE PETROLOGY AND ORIGIN OF THE LAC TIO DEPOSIT 106
4.1 Introduction 106 4.2 Metallogenic Traits of the Lac Tio Deposit ' 106 4.3 Crystallization and Evolution of the Hemo-ilmenite Magma 109 4.4 Subsolidus Evolution of the Hemo•-Ilmenite 114 4.5 Concluding Statement 118 BIBLIOGRAPHY 119 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 124
APPENDICE:
I Preparation and Chemical Analysis of 48 Lac Tio Hemo- Ilmenite Concentrates 125
II Preparation and Chemical Analysis of a Hemo-Ilmenite Standard 132
III Distribution of FeO, Fe203, A1203 and Cr203 in the Lac Tio Orebody 136
1MOSN®~i i " "I~HCMMOAIOMMIEL
VIII
TABLE DES MATIERES
Page
RESUME III INTRODUCTION 1 Chapitre I
GEOLOGIE DE LA REGION DU LAC ALLARD 3 1.1 Introduction, ...,, 3 1.2 Situation .. 3 1.3 Travaux antérierars et histoire de la région 6 1.14 Géographie physique 8
1.5 Géologie généra:.e DO 10
1.5.1 "Série de Grenville" d'apras Retty(1944). 12
1.5.1.1 Quartzite 12 1.5.1.2 Gneiss â hornblende et gneiss â biotite 12 1.5.1..; Gneiss grenatifére 12 1.5.1.4 Roches de la "Série de Grenville" peu communes dans la region 12
1.5.2 "Série: de Morin" d'après Retty (1944) 13 1.5.2.1 Anorthosite 13 1.5.2:.2 Anorthosite renfermant de gros cristaux de pyroxène 14 1.5.2.3 Anorthosite riche en ilménite 14 1.5.2.1+ Dykes d'anorthosite 15
1.5.3 Roches granitiques 15 1.5.11 Diorite, gabbro et métagabbro 15
1.5.5 Pleistocéne et Récent 15 1.6 Géologie utructurale 17 1.7 Géologie 4concmique 18 1.7.1 Introduction 18 1.7.2 Le gisement du Lac Tio 19 1.7.2.1 Minéralogie et chimie générale du
gisement % 22 x..7.2.2 Failles associées au gisement du Lac Tic 26 1.i'.2.3 Prcpri cté magnétique de l'hémo- ilménite du Lac Tio 32
~ b .sesIVIMPIENotnaar011a!IieMIBINr^*434kF/draEidiffilliaâiliilG maintammugatimorstniummeS101LL~Yl+M ismisiminisompammanscon Ix
Page Chapitre II MINERALOGIE DU GISEMENT D'HEMO-ILMENITE DU LAC TIO 35 2.1 Introduction . 35 2.2 Description des minéraux 35 2.2.1 Hémo-ilménite 35 2,.2.1.1 Caractères mégascopiques et micro- scopiques généraux 35 2.2.1.2 Composition chimique de l'hémo- ilménite 39 2.2.1.3 Répartition des éléments mineurs dans les phases ilménite et hématite 41 2.2.1.4 Paramètres et composition de l'ilmc- nite et de l'hématite 44 2.2.1.5 Répartition et variation de l'ilménite et de l'hématite dans le gisement 49 2.2.2 Plagioclase 51 2.2.3 Sulfures 54 2.2.3.1 Distribution générale 54 2.2.3.2 Chimie des sulfures 56 2.2.4 Spinelle 57 2.2.5 Magnétite 61 2.2.6 Rutile et anatase . 6' 2.2.7 Chlorite et biotit(1 6ti 2.2.8 Apatite, corindon et zircon 71 2.2.9 Hypersthéae et calcite 75 2.3 Résumé minéralogique 75 Chapitre III GÉOCHIMIE DES HEMO-ILMENIT.ES DU GISEMENT DU LAC TIO 80 3.]. Introduction ... 80 3.2 Choix et préparation des échantillons 80 3.3 méthodes d'analyse et préparation d'un étalon d'hémo-ilménite 83 3.4 Chimie des hémo-ilménites dans le gisement 85 3.5 Variations chimiques de l'némo-ilménite dans le gisement s .... , x17 3.6 Correlations entre les éléments des hémo-ilménites 94 3.7 Synopsis de .a chimie de l'hémo-ilménite 103 X
Page
Chapitre IV DIVERS ASPECTS DE LA PETROLOGIE ET DE L'ORIGINE DU GISEMENT DU LAC TIC) 106
4.1 Introduction 106 4.2 Traits métailogéniques du gisement du Lac Tio 106 4.3 Cristallisation et évolution du magma d'hémo- ilménite 109 4.4 Evolution subsolidus de l'hémo-ilménite 114 4.5 Conclusion 118
BIBLIOGRAPHIE 119
REMERCIEMENTS 124
APPENDICES
I Préparation et analyse de 48 concentrés d'hémo- ilménite II Préparation et analyse d'un échantillon type d'hémo-ilménite 132 III Répartition du FeO, Fe203, A1203 et Cr203. dans le gisement 136 XI
LIST OF FIGURES
Page Chapter I
Fi,. 1.1 Windex map showing the location of Lac Allard Area in relation to other anorthosite-gabbro masses in Quebec 14
Fig. 1.2 Aerial photograph showing the open pit workings on the Lac Tio hemo-ilmenite deposit 5 Fig. 1.3 Map indicating the locality of some of the various ilmenite occurrences discovered by Retty in 1941 7 Fig. 1.4 Topographic map of Lac Allard Area 9 Pig. 1.5 Geological map of the Allard Lake Arr3 (in pocket)
Fig. 1.6 Surface outline of Lac Tio mine (Bourret, 19+9) 20 Fig. 1.7 Photographs of hand specimens from the Lac (a,b) Tio hemo-ilmenite deposit 23 Fig. 1.8 .graph relating specific gravity and grade of Lac Tio ore 25 Fig. 1.9 Graph relating the grade of hemo-ilmenite ore with the amount of Si02 and A1203 27
Fig. 1.10 Surface outline of Lac Tio orebody showing the drill holes and the drill sections 28
Fig. 1.11. Strike section of Lac Tio orebody 291
Fig. 1.12 Dip section of Lac Tio orebody 30
Fig. 1.:13 Aeronagnetic mup of. Lac Tio mine 33 Fig. 1.14 Aeromagnetic profile of Lac Tio hemo-ilmenite orebody 34 Chapter II •
Fig. 2.1 Polished section of an hemo-ilmenite crystal cut parallel to its c-axis 37
XII
Page Fig. 2.2 Polished section of an hemo-ilmenite crystal' tut perpendicular to its c-axis ...... 38 Fig. 2.3 Microphotographs of twinned hemo-ilmenite (a to d) crystals 40 Fig. 2.4 Qualitative electron Probe traverse across an hemo-ilmenite grain 43 Fig. 2.5 Electron probe traverse across an hematite lamella., showing the relative distribution of Fe and Ti in the two main phases of the Lac Tio hemo-ilmenite 145
Fig. 2.6 Lindsley's curves relating 20 (116) and 20 (024) FeKal with the composition of hematite- ilmenite solid solutions 46 Fig. 2„7 Trigonal cracking in exsolved hematite phase 49
Fig. 2.8 Molecular percent of ilmenite dissolved in Lac Tio hematite phase 50 Fig„ 2.9 Pyrite and chalcopyrite in Lac Tio ore 55
Fig. 2.10 Photomicrograph showing pleonaste spinel adjoining hemo-ilmenite 59
Fig. 2.11 Grain of green pleonaste as seen in trans- mitted light 59
Fig. 2.12 Photomicrograph showing spinel invading (a) ilmenite along hematite lamellae 6o
Fig. 2.12 Electron probe "X-ray pictures” showing the (b to d) distribution ,f Al, Ti and Fe in (a) 6o
Fig. 2.13 Spinel of the third variety adjoining an hemo-ilmenite crystal 62
Fig. 2.111 Spinel adjoining hemo-ilmenite. The presence of rutile in the hematite free rim may be seen 62
Fig. 2.15 Typical microphotograph showing magnetite (a) replacing hematite lamellae in demo-ilmenite 64
Fig. 2.15 Secondary magnetite replacing hematite 64 (b)
a s ',Iy , , ~J~Î
XIIï
nage
Fig. 2.15 Primary magnetite adjacent to a pyrite (c) grain 64 Fig. 2.16 Inclusions of rutile in plagioclase 66 Fig. 2.17 Distribution of rutile in hemo-ilmenite 67 (a to d) Fig. 2.18 Distribution k>f anatase in hemo-ilmenite 69 (a,b) Fig. 2.19 Alteration of ilmenite to anatase. Electron (a to d) probe pictures 70 Fig. 2.20 Microphotograph showing chlorite separating hemo-ilmenite and plagioclase 72 Fig. 2.21 Microphotograph showing brown biotite in anorthosite 73 Fig. 2.22 Euhedral corundum included in an hemo- ilmenite crystal 714 Fig. 2.23 Microphotographs of b persthene in (a,b) plagioclase 76 Fig. 2.24 Microphotograph showing calcite inclusions in a plagioclase grain 77 Chapter III Fig. 3.1 Dip section of Lac. Tio orebody 81 Fig. 3.2 Strike section of Lac Tio orebody 82 Fig. 3.3 Percent TiO2 in hemo-ilmenite concentrates of geological section LM (Dip section) .. 88 Fig. 3.4 Percent TiO2 in hemo-ilmenite concentrates of geological section JK (Strike section) 89
Fig. 3.5 Percent Fe in hemo-ilmenite concentrates of geological sect%on LM (Dip section) 90
Fig. 3.6 Percent Fe in demo--ilmenite concentrates of geological section JK (Strike section) .. 91
PP' 4iv
Eat Fig. 3.7 Percent Mg0 in hemo-ilmenite concentrates of geological section LM ;Dip section) 92 Fig. 3.8 Percent Mg0 in hemo-ilmenite concentrates of geological section JK (Strike section) 93 Fig. 3.9 Correlation of Fe/Tî02 with Fe203/Fe0 in analyzed hemo-ilmeni.te concentrates 95 Fig. 3.10 Correlation of Fe0 with Fe203 in analyzed hemo-ilmenite concentrates 96 Fig. 3.11 Correlation of Fe0 with TiO2 in analyzed hemo-ilmenite concentrates 97 Pig. 3.12 Correlation of Fe with Fe203 in analyzed hemo-ilmenite concentrates 98 Fig. 3.13 Correlation of Fe with Fe0 in analyzed hemo-ilmenite concentrates 99 Fig. 3.14 Correlation of Fe203 with TiO2 in analyzed hemo-ilmenite concentrates 100 Fig. 3.15 (104) hematite and ilmenite reflections for samples containing respectively 31.9 and
26.2 percent Fe203 ... 102 Chapter N Fig. 4.1 Solvus curve .for ilmenite-hematite solid (a) solution series 115 Fig. 4.1 Schematic diagram showing the extent of (b) solid solution in the MgTiO3 -, FeTï03 - Fe203 system 115 ÂV
LIST OF TABLES
Page Chapter I
Table ?..l Rock Vormations in the Lac Allard Area 11 Tabla 1.2 Chemical Analysis of Brmzite Crystals ...., 14
Table 1.3 Analyses of Ilmenite from the Lac Allard Area 19 Table 1.4 Chemical Analysis of Lac Tio Ore (87% grade) 21e
Chapter II
Table 2.1 Chemical Composition of Average.Lac Tio Hemo-Ilmenite 41
Table 2.2 Electron Probe Analysis of Unmixed Ilmenite and HematSte Phases 42
Table 2.3 (116) Reflections cf Unmixed Hematite and Il.nenite 47
Table 2.4 Unit Cell Parameters of Unmixed Hematite and Ilmenite :.., 48
Table 2.5 Chemical ComperAtion of Ai orthosi w a from Lac Tio 52 Table 2.6 Distribution of Cu, Ni and Co ir. the Minerals of the Lac Tio Ore 57 Table 2.7 Partial Chemical Analysis of Spinel from Lac Tio Ore 58
Chapter III Table 3.1 Major Element Composition of Hemo-Ilaenite. Standard 81e
Table 3.2 Minor Element Composition of Hemo-Ilmenite Standard 85
Table 3.3 Chemistry of Lac Tio Hemo-Ilmenite 36 ® . WA ~.~~+. ~~
- 1 -
A MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF THE HEMO-ILMENITE ORE FROM LAC TIO , OUEBEC
IPITROI;UCTIO:I
The Lac Tic hemo-ilmenite deposit (Fig. 1.1, 1.2) is located about
25 miles north of Havre St Pierre on the North shore of the St.Lawrence river and represents the largest body of titanium ore of its type now known in the world. Since its discovery in 1946, several reports and studies have been made on the geology, mining and metallurgy of the hemo-ilmenite ore.
During this period however, there has been very little systematic work done on the mineralogy and geochemistry of the ore.
The present work consists of a detailed study of the mineralogy and chemistry of the hemo-ilmenite ore with the aim to characterize as accura- tely as possible the chemical and mineralogical variations within the orebody and to provide fundamental data on the crystal chemistry of the ore.
A diamond drilling program comprising 56 holes and totalling
33,027 feet was carried out on the Lac Tio hemo-ilmenite deposit during 1966 and 1967. The drilling defined the vertical and horizontal limits of the mineralization and enabled the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation (Q.I.T.) to evaluate ore reserves amounting to arproximately 231+ million tons at a
cut-off grade of 70 percent and an average grade of about 86.6 percent.
The geological and chemical logs from the 1966 - 1967 drilling also provided
general information on the nature of the orebody.
The Lac Tio deposit is presently being mined by the Q.I.T. at a
rate of 2.:3 million tons a year. In the past few years, the mining rate
has been increasing rapidly and it has become important to know as accurate-
ay as possible the nature and chemical variations of the ore through the
entire deposit.. Changes in the composition of the ore would have a direct bearing on the composition of the two final products, iron and slag.
Should important chemical or mineralogical variations occur in some parts of the orebod7, their discovery would most likely influence future mining development programs. For these reasons, a detailed study of the chemistry and mineralogy of'a group of diamond drill core samples representing the orebody k?as initiated in order to provide basic data on the mineralogy and chemistry of the ore.
The contents of the thesis is presented into four chapters.
Chapter one is a summary of the geology of the Lac Allard Area. It is
based essentially on all published information to date, as well as various
unpublished reports in company's file. The second chapter deals with the
systematic mineralogy of the hemo-ilmeni•te ore, and constitutes an inventory
of the characteristics, mode of occurrence and association of all the
various minerals encountered to date in the ore. The third chapter is
oncerned with the detailed geochemistry of the hemo-ilmenite and is based
on the results obtained frcm the chemical analyses of some 48 high purity hemo-
1..menite concentrates. The fourth chapter attempts to discuss the genesis
;' the ore in the light of available data on the Lac Tio deposit. The
Piy,tnois used to prepare the hemo-ilmenite concentrates and the chemical'
p.:FAIts obtained on each of these concentrates are given in Appendices I
t :rn at the end of the thesis;. -3 -
CHAPTER I
GEOLOGY OF THE LAC ALLARD AREA
1.1 Introduction .
During the past 30 years, many reports have been published on the geology of the Lac Allard Area and in particular of the Lac Tio hemo- ilmenite deposit. These reports are reviewed in this chapter which aims to summarize the information avai3 ble on the Lac Tio orebody.
More than half of the reports consulted are unpublished and were
obtained from the files of Kennco Explorations Ltd., the New Jersey Zinc Co. and the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation (Q.I.T.). The
remaining published information was obtained from a survey of the lite- rature (1).
1.2 Location
The region known as the Lac Allard Area is located in the town-
ship of Parker on the north shore of the St.Lawrence River, some 130 miles
east of Sept-Iles, Quebec. Its general location is shown in Figure 1.1.
The principal deposit of the area, Lac Tio mine (Fig. 1.2), is connected
tc the St . L.=..•wrence seaport, of Havre St-Pierre by a 27-mile railroad.
(1) The bibliographic sources principally consulted are the Bibliography of North American Geology, the Anotated Bibliography of Economic Geology and the Bibliography and Index Exclusive of North America. Fi V i LAC. ALLARD RE AREA r . PIERRE
• SORÉL MONTREA~~
c~ P
100 MI. NEW YORK 200 KM
Figure 1.1 Index map showing the location of Lac Allard Area in relation to other anorthosite-gabbro masses in Quebec.
imeat iliG IINgliali 5
Figure 1.2 Aerial photograph showing the open, pit workings
on the Lac Tio hemo-ilmenite deposit. The hemo- ilmenite ore is presently being mined at the rate
of 2.3 million tons a year. After primary crushing
the ore is brought by railroad to the port of
Havre St-Pierre where it is loaded in boats and
shipped to the Sorel Plant. _6
1.3 Previous Work and History of the Area
The presence of hemo-ilmenite in the Lac Allard Area was first reported by J.A. Retty for the Quebec Department of Mines following a reconnaissance shore-line geological survey in 1941. The ensuing report
(Retty, 1944) describes the occurrence of a number of small hemo-ilmenite deposit3 along the shores of lac Allard, lac Petit Pas, lac Puyjalon and lac Bat du Diable (Fig. 1.3). Lac Bat du Diable which does not appear in Figure 1.3 is located approximately 4 miles southwest of lac Allard. The showings discovered by Retty were subseçuently staked by Toronto and Montreal interests and a certain amount of exploration work was carried out. Kennco Explorations Limited (subsidiary of Kennecott
Copper) optioned the claim groups in 1945 and initiated in the summer of 1946 a detailed exploration program in the vicinity of the occurrences described by Retty in the hope of finding larger orebodies. This work resulted in the discovery of a num`fer of hemo-ilmenite deposits, among which was the large orebody of Lac Tio'11 (Hammond, 1952).
(1) The Lac Tio deposit was actually discovered on June 10, 1946, by two students from Laval University employed on the Kennco exploration party. Traversing from lac Petit Pas southward towards lac Puyjalon, the two stu- dents recorded strong negative dip needles readings at a point approximate- ly mile from the origin of their traverse. Outcrops of massive hemo- ilmenite were observed a short distance from this magnetically anomalous area. Going further south they reached a stream which had cut through the overburden. The stream bed was underlain by glistering black massive hemo- ilmenite. Further south on their traverse they came upon a small lake approximately 1,300 feet long and 100 feet wide. This lake was later named Lac Tio. A very steep cliff rises on the west side of Lac Tio. Traveling along the east shore of this lake, the students were confronted scarcely 100 feet across on the opposite shore, with a virtual mountain ofmassive hemo-ilmenite. vommisiessaimommlininilEXIMENIERIENIMINI
L.PETIT PAS ~
v1} L. ALLAR D
f L . PUYJALON
a 0 1LMENÎTE OCCURtNCES SCALE: 2 MILES TO I INCH OR 1:126,720 0 I 2 3 4 5 6 iom~u~------iki MILES
Figure 1.3 Map indicating the locality of some of the various ilmeni:te occurrences discovered by Retty in 1941 (Retty, 1944) . 8
Fo'.lowing this exploration program and the successful discovery
of the Lac Tio the remaining anorthoaite area west of Lac Allard was explored ?n 1947 using an airborne magnetometer survey. This survey
did not reveal new deposits; however,st:.ong anomalies were recorded over
all known majcr déposits (Bourret, 1949). 'While exploration was being carried out, the New Jersey Zinc
Co. vas experimenting on a process for producing iron and titanium bearing
:lag from hemo-ilmenite ore by electric smelting. The Quebec Iron and
Titanium Cn poration (Q.I.T.) was incorporated in 1948 for developing and
operating the mine and erecting a smelter to prodess the ore.
The 27 mile long railway that links the Lac Tic deposit to the
port of Havre St-Pierre, the dock facilities at Havre St-Pierre, the Smelting Plant and receiving dock facilities at Sorel were built in 1948
and 1949.
The mining started in 1950 at the Grader orebody, now idle, but
from which over 200,000 tons of ore was extracted. Sine:. then Q.I.T. has
been ^fining the Lac Tio hemo-ilrrsenite deposit.
( 1.4 rlyalaa. GeGe°. ai,fly Along the coast, and north of tue westwa: d flowing portion of
the Romaine River, is a flat coastal plain known as the lowlands (Fig. 1.4).
The lowlands are underlain by flat-lying Paleozoic limestones and consist of open muskeg dotted with many shallow lakes and ponds. The ground between
the Romaine and Puyjaton Rivers is flat and sandy and represents parts of
an old marine terrace. -9-
uin Chan 'ii; ~~/• iaure St-Pierre r-t• 'Havre- St-Pierre :• --•...~._ . . - ••••••, EsWmo ~: v~ . ~ . \, Sea Cow rilobit: t:~j:::?'.;; ;`;~_,,,._.7i.. •a•~;~~ Bav Island / Island f{[ty ..• ~ • . t~~.. ~ . • Gree n, , t Fright I P t 1T3 .Fi ay: . !~ 1 Wnlrus I 'K I/ B~ Gult i < • • ,,.,t a ,~LISt•Chgrlr— s`-^'~ I msannarsomonninggi amennsis s on
0 5 1G _~_...p _~asll^n • 5=14 r78giFar MILES Figure 1.4 Topographic map cf Lac Allard Area. (Map 12 L, Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa.) -10 -
Approximately 3 miles from the coast, the terrain rises rapidly to form the uplands. Viewed in a general way, the surface has the appear- ance of an ancient peneplain with the horizon presenting a general uniform- ity of summits in all directions. In detail, however, the surface is a much dissected platen with precipitous cliff faces and well entrenched valleys. At Lac Allard, the highest summits reach 1,300 feet above sea level. The maximum relief is approximately 800 feet; the average relief is between 200 and 300 feet. The uplands are underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Grenvflle Province.
Glacial erosion has been an important factor in shaping the present topography. The larger lakes occupy north-south depressions approximately parallel to the direction of ice movement. Many small lakes lie perched in irregular depref,sions at higher elevations and the second- ary drainage sy.-gem has been disorganized to a large extent.
The area is drained by the Romaine River system which head lies near the Quebec Labrador boundary. The Romaine flows in a well en- trenched valley, with numerous rapids and falls.
Throughout the uplands, a thin cover of boulders and soil rests on bedrock and supports a stunted growth of spruce, balsas and pine. Many large glacial erratic., most of granitic in nature lie strewn about the surface.
1.5 General Geoloçy
The consolidated rocks of the Lac Allard Area are of Precambrian
age and comprise a series cf metamorphic and igneous rocks that belong
to the Grenville Province (Fig. 1.5, in pocket). The formations that
underlie the area are summarized in Table 1.1. Table 1.1
Rock Formations in the Lac Allard Area (Retty. 1941 )
Pleistocene and Clay, sand, gravel Recent • Diabase Lamprophyre Gabbro, metagabbro Intrusive Porphyritic granite, horn- rocks blende granite, pegmatite
Precambrian "Morin Series" Arcrthozitic dykes Grenville of Retty, 1944 Anorthosite with coarse pyroxene Province crystals (Hargraves, 1962) Anorthosite, anorthositic gabbro, £_narthnsite rich in ilmenite.
"Grenville G;uartzito. quartz-biotin. Metasedimen- Series" of F ;aes, quartz-hornolende tary rocks Retty, 1944 rne .ss, garnetiferous gneiss, amphibolite, garnetiferc;ur: graphite schist, injection gneiss 12
1.5.1 "Grenville Series" of Retty (1944
Rocks of the "Grenville Series" are represented by quartzites,
quartz-biotite gneiss, quartz-hornblende gneiss, garnetiferous gneiss,
and small patches o: amphibolite and garnetiferous graphite schist. These
rocks occur abundantly along the Romaine River between the First East
branch and the Second East branch. Numerous outcrops are also found on the
shores of Forget lake and in the adjoining area to the east. 1.5.1.1 Quartzite
The quartzites are common in the region of Lac Allard. The rock is ordinarily composed of small white and vitreous grains of quartz and
small proportions of biotite, magnetite, and in some places disseminated
garnet. 1.5.1.2 Hornblende Gneiss and Biotite Gneiss
Well banded hornblende gneiss and biotite gneiss are also abundant
in the region of Lac Allard. They are composed principally of quartz, horn-
blende, biotite, orthoclase and plagioclase in varying proportions.
Apatite, zircon, magnetite and graphite are the usual accessory minerals
found in the gneisses.
1.5.1.3 Garnetiferousneir G A large part of the "Grenville gneiss" in the Lac Allard region
contains in afiditiou to quartz, some 15 to 20 percent garnet with small
quantities of albite, graphite and biotite. This variety of gneiss is also rich in hornblende. 1.5.1.4 Less Common Rocks of the "Grenville Series" in the Area
Among the less common rocks observed by Rates 5-n the region,
are graphitic garnetiferous schists, greywackes, amphibolites, migma-
tites and injection gneisses. 13
1.5.2 "Morin Series" of Retty (1944),
The most important lithological unit in the Lac Allard region
(Fig. 1.5, in pocket) is anorthosite and related rocks. They were grouped as "Morin Series" by Retty op. cit. and comprise anorthosite and associated • rocks such as anorthositic gabbros and anorthositic dykes. As shown in Fig. 1.5 (in pocket) in the Lac Allard Area, these rocks extend for more than 70 miles in the southwest direction and form a zone approxim.tely
20 to 30 miles wide. 1.5.2.1 Anorthosite
Anorthosite is the major rock type in the vicinity of Lac AL:lard.
As a rule, it is massive, coarse-grained and contains 95 percent or more plagioclase. In fresh exposure, it varies in color from pale gray to pink to somewhat resinous green whei:it contains more than 5 percent ferro- magnesian minerals. In weathered outcrops, the anorthosite is usually gray to chalky white. The equig:aniiar varieties of anorthosite have grains sizes that range from 3 to 6 mm and is characterized by sporadic coarse plagioclase phenocrysts 2 to 35 cm long. The phenocrysts are similar in composition to plagioclase of the enclosing matrix (Hargraves, 1962).
In thin section, the texture of the anorthosite varies from hypidiomorphic to allotriomorphic'granular, and the plagioclase grains
(An 40-52) range from 3mm to 12mn in size. Approximately half the 25 thin sections examined by Hargraves (1962) showed evidence of cataclasis as indicated by scattered relics of larger crystals exhibiting undulatory extinctions, bent twin lamellae and fractured margins. The finer-grained
material surrounding the deformed fragments and locally constituting the entire rock, is anhedral and displays intricately sutured grain bound-
aries, suggesting recrystallization of crushed material. -11+-
1.5.2.2 Anoruhosite with Coarse Pyroxene Crystals
Hargraves (1962) noted in several locations,zones of anorthosite characterized by coarse crystals or cloth of crystals of greenish bronzite.
A chemical analysis of typical pure bronzite, separated from samples col- lected at Lac Tio is given in Table 1.2
Table 1.2
Chemical Analysis of Bronzite Crystals (Hargraves. 1962),
SiO2 51.81 Na20 0.01 A120 2.80 K20 0.00 Fe203 2.09 H0♦ 0.07 ~ Fe0 17.27 H20 0.03 MgQ 21+.18 TiO 0.52 2 CaO 0.83 Mn0 0.29 Total 99.90 Calculated formula En 69 Fs 31
1.5.2.3 Ilmenite Rich Anorthosite The ilmenite rich anorthosite (oxide rich norite of Hargraves,
1962) is medium-grained seed slightly foliated or gneissic. Tie essential constituents of the rock, in paragenetic order, are plagioclase, pyroxene, a, atite and oxide. Despite variation in the relative proportion of these constituents, the mafic fraction rarely constitutes less than 50 percent by weight of the, rock. Sulfide, largely pyrite with minor pyrrhotite are constant accessories, and secondary biotite is sporadically distributed.
A study of thin and polished sections of the oxide rich noriti.c anorthosite (Hargrave, 1962) reveals that it contains the follovbug 15
mineralogy :
Magnetite 10% Hemo-ilmenite 10% Pyrite with minor 2% pyrrhotite Plagioclase 30-40% Hypersthene 20% Augite 5-10% Biotite 2-3% Spinel Traces Apatite 5-10% 1.5.2.4 Anorthosite Dykes
Retty (1944) describes the occurrence of three anorthositic
dykes cutting the anorthosite massif. These dykes generally have a composition identical to that of the anortht.site itself. 1.5.3 Granitic Rocks /1 The rocks are usually coarse-grained and exhibit a porphyritic
texture. In those rocks, the quartz is ordinarily opalescent and the /1 mafic minerals, hornblende and biotite, are visible to the naked eye.
In thin section, apatite, zircon and magnetite can be recognized as
accessory minerals. Retty (1944) has noticed that the rock is locally poor in quartz
and could be more appropriately named syenite.
1.5.'4Dio r ite,, Gabbro and Metagabbro,
Diorite, gabbro and metagabbro have also been noted in the Lac Allard Area (Betty, 1944). Since these rocks are not very common in the
re:pion, they will not be discussed furti:er in the thesis. 1.5.5 Pleistocene and Recent In the lowlands, the traces left by the glaciation have been
washed by the invarion of the Champlain Sea and covered by sediments.
Sand, cls;y and gravel are the win constituents of the marine deposit. - 16 -
In the Lac Allard region, the U-shaped valley of the Northeast
Romaine River constitutes the main evidence of glaciation. The sand and gravel deposits along that river are considered to be of glacial origin. Some glacial striations along the shores of Forget Lake indicate that the movement of the ice sheet was from north to south. However, in the vicinity of the Bernard and Northeast Romaine Rivers the striations seem to indicate a south-west movement. 1.6 Structural Geol
There is much evidence that the area has been subjected to large scale structural disturbances over long periods, as indicated by the highly contorted and metamorphosed nature of the Grenville type rocks and the strong fault and joint systems developed within the aaorthosites (Bourret, 1949). In the vicinity of Lac Allard, the anortho- site is text by numerous steeply dipping to vertical joints and faults. They strike north or northeast and represent faulting of the normal type in which the hanging wall block has moved down relative to the footwall block. These features are everywhere apparent in the topography, giving rise to preèipitous cliff faces. In many instances, they appear
as a series of steplike structures along the hill slopes.
Some of the major faults have been traced for several miles, and Borne continue without appreciable change in strike beyond the
anortt.osite body and into the surrounding granite. These fractures are
open and obviously younger than all of the Precambrian rocks of the
area. It is usually impossible to determine the relative displa-
cement in an intrusive rock of uniform composition such as anorteosite.
However, one major fault has been studied in detail in the vicie ity
of the Lac Tio deposit, where it appears to have been an important factor
in the preservation of the main orebody. Detailed exploration has shown that the erebody is in the form of a large, tabular, relatively flat- lying mass. It can oe reasonably ass',.med that the attitude of the ore
was the same at the time of deposition. A north-south fault, with a „teep
dip to the east, cuts through the middle of the deposit and has moved the east side of the orebody downward, a vertical distance of approximately
300 .feet. There is no apparent horizontal movement. As a result of this fault, the ore in the east part of the deposit was preserved from erosion and Pleistocene glaciation.
1.7 Economic Geology
1.7.1 Introduction The economic interest of the Lac Allard region is primarily centered on the deposits of ilmenite it contains. Although Retty (1944) noted the occurrence of chalcopyrite mineralization in paragneisses in at least six localities, he principally emphasized the potential of the region for possible ilmenite deposits. His discovery of several ilmenite deposits along the shores of Lac Bat-du-Diable, Lac Allard, Lac Petit Pas' and Lac Puyjalon (Fig. 1.3) was a key factor that initiated the subsequent development of the region. The largest deposit of the area, the Lac Tio deposit was discovered in 1746 following exploration work undertaken by
Kennco Exploration Ltd. Other deposits of less importance were also out- lined by this work; such is for instance the Grader Lake deposit from wh:+.r 1 200,000 tons of ore were extracted in the period of 1950-51.
"11 of the ilmenite deposits of the area are associated with anotthositic rocks and probably have closely related origins. They may be classified structurally (Hammond, 1952) into thr:e types on the basis of attitude and shape of the oxide masses; these are, flat'-lying tabular bodies of large areal extent (Lac Tio deposits and satellites), steeply dipping dyke-like bodies (Puyjalon deposit) and lenticular masses irre- gular in shape. There ere in the Lac Allard area six ilmenite deposits which respectively contain a million tons or mc.r -. 19 - largest and most important is the Lac Tio deposit which is presently mined at a ratc of 2.3 million tons per year. The deposits of the Lac Allard region contain ilmenites of similar composition. The original analyses of the ilmenite phase of the ore from six deposits discovered by Retty in 1941 are presented in Table 1.3. Their high iron content relative to TiO2, similar to that of the Lac Tio deposit, indicates that they are ilmenite-hematite exsolution mixtures and are appropriately referred to as hemo-ilmenites (Buddington and Lirisley, 1964). Table 1.3 palyse:, of Ilmenite from the Lac Allard Area (after Rett- . 1944)
(5)* (1) (2) (3) (4) (6) Fe 45.01 41.18 45.08 43.33 43.41 43.64 TiO2 32.24 36.00 35.98 35.89 38.14 37.79 Si02 1.36 2.57 1.78 0.96 0.87 1.42 P - - - - 0.05 - S 0.14 0.47 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.11 V 0.02 0.08 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.19
1.7.2 Me Lac Tic Dep o it The Lac Tio deposit is an extensive body of hemo-ilmenite lying roughly half way between Lac Puyjalon and Lac Allard (Fig. 1.5, in pocket) approximately 23 miles northeast of Havre St-Pierre on the; north shore of theSt.Lawrence River. As determined from surface exposures and diamond drilling, the depo,it is 3600 feet long and 3400 feet wide and occupies an area of 134 acres (Fig. 1.6). The maximum elongation of the deposit
' These numbers refer to the original locality number in Retty (1910:; (See Fig. 1.3). - 20 -
LAC GRONDIN
NORTHWEST ORE BODY
:. GISEMENT .. MAIN ORE BODY NORD-OUEST GISEMEN'i' PRINCIPAL „
LAC TIO
CLIFF ORE BODY
GISEMENT CLIFF
0 500 10~0 1500 LAC ANO EF DS ~ i 1 0 250 500 M
Fig. 1.6 Surface outiille of Lac Tic) mine (Bour•~et, 1912) - 21 -
lies almost due north, however, its plan expression is irregular with large lobes of ore extending east and west. Thr:re are also wide variations of elevation in the area underlain by massive hemo-ilmenite. A compara- tively level valley occupies the central part of the deposit and extends to the snithern end of Lac Tio. On the west side of this valley the terrain rises rapidly and reaches an elevation as high as 140 feet above the valley floor. For convenience the Lac Tio deposit is generally considered by the Mine personnel as consisting; of three parts (Fig. 1.6); the Main orebody, the Northwest and the Cliff orebodies. Although the Cliff orebody is separated from the Northwest orebody by a large block of barren anortho- site, it is undoubtedly closely related to it in origin.
The Main orebody is by far the most important part of the deposit with respect to size and thickness. South of Lac Grondin it occupies a large crudely recta:irular area from which a smaller triangular portion protrudes and extends south along the east side of Lac Tic). The western edge of the Main orebody abuts against a north-south trending and steeply dipping fault along which the eastern block has moved down- ward relative to the western block. The Northwest or:-oody which lies on the west side of this fault is a thin flat-lying body from 25 ;o 200 feet thick and dips gently to the east. The Cliff orebody (Fig. 1.6) is a broad, flat-lying, tabular mass of hemo-ilmenite that rises sharply above the western shore of Lac
Tio. It is crudely elliptical in plan expression and measures 1240 feet in a north-south direction and 740 feet in the east-west direction. The -22- average thickness of the crebody is approximately 200 feet. The eastern part of the orebody is well exposed along the shore of Lac Tio. The ore- body has a relatively uniform floor in sharp contact with the underlying anorthosite and dips gently to the east. Drilling,on the west side of Lac
Tio,indicates that the ore extends flatly under the anorthosite wherA it thins rapidly and pinches out. The larger part of the ore of the Lac Tio deposit is concen- trated in the Main orebody. Blocks and/or inclusions of anorthosite, as well as zones of disseminated hemo-ilmenite are present throughout the deposit. The blocks of anorthosite vary greatly in size, shape and orien- tation. They are presumed to represent blocks of country rock engulfed or included in the ore during its emplacement. The zones of disbeminated hemo- ilmenite commonly occur as subhorizontal bands within the massive hemo ilmenite.
1.7.2.1 General Mineralo•. and Chemist of the Lac Tio Deposit
Although the Lac Tio or more commonly the Lac Allard ore is
usually referred to as ilmenite in the literature,it actually consists of a microscopic intergrowth of hematite in ilmenite. Such ilmenites are
called hemo-ilmenites (Buddington and Lindsley, 1964). The ore is a
dense, black, mostly coarse-grained aggregate of thick tabular crystals
of hemo-ilmenite (Fig. 1.7a, b). The specific gravity of the material
classified as ore ranges from 4.46 to 4.9. The relation between grade(1) and specific gravity of the ore is shown in Fig. 1.8. Plagioclase in
(1) Grade is defined as t'le sum of FeO, Fe2C3 and Ti02. -23-
(a)
Pia- 1-7P-- t Photographs of band specimens from the Lac °iic hemo-ilmenite deposit : (a) X 1/2 (b) X 1. - 21. -
amounts varying from 3 to 12% and accessory amounts of pyrite, sninel,
biotite, magnetite and hypersthene are generally found in the ore. Chalco-
pyrite, millerite, rutile, zircon, chlorite, corundum and anatase are
also present in very small amounts. Detailed information on the nature
and occurrence of these minerals are given in Chapter II.
The ore generally mined by G.I.T. has a grade of 87%. A
typical analysis of this ore is given in Table 1.4.
Table 1.4
Cheniiccal Anal of Trac Tio Ore (87'4 Grade)
...~~~?re i Rht `'1 Ti02 34.2 Idn0 0.16 Fe0 27.5 S 0.3 Fe203 25.2 PIa20 and K20 0.35 Si02 4.3 P205 0.015 A1203 3.5 Cu 0.006 CaO 0.0 Ni 0.026 i+iRO 3.1 Ga 0.003 Cr203 0.10 Co 0.015 V205 0.41
Lister (1066) has studied the chemical variations in the Lac
Tio orebody. The results of his work indicate that there is no regular va-
riation in the Fe/Ti02 ratio in the orebody. However, localized chemical
variations were observed. In the .massive hemo-ilmenite portion of the
deposit, the amount of Cr and V decreases upwards while that of Mg increases.
These trends would not seem to be present in the eastern or layered sections
of the ore sheet. The Mn content cf the entire deposit is unusually low.
The chemical composition of the ;i*ero-ilmenite crystals corresponds arrnro-
ximately to 30 percent hematite acid 70 Percent magnesian ilmenite. The
lowest amounts of Mg and the highest amounts of (Fe 4* Ti) were found in
ar.B IAt.ta.e..lmmo wn..wlwa. a.l c.alwalv aua ~s~ • 5.0
4.8 • • • • ~• —, 4.6 • • ~ •• • 4.4
42 • 42 • 4.0 4.0 M
3.8
U II 3.6 &6 V w a N 3.4 --' 3.4
3.2 3.2
à0 3Si
I 1 . i ~ .._.~,.._~ . ! ~ i 1 ~ ___~__ 50 60 70 80 90 100 GRADE •0'' ORE ( % Fe203 + % Fe0 + T102 )
Fig. 1.R Graph relating s(cific gravity And grade of liac Tic) ore (New :Jersey Zinc) . iiiimminiormimammumium umummeimaxr.ans•sr. ~~•. ~~~~m~• tlp~arr.~ -26- hemo-ilmenites from the upper part of the layered section of the sheet
(Lister, op. cit.).
Compared with the hemo-ilmenite from the deposit, the hemo- ilmenite from the anorthosite host rock has a lower minor element content with the exception of manganese.
The relations between grade and the amoun'. of Si02 and A1203 in Lac Tio ore is shown in Fig. 1.9. It is interesting to note that the trend for the SiO 2 values extrapolates to zero at the maximum grade ore while the alumina values extrapolate to about one percent. This is interpreted as indicating that the pla?ioclase (silicate) content of high grade ore may approach zero but its spinel (aluminate) content may be as high as 2%.
Figure 1.10 shows a plan view of the Lac Tio orebody where the diamond drill holes and sections are indicated. The numbers (e.g. T-91-6) correspond to the locations of the holes drilled in the summers of 1966 and 1967. Figure 1.11 is a strike section corresponding to the line J-K on Figure 1.10. Figure 1.12 is a dip section corresponding to the line L-M on Figure 1.10. These sections are from Lister (1968).
1.7.2.2 Faulting of the Lac Tio Orebody Three faults trarsect the orebody in the mine area (Lister,
1968). The most important fault forms the boundary between the Main and the Northwest orebodies (Fig.l.6).Scissor-like movement along this plane would appear to have raised the west block approximately 300 feet at the north end of the orebody (Hammond, 1952). The displacement along this fault decreases towards the south and the fault seems to terminate within the Cliff orebody. - 27-
20
18
16
14 on) 12 412 03
10 o
M 8 0 N
4
2
60 70 80 90 100
GRADE OF ORE
Fig. 1.9 Graph relating the grade of hemo-ilmenite ore with the amount of SiO2 and Al20. (New Jersey Zinc).
~ :: .;: •ï : :~. k• 4T- 99-8 ~'"'I+ :. a~ (1' LAC 0,000 N f::::::: ; : ~ I ~::: .~~` .....17.,.....-. GRONDÎN 1Q '• ?~ ~~.:' A :: •: • .§7-9• 97 '+: %::; : 7-1 ••T-97-2,.~.. _ ~ 9y-5:, :;~ ~. T- ~'• T 9 •~;. : T-97-g ~ ::'Y- LEGEND F:~'•: ..~~ I.;:::•' • \ :.•:4~.. ::::::• .. • h•-9T~~ ï~ ••:•:-».....:::. :9 T-95••4 /1-95-6 95.3 T-95-1 T-95-2 %XT- --- T-95-5 -•- - n--0 - --+6rtir%• --- • - - • - 0 .~N~ MORE THAN 70% ILMENITE T-92-8 % ` z `,~'i1r.r ILMENITE ( 30-70 %) S \ .`` !:'•• 15;4:? ]Y•~:~,~' T- 901-7 i:::::::: .....\.... ST.-9 1-1 T-91~ '~•'-T91 T-9~-6 'i;~~r91-5 DRILL HOLE ( 1967) i:::::,;:: ~• ~_ _ •- ... • >~ ; ~:v};,- • — ,~,~ f:u 0 • a~..~e • DRILL HOLE( 1966) 9 Oo~ NORTHWEST ~ st...... •,~ ~ i ;:~.~. ; .1_~r~~ ' OREBODY ....4...v57:„....______. .ti.' DRILL SECTION {i~P` \ I .~1F6.. ....,, T- 87-11 T- 87-10 i T-87-6~~:r,T-87a T-87-3 ~*~`T-87-1 0 0 T-87-9 T-87-5 . •T•-- • r----,.~ • ._ • •~-,i,Wr ;,,~. .. • — - _— • _ -~st±rr~~3~- 0 S ...... \ / a. a. :: : :•: ~~// ~~;-~`43 ...*:•:::•:•:•;:?::;::.r ..1.:.:::.: :: ,.. ~ MA I N ~ OR E:t;?•B~O~ -%!;:7~ 1-43 -7 :.•:' jiv '' ::. ,'~~'`% _...2.;.:.~'' T 8.3-2.... _ T-83-I T Q3'~ ~~• k•`<`='' T-83- 4;~;;J 'f'• O T ', 0 ---s~;~ --~ ,`~••-- - ,L `` •'~' `\:~S~ ~_::~:• !~_• I L•~/ \°•' ; T-79-3 T-79-1 i>1- 6 1-79-7 • 9-5 —Q—. ~ -T-79-2 ~ T ~ ..~ T-75-3 T-75-1 ~•/'•T~~~ T-75-2 . T-75-5 0 -~f ~•• •• F'' CLIFF • + ~~'~~y:!!•T 1 •~'~~ ~~ `:•'~•~•:~ OREBODY TI-13;~. T-71-7 '• ;;r; •..r,^..~'i~~ ~~• - ••~•e_1:1iI:,;r1 e ':îr ~ ~ •;:;~~••• • :; .,~,..::',. T:~::::, • ~'~:_:.E• ' • . Y,.. ~ T-67-2:: ~~e~h-6 T1 ~•i;~r • . • DDH Pt1 AN ~ ~:: : ~ SCALE I = 600'
... • . . ~ T 64-1 •
000N
Fig.. 1.10 Surface outline of Lac Tiso orebody showing the drill holes and the drill sections (Lister, 19(3).
11111E111111=1121111111111111