Alluvial Sampl Exam
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A SUMMARY REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION OF THE ALLUVIAL SAMPLES East River Block Attawapiskat River Project Porcupine District MICHAEL W. MILNER Geomorphologist Placer Specialist, Mineralogist April,2005 FOR PELE MOUNTAIN RESOURCES INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTlON 3 PURPOSE AND SCOPE 3 METHODOLOGY 4 GEOWGICAL SETTING 4 STRATIGRAPHY 5 STRllCTURE 6 IMP ACT HYPOTHESIS 7 GLACIAL HISTORY 8 RESllLTS AND CONCLUSIONS 9 SUMMARY OF DATA 10 CERTIFICATE 14 REFERENCES 15 2 I NTROD UCfION This report pertains to samples (040312A and 040313B, 17/04/2003) collected by Richard Daigle, of Dowling, Ontario on Pele Mountain Resources' Attawapiskat River Project, East River Block property, Claim 1167271 (Figure 1). The samples were provided to the author by Mr. Al Shefsky ofPele Mountain Resources to be processed in Toronto for diamonds and indicator minerals. The results were initially provided to Pele Mountain Resources verbally. This report represents a summary of analysis, photo documentation, reference material and descriptions relevant to the sample. A secondary purpose of this analysis is an academic study of the surface microtextures of minerals such as quartz and zircon (see Mahaney 2002; Mahaney and Milner 1997). Both spheroidal garnets, mainly spessartite, and quartz, which in Wawa lamprophyre, Ogoki River samples and these Attawapiskat River samples are close to pristine and are lacking in significant fracturing that might be incurred in either glacial or river transport. Kyanite is another mineral, present in this sample, with potential for further research (Fipkie et ai., 1999). Morphological changes for distance of transport from the pipe has been given for pyrope. Dummet (1984) described the spherical form, "orange peel" surface texture of the pyrope at the pipe and the subsequent breaking and rounding of the mineral with distance of transport. The question is - can the well worn mineral, whether spheroidal quartz, possibly with relicts of coesite (Helmstadt 1975), or mantle garnets, be recognized in sediments some distance removed from the kimberlitic source and can the history of the grain - whether fluvial, glacial and aeolian - be distinguished from non kimberlitic quartz by surface microtexture? The report of the unsuccessful search for diamonds and of the nature of indicators and the general nature of the concentrate to that almost identical mineralogy to that of the concentrates from deeply weathered lamprophyre dike, were provided to the client verbally. PURPOSE AND SCOPE The primary purpose of this report is to report on work done on the separation of indicator minerals and possibly diamonds. A secondary purpose is to familiarize the author with the broader geological and geomorphological features that might aide in the interpretation of the samples and their lithology and mineralogy. This mineral examination is part of ongoing studies on surface microtextures of quartz, garnet and kyanite at York University in the Pedology and Geomorphological Lab where the author is an Adjunct Professor. The scope of this exercise is limited. The samples are blind samples taken for reconnaissance. The initial impression is that the shells Hialella arctica represented a raised beach. perhaps exposed in a river section, however, the shell collection includes fine textured shell material that could include terrestrial and or fluvial species 3 METHODOLOGY The samples were obtained from a select site by an experienced sampler in the region (Richard Daigle). The samples were taken from the Nayshkootataow River, a tributary of the Attawapiskat River, about two kilometres south of the main river (Figure 1). The river drains kimberlite pipes Wiskey-I, Victor to the north and X-ray to the south of the river, about 14 km along a river lineament (074). The sampled material comes from below running water at two locations, approximately 100 metres apart. Fine grained material was abundant (see Scan 3 for sand and silt left from the screening). The samples were processed in Toronto using diamond sieves of the Milner Prospecting Kit. The Kit has been used in Canada and abroad since 1980 for very fine grained gold and more recently for diamonds and diamond indicators. The sediment was screened at size fractions of 5.0mm, 1.7mm and 1.0mm with limited use of fine sieves at 700 microns. Designed after Brazilian sieves, the set is comprised of aluminum frame and stainless woven mesh compressed into the frames to produce a curved or shallow bowl-form that allows for the concentration by jigging of a central ultraheavy concentrate, an intermediate layer of medium heavy concentrate and a light fraction of both rock and mineral particles. Conspicuous separation of granitic and ultramafic rock particles, of skarn minerals and country rock particles and metamorphic minerals of various specific gravities occur as layers and because of the spherical nature of the bottom surface of the concentrate or "cake". Bulls eyes of the edges of density layers, commonly a central circle of magnetite or pyrite a first ring or second layer of heavy silicate, a second ring or third layer of light silicate and a background or forth layer of light minerals and rock particles. Occasionally, light material such as gossan, graphitic shale, amber, and fluorite, and shells, rise to the upper surface of the jigged material. The minerals were picked from this jig concentrate, using a binocular microscope, in the same way that numerous diamonds from Pele Mountain's Wawa Project were jigged. The color micrographs of 13 millimetre diameter Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) stubs shown in SC AN 1-14 represent interesting minerals that might yield microtextures reflecting type of rounding mechanism that might reflect environments of transport - weather glacial, fluvial or diatreme. Analyses consist of Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS) at the University of Toronto. The author has been using their SEM-EDS system since 1978. The analysis presented here were done on an outgoing Link analytical system with estimates of the peak heights used for mineral identification. Peaks such as Cr in the garnets probably represents about 1% detectability. Operating voltage is usually 15KEV. Part of the delay in this academic study is conversion of this operator to new digital imaging and digital recording of spectra now attached to the JEOL SEM. GEOLOGICAL SETIING The Attawapiskat region is centered in Hudson Bay Lowland terrain dominated by a cover of peat bog on glacial silts on glacial till on bedrock of Paleozoic marine sedi ments. The 4 Precambrian basement is in the order of 1000 metres below surface. Dips are calculated to be Y2 metres/kilometer. Basement is exposed in highs in the Sutton Hills, 70km to the north and in the outcrop west of the present limit of the Paleozoic more than 150 km to the west. Basement highs are known in the James Bay basin arc (see be/ow) The Paleozoic bedrock is exposed in a fluvial belt 5 to 10 km wide and has been mapped over a length on 70 km by Suchy and Stearn (1993) from the kimberlites down stream as part of a study of the patch reefs of the Attawapiskat River formation. Limestone of the underlying Ekwan River formation outcrops up river from the kimberlite for about 50 km. The distribution of kimberlite compiled from Sage (2000) on the map of Suchy and Stearn (1993) (Figure 2). Six kimberlite bodies occur in the area of limestone that was mapped for stratigraphy and structure by Suchy and Stearn (1993). The four northern kimberlites (the Tangos and MacFaydens) occur in their north- western horst, in the northern part of the cluster and Victor, Whiskey and X-ray occur in the south-eastern horst in the central part of the cluster. The southern part of the cluster (Yankee, X-ray, Alpha, India, and the eastern most, Delta, as well as Pele's claim) is in the south-eastern grabben of Suchy and Steam (1993). In the west, structure is dominated by the regional Upper Attawapiskat River fault (064). In the east. the structure is controlled by the Winisk River fault (115). The central keystone (block 4 of Suchy and Stearn (1993) is high and the eastern horst block 6 is the limit of outcrop of the Middle Silurian Attawapiskat River formation before it is completely masked by the Upper Silurian Kenogami River formation. The anomalous presence of bedrock in this area prompts speculation ofuplitl, either near the time of kimberlite intrusion, possibly related to the normal faulting or following deglaciation, as pal1 of the rebound process. Iron formation grains are present in the sample and is common in the region (Britton 1938; Gross 1963) It may derive from the crust below or from sources on the Belcher Islands, Sutton Hills or fiuvially, from the Attawapiskat River, as well as crustal material in the pipe. STRATIGRAPHY Fossils from the Attawapiskat Formation are described (Hansman 1968; Gass and Mikulic 1982 {from Ekwan River north of Attawapiskat type section}; Rudkin and Westrop 1996; Chow 1987: Chow and Stearn 1985,1 987a) and the stratigraphy studied and complex faulting mapped (Suchy 1992; Suchy and Stearn 1992; Suchy and Stearn 1993){ all on the type section in the Attawapiskat diamond field}. 'rhis study presents distribution of Attawapiskat patch reef both on the river cliffs and on the interfiuves, including but not identifying kimberlite locations. Numerous faults grouping in 060 and 130 were initiated at the time ofreef development when blocks slid off escarpments into topographic lows. Distribution of the known pipes is presented by Sage (2000: 63) that shows trends 165 to 150. The dominant 165 trend is not mapped by Suchy but can be seen in his data. Karst in this type area (Crowell 1980, 1981 and 1993) are used by Suchy and Stearn (1993) in compilation of outcrop locations. Regional faults Winisk River 5 fault (115) and Upper Attawapiskat fault (064) are argued to be active frequently - in Proterozoic time, during the Lower Silurian, during the deposition of the Attawapiskat and overlying Kenogami River formation, and since deglaciation 8,000 years ago.