EXTECH IV ATHABASCA URANIUM DEPOSIT DATABASE
Geological Survey of Canada, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, and Alberta Geological Survey


DEPNO COUNTRY LOCATION ALLNAMES COMMODITIES
40039 Canada (Nunavut) 64.26.46 N -- 097.37.05 W Kiggavik East Zone; Lone Gull East Zone U

Database name: Uranium Deposits, Athabasca Basin
Custodial agency: Geological Survey of Canada
Compilers: Sunil S. Gandhi
Release date: 2007-03-02
   
Deposit name(s): Kiggavik East Zone; Lone Gull East Zone
Political location(s): Canada; Province or state: Nunavut; Nearest community: Baker Lake settlement (78.5 km 280°)
NTS map data: 066A05 (Judge Sissons Lake)
Deposit clan (type): Unconformity-associated
Deposit (sub) types: Unconformity-associated - Proterozoic - fracture-bound; fracture-bound Proterozoic unconformity-related deposit in crystalline basement rocks; uncovered by erosion of the Thelon Formation; graphite absent; geologically similar to the Kiggavik Centre zone; Reference: Fuchs, H.; Hilger, W.; Prosser, E., 1986: Geology and Exploration History of the Lone Gull Property; 5, Section Other Helikian Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 286 - 292
Deposit status: advanced prospect; Size category: small; Status comments: 0.99 Mt
Geologic province: Churchill - Rae Craton
Geologic subprovince: Amer Fold Belt
Geologic district: Eastern Thelon Basin
Deposit object located: drill hole
Commodities: U
Mineralization styles: foliation seams; vein(s); disseminated
Geological ages: Late Paleoproterozoic (host rocks)
Middle Mesoproterozoic (mineralization)
Tectonic setting: continental deformation zone-fore-arc; transpressive; Formal name: Amer Fold Belt (host rocks)
continental basin-paleoweathering; stable; Formal name: Thelon Paleosol (host rocks)
continental fault-controlled volcano-sedimentary basins-grabens; divergent; Formal name: Dubawnt Group (country rocks)
continental basin-intracratonic; stable; Formal name: Thelon Formation (country rocks)
Coincident features: shear zone(s) (mineralization disseminated mainly along sheared contact zone of the feldspathic quartzites with the competent orthoquartzite, as in the Centre zone); Coincident feature name: Bedding parallel shears
unconformity (the Thelon Formation eroded in the deposit area; proximity to the unconformity indicated by effects of lateritic paleoweathering in its basement rocks); Coincident feature name: Sub-Thelon unconformity
fault(s) (located about 500 m east of the Centre zone on a fault parallel to and 250 m south of the projected ENE fault zone that hosts the Main and Centre zone); Coincident feature name: East Zone Fault
Regional tectonic structure: linear feature (fault-controlled 20 km linear trend hosting 7 uranium deposits, striking NE and gently convex to the NW, between the Thelon and Sissons Lake faults) Tectonic structure name: Kiggavik Trend
fault (ENE-trending normal fault with downfaulted Thelon Formation on the north side against the basement on the south side; parallels the Sissons Lake fault) Tectonic structure name: Thelon fault
fault zone Tectonic structure name: Kiggavik Fault Zone
Host rocks: (1) metamorphic; metasedimentary schist (immature clastic sequence; dipping 10° to the NW); Depositional setting: shallow marine; Metamorphic grade: amphibolite - lower; Component: mineralization zone
Individual lithologies:feldspathic sandstone
metagreywacke

(2) sedimentary; quartzite; Metamorphic grade: greenschist - upper; Component: wall rock
Country rocks: (1) paragneiss-orthogneiss; (older paragneisses; SW of the Kiggavik zones); Country rock name: Archean Basement Complex; Metamorphic grade: amphibolite
Country rock protoliths:platform-shelf sediments (highly deformed and metamorphosed Archean supracrustal sequence of the Rae craton, associated with mafic and felsic orthogneisses)
Individual lithologies:quartzofeldspathic gneiss (foliated and schistose biotite and/or hornblende bearing felsic gneisses, may include metavolanic rocks; in part migmatized)
mafic gneiss

(2) metasedimentary schist; (Paleoproterozoic sedimentary sequence; informal name); Country rock name: Judge Sissons Lake sequence; Metamorphic grade: amphibolite - lower
Country rock protoliths:feldspathic wackes, pelites (probably equivalent of the Lower Hurwitz Group to the south deposited on the Rae craton before intrusion of gabbro sills at 2110 Ma )
Individual lithologies:meta-arkoses and metapelites (mainly drab green sulphide-bearing biotite-muscovite feldspathic wackes; metapelites and metasemipelites with minor lean oxide facies iron formation)

(3) orthoquartzite; (overlies the feldspathic wacke strata); Country rock name: Amer Group equivalent; Metamorphic grade: greenschist (upper) - amphibolite (lower)
Country rock protoliths:supermature sandstone (similar to the basal orthoquartzite of the late Paleoproterozoic Amer Group to the north and northeast; possible unconformity with feldspathic wackes )
Individual lithologies:orthoquartzite (exposed in a zone between the deposit and a NNE-trending fault with the Thelon Formation 2 km to the north; affected by sub-Thelon paleoweathering)

(4) granite; (intrusions in the metasedimentary strata); Country rock name: Hudsonian Granites; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:granite-granodiorite (intrusive into the deformed and metamorphosed Paleoproterozoic strata of the Rae craton; probably equivalents of the 1.86-1.76 Ga Hudsonian granites)
Individual lithologies:granite-granodiorite-monzonite (massive to gneissic; includes some diorite, syenite and porphyries of uncertain age)

(5) clastic sediments and potassic volcanics; (sedimentary-volcanic sequence deposited in the post-Hudsonian fault-controlled Baker Lake basin); Country rock name: Dubawnt Group; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:clastic red beds & K-rich volcanics (basal red conglomerate-arkose-siltstone beds; subaerial potassic mafic-intermediate flows; upper dacite-rhyolite flows; related subvolcanic intrusions)
Individual lithologies:red sandstone (deposited 1.84-1.75 Ga; alluvial fan-braided stream sediments; extensive subaerial trachytic basalt and andesite, trachyte; rhyolite with minor dacite)
basalt (trachytic, potassic)
andesite (trachytic, potassic)

(6) paleo-regolith; (lateritic weathering); Country rock name: Thelon Paleosol; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:gneisses, granites and supracrustal strata (profile up to 50 m thick; deeper along faults; weathering effects vary on different rock types); Country rock protolith name: sub-Thelon basement
Individual lithologies:Lateritic (hematization in the upper part of weathered zone; locally bleached; kaolinite is abundant in the zone and occurs as clay-clasts in the sandstone above)

(7) conglomerate-sandstone; (siliciclastic sediments; undeformed; present area 85000 sq km and thickness 1.3 km); Country rock name: Thelon Formation; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:conglomerate-pebbly sandstone-siltstone (basal conglomerate unit with pebbly sandstone and siltstone beds; succeeded by mature sandstone, quartz arenite and lithic subarenite-siltstone units); Country rock protolith name: Thelon Formation
Individual lithologies:conglomerate-sandstone-siltstone (basal unit with matrix of quartz, authigenic clay, diagenetic illite and fluorapatite; overall fining upward sequence; fluvial transport west to east)

(8) diabase dykes; (northwest-trending, vertical or very steep dykes); Country rock name: Mackenzie diabase dyke swarm; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:gabbroic magma (part of the largest dyke swarm in the world, related to the 1.27 Ga Mackenzie magmatic events); Country rock protolith name: Mackenzie diabase dyke swarm
Individual lithologies:diabase (medium to coarse grained gabbro-quartz gabbro; chilled at dyke margins; unaltered or little altered)
Metallogenic signatures: U
Alteration signatures: illite alteration: illite; strong chalk white; density reduced to 2.3; What was altered: metagreywacke
sericitization: sericite; with illite; density reduced 2.7 to 2.3; What was altered: metagreywacke
chlorite alteration: chlorite; pale greenish colouration; What was altered: mafic silicates in host rocks
hematization: hematite, limonite (goethite); mark solution front; What was altered: mafic minerals in host rocks and Thelon paleosol
desilication: removal of silica by mineralizing solution; What was altered: metagreywacke
secondary uranium alteration: uranophane near surface; rare at depth; What was altered: pitchblende and coffinite
Mineralogy: (alteration): chlorite, illite, uranophane, hematite, limonite (goethite)
(veins and disseminations): pitchblende, coffinite, pyrite, marcasite
Deposit shape: stacked lenses
Deposit dimensions:length: 180 metre
width: 50 metre
depth: 50 metre
Qualified comments: (Applies to: discovery and development) This deposit was discovered in 1978. Drilling done until 1990 indicated resources of 0.99 Mt averaging 0.05 % U. It is geologically similar to the Kiggavik Centre zone but lower in grade; hence it was excluded from the 1989 feasibility study. Only a small part of the deposit is preserved from erosion; it extends no more than 50 below the present surface. The North-Northwest Fault occured after the mineralization: one of the major NNW-trending fault offsets the deposit with a sinistral displacement of about 100 m.

(Applies to: property geology) The Thelon Formation was eroded in the deposit area; proximity to the unconformity is indicated by effects of lateritic paleoweathering in its basement rocks. Mineralization coincides with shear zones and faults. Some of the mineralization is disseminated mainly along sheared contact zone of the feldspathic quartzites with the competent orthoquartzite, as in the Centre zone. One fault (East Zone Fault) is located about 500 m east of the Centre zone on a fault parallel to and 250 m south of the projected ENE fault zone that hosts the Main and Centre zone.
Links to other databases: GSC U-Th File (Prasad); Key value: 1604
NUMIN; Key value: 066ASW0017
Geophysical-chemical signature: Signature type: Geochemistry Soil / Till; Response type: positive (moderate)
Signature type: Ground Radiometrics; Response type: positive (moderate)
References:
Bundrock, G., 1981
From Armchair Geology to a Deposit in a New Uranium Province
In Uranium Exploration Case Histories: Proceedings of an Advisory Group Meeting, Vienna, 26-29 November 1979, Edited by Anonymous, Proceedings Series (STI/PUB), International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 584, 407 p., p. 243 - 277

Fuchs, H.; Hilger, W.; Prosser, E., 1986
Geology and Exploration History of the Lone Gull Property
5, Section Other Helikian Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 286 - 292

Fuchs, H. D.; Hilger, W., 1989
Kiggavik (Lone Gull): An Unconformity Related Uranium Deposit in the Thelon Basin, Northwest Territories, Canada
In Uranium Resources and Geology of North America, Edited by Anonymous, TECDOC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 500, 529 p., p. 429 - 454

Gandhi, S. S., 1989
Geology and Uranium Potential of the Thelon Basin and Adjacent Basement in Comparison with the Athabasca Basin Region
In Uranium Resources and Geology of North America, Edited by Anonymous, TECDOC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 500, 529 p., p. 411 - 428

Gandhi, S. S., 1995
An Overview of the Exploration History and Genesis of Proterozoic Uranium Deposits in the Canadian Shield
Exploration and Research for Atomic Minerals, Department of Atomic Energy, India, Volume 8, p. 1 - 48

Goff, S. P. Editor(s)), 1994
Exploration Overview 1994
Annual Exploration Overview, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Yellowknife, Canada

LeCheminant, A. N.; Heaman, L. M., 1989
Mackenzie Igneous Events, Canada: Middle Proterozoic Hotspot Magmatism Associated with Ocean Opening
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 96, p. 38

Miller, A. R.; Blackwell, J. D.; Curtis, L.; Hilger, W.; McMillan, R. H.; Nutter, E., 1984
Geology and Discovery of Proterozoic Uranium Deposits, Central District of Keewatin, Northwest Territories, Canada
Section Unconformity-related Types, In Proterozoic Unconformity and Stratabound Uranium Deposits, Edited by Ferguson, J., TECDOC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 315, 338 p., p. 285 - 312

Miller, A. R.; LeCheminant, A. N., 1985
Geology and Uranium Metallogeny of Proterozoic Supracrustal Successions, Central District of Keewatin, N.W. T. with Comparisons to Northern Saskatchewan
Chapter 3, Section Other Canadian Deposits, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 167 - 185

Miller, A. R.; Cumming, G. L.; Krstic, D., 1989
U-Pb, Pb-Pb, and K-Ar Isotopic Study and Petrography of Uraniferous Phosphate-bearing Rocks in the Thelon Formation, Dubawnt Group, Northwest Territories, Canada
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 26, p. 867 - 880

Wallenberg, P., 1994
Update on the Uranium Exploration in the Thelon Basin
In Exploration Overview 1994, Edited by Goff, S. P., Annual Exploration Overview, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Yellowknife, Canada, p. 154 - 155

Resource data:
Disclaimer - Reserves/Resource Data

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Natural Resources (NRCan) does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of Reserve and Resource information (Data) contained in this database, including whether the Data is compliant with any securities regulations or standards, and NRCan does not assume any liability with respect to any damage or loss incurred as a result of the use made of the Data.

Resource and reserve figures are historical in nature. The Data source provided with each set of figures should be cited if the Data are re-reported.

Estimate date: 1986; 0.99 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: prognosticated
Grade-commodity information:U: 0.05 percent
weight-commodity information:U: 495 metric ton
Reference: Fuchs, H.; Hilger, W.; Prosser, E., 1986: Geology and Exploration History of the Lone Gull Property; 5, Section Other Helikian Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 286 - 292
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%

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