Qualified comments: |
(Applies to: discovery and development) In 1979, Kidd Creek Mines Ltd explored 4 permit areas S of lower Garry Lake on Back River, covering NTS 66F9 NE, SE and 66G12 NW/SW. The 1979 work included geological mapping, prospecting, geochemical lake sediment and water surveys, and airborne spectrometric, magnetic and VLF-EM surveys. Exploration in 1981 included prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical and ground radiometric surveys and airborne magnetic and INPUT EM surveys. A high grade meta-arkose boulder which assayed 22.9 % U led to staking of claims GAR 1-30 and RAY 1-10, and intensive exploration in 1982. The LAK 1-15 claims to the SW were staked in 1983. 1982 work included additional prospecting, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, soil geochemical surveys, Track Etch survey, and diamond drilling of 1038.49 m in 8 holes. Ground work revealed 17 more high grade quartzite and meta-arkose boulders ranging from 0.87 to 25.23 % U; 14 of these, including the 1981 boulder, averaged 6.1 % U. The main concentration of radioactive boulders is found in southern part of GAR-24 claim, and form a 'boulder train' about 3 km long and 0.5 km wide trending 320-330°, located at a drumlin trending 344°. The dominant glacial striation direction is 320°. Six of the high grade boulders occur a few km to the NW in claims RAY 15 and 16, and two to the SW in claims GAR 22 and 23. Two other high grade boulders occur 10 km to the W-SW and two more occur15 km S-SE of the main boulder train outside the claim area. The most significant result of the surface exploration was the location of a Track Etch anomaly about half a km up-ice from the boulder train. Drilling was done prior to delineation of the anomaly, and tested the stratigraphic/EM anomaly targets away from it. Drill holes intersected graphitic phyllites of the Amer Group that are the source of EM anomalies. Pan East Resources Ltd optioned the Garry Lake property in1989 from Falconbridge and Kerr Mines Ltd. All claims lapsed by 1994.
(Applies to: regional stratigraphy) Geological mapping revealed that the permits are underlain mainly by meta-arkose, phyllite and quartzite beds of Paleoproterozoic Amer Group. The overlying Mesoproterozoic Thelon Formation occurs close to the S boundary instead of extending over the permits as indicted by earlier mapping (Wright, 1967). The geological setting of the region of radioactive boulders investigated on this property is favourable for Unconformity-associated uranium deposits as seen in the comparable and coeval Athabasca basin.
(Applies to: mineralization) The boulders at Garry Lake are small, and uranium mineralization in them is fracture-controlled. The host meta-arkose is competent, hence prone to fracturing during folding and brittle faulting undergone by the Amer Group. The a transitional unit between the lower and upper parts of Amer Group, namely the Showing Lake Formation, hosts stratabound disseminations of uranium, molybdenum and copper minerals in rhythmically interbedded feldspathic sandstone and siltstone-mudstone (Young, 1979). The metal concentrations are regarded as synsedimentary or syndiagenetic. This unit probably extends to the Garry Lake region. Folding and faulting of such mineralized strata may have caused local remobilization of uranium to form vein-type concentrations. This may explain the mineralization in the boulders, an alternative to unconformity-associated mineralization. Fracture-filling is also a significant component of the post-Athabasca basement-hosted unconcoformity-related uranium deposits.
(Applies to: rock analysis and sample assays) The following assays on 14 high grade boulders are from Table II of Jewett and Duncan (1983, p.18), and were performed by Bondar-Clegg, Ottawa. The boulder descriptions are abbreviated from Appendix IV of the same report (p.138-163). All the boulders are of meta-arkose, fine grained and a few medium grained. Most of them are less than 10 cm in diameter, more of pebble size than boulders. They range from buff grey to greyish green, with variable intensity of red due to hematite associated with mineralization.
Boulder # % U Description
GL82-1 5.06
GL82-3 0.98
GL82-4 6.63
GL82-6 9.45
GL82-7 4.02
GL82-8 2.15
GL82-10 0.74
GL82-11 1.13
GL82-12 21.4
GL82-13 1.69
GL82-14 0.91
GL82-18 2.96
GL82-19 4.83
GL81-17* 23.0 |
References: |
Brophy, J. A.; et al, 1983 |
Northwest Territories EGS 1983-9 (1979) |
Government Mining-Exploration Overview, CS Lord Geoscience Centre, Yellowknife, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Publication code 1979 |
Brophy, J. A.; Gibbins, W. A.; Laporte, P. J.; Lord, C. C.; Padgham, W. A.; Seaton, J. B. Editor(s)), 1984 |
Mineral Industry Report 1980/81, Northwest Territories (EGS-1984-5) |
Government Mining Exploration Overview, CS Lord Geoscience Centre, Yellowknife, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, EGS 1984-5, 460 p.. |
Brophy, J. A.; Crux, J. C.; Gibbins, W. A.; Laporte, P. J.; Lord, C. C.; Padgham, W. A.; Seaton, J. B., 1985 |
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Gall, Q., 1994 |
The Proterozoic Thelon Paleosol, Northwest Territories, Canada |
Precambrian Research, Volume 68, p. 115 - 137 |
Gandhi, S. S., 1989 |
Geology and Uranium Potential of the Thelon Basin and Adjacent Basement in Comparison with the Athabasca Basin Region |
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Gandhi, S. S., 1995 |
An Overview of the Exploration History and Genesis of Proterozoic Uranium Deposits in the Canadian Shield |
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Heslop, J. B., 1979 |
Geological and Geochemical Report on Mineral Permits 613-616, Garry Lake Area, Keewatin (081037) |
Mineral Assessment Report, Texasgulf Inc, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Publication code 081037 |
Jewett, D. A.; Zang, M. W., 1982 |
Geological and Geochemical Report on Prospecting Permits 613 - 616, Garry Lake Area, Keewatin (081468) |
Mineral Assessment Report, Kidd Creek Mines Ltd, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Publication code 081468 |
Jewett, D. A.; Duncan, D. R.; Slankis, J. A.; Zang, M. W., 1983 |
Geophysical Report for the Thelon Uranium Joint Venture, Mineral Claims GAR 21-25 and 1982 Exploration Report for Mineral claims GAR 1-30, RAY 1-10 and Permit 649, Garry Lake Area, Keewatin (081630) |
Mineral Assessment Report, Kidd Creek Mines Ltd, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Publication code 081630 |
Jewett, D. A.; Duncan, D. R., 1983 |
1982 Exploration Report, Thelon Uranium Joint Venture, GAR 1-30, Ray 1-10 Claims and Permit 649, Garry Lake Area, Keewatin (081640) |
Mineral Assessment Report, Kidd Creek Mines Ltd, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Publication code 081640 |
Knox, A. W., 1980 |
The Geology and Uranium Mineralization of the Aphebian Amer Group, Southwest of Amer Lake, District of Keewatin, NWT (1980-AWKNOX) |
M.Sc., University of Calgary, 207 p. |
Laporte, P. J., 1974 |
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Lord, C.; et al; Gibbins, W. A.; Seaton, J. B.; Goodwin, J. A.; Padgham, W. A., 1983 |
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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 |
Patterson, J. G., 1986 |
The Amer Belt: Remnant of an Aphebian Foreland Fold and Thrust Belt |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 23, p. 2012 - 2023 |
Tella, S.; Thompson, D. L.; James, D., 1984 |
Geology of Parts of the Deep Rose Lake and Pelly Lake Map Areas, District of Keewatin |
Current Research - Geological Survey of Canada, Volume 84-1A, p. 313 - 322 |
Tella, S., 1984 |
Geology of the Amer Lake (NTS 66H), Deep Rose Lake (NTS 66G), and Parts of the Pelly Lake (NTS 66F) Map Areas, District of Keewatin, NWT |
Open File, Geological Survey of Canada, Publication code 1043, 1 maps. |
Tella, S., 1994 |
Geology, Amer Lake (66H), Deep Rose Lake (66G), and Parts of the Pelly Lake (66F), District of Keewatin, N.W.T. (Colour Digital Map) |
Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2969, Scale 1:250000 |
Tippett, C. R.; Heywood, W. W., 1978 |
Stratigraphy and Structure of the Northern Amer Group (Aphebian), Churchill Structural Province, District of Keewatin |
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Geology of the Southeastern Barren Grounds (350) |
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Geology of the Western Part of the Amer Belt, Keewatin (081354) |
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