Summary:
Deposit Types
The prolific Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone (“DPFZ”) represents a major gold-bearing structure with a 200 km strike length in the Abitibi Subprovince. Numerous deposits have been found near the DPFZ and its associated splays, resulting in more than 2,500 tonnes of gold being produced in operations along the structure that extends east-west from Timmins, Ontario, to the east of Duparquet, Québec.
The DPFZ is known to have three stages of veining, predominantly associated with alteration. The first and earlier vein sets are barren of mineralization and have no visible alteration. The second, main-stage of veining has both barren- and gold-bearing quartz veins with the later associated with sericite- carbonate-ankerite-chlorite alteration haloes. Later stage veining is known to be barren quartz-carbonate veins with ankerite alteration haloes. Spatially, the vein stages are also distinguishable, with earlier veins being more widespread and oriented at various angles, with main-stage veins generally confined to welldefined vein systems that are related to faults with specific strike directions. Late-stage veins locally crosscut and brecciate earlier veins.
The Project’s style of gold mineralization is characterized by disseminated sulphides associated with a porphyritic intrusion. Controls on mineralization in this deposit type are frequently complex and poorly understood. Gold is associated with quartz flooding and sulphide-bearing veinlets and is disseminated throughout the host rock as opposed to being in or immediately adjacent to veins. According to Legault et al. (2006), this type of mineralization can be subdivided into two types based on the composition of the intrusive rock: 1) Disseminated sulphides with quartz-carbonate veins and veinlets associated with calcalkaline intrusions; the calc-alkaline subtype has a limited sulphide content, generally displaying strong carbonatization, and probably constitutes a variant of classic orogenic deposits; 2) Disseminated sulphides associated with alkaline intrusions. The subtype associated with alkaline lithologies is richer in sulphides and exhibits intense silicification.
Duparquet Deposit
The Duparquet deposit is hosted by the Beattie Syenite, an Archean porphyry intrusion emplaced along the DPFZ. The syenite is aligned along an E-W axis. The main gold mineralization is associated with a network of E-W dextral strike-slip faults dipping steeply to the north. Gold deposits in the Project area tend to occur close to the syenite-sedimentary and/or volcanic rock contacts. This is attributed to the competency contrasts between the syenitic rocks and the Duparquet Formation lithologies during deformation, resulting in favourable structural traps for gold mineralization.
Duquesne Deposit
Along the western boundary of the Duquesne claim block and in the historical Duquesne mine, the goldbearing systems are associated with a similar structural trend to the Duparquet deposit but appear to plunge generally steeply to the east, except where they are cut by cross-cutting faults and may plunge steeply to the west. The Duquesne deposit mineralization is described as disseminated sulphides associated with calc-alkaline intrusive rocks.
Pitt Gold Deposit
The bulk of the gold mineralization on the Pitt Gold claim block is found north of the DPFZ, within or close to quartz-feldspar porphyry intrusions. The gold is thought to be controlled by subsidiary structures running E-W in an area where the structure, which runs generally E-W, bends towards the south.
Beattie, Donchester, Dumico and Central Duparquet Claim Blocks Mineralization
The typical mineral assemblage in mineralized zones of all types is characterized by feldspar, quartz, sulphides (pyrite and arsenopyrite), sericite, chlorite, and other secondary minerals. Mill tests suggest that 35% of the gold occurs as free gold and the remainder is known to be associated with sulphides. According to Bevan (2011), three phases of gold enrichment or remobilization can be interpreted from the cross-cutting relationships between gold-bearing veins. Bevan (2011) also states that higher gold concentrations are found along cross-cutting faults, in fold noses, and within the lath-textured porphyry dyke intrusions and are representative of remobilization processes.
At the past producing Beattie mine, the main mineralized lenses are hosted along the contacts of the shear zones (BF and DF) and the syenite intrusion. In this report, the main zone is referred to as the North Zone, and it is the northernmost contact of the syenite intrusion, and a second gold-bearing lens, the South Zone, occurs at the southern contact of the syenite intrusion.
Gold mineralization at the Donchester mine was of higher grade and associated with an E-W shear zone cutting across volcanic units and syenitic dykes (Goutier and Lacroix, 1992). This zone is interpreted herein as the east extension of the South Zone. At both the Beattie and Donchester mines, the South Zone can be subdivided into several mineralized lenses, modelled as ten individual subzones. Six other major mineralized zones within the Beattie-Donchester area have been interpreted by Iund et al. 2022.
Mineralization at Central Duparquet is hosted within the CDF and is of a similar nature as the South and North zones (Bevan, 2011). InnovExplo interpreted three mineralized zones at Central Duparquet.
Dumico is the eastern extension of Central Duparquet. According to Iund et al., 2022, five mineralized zones were interpreted at Dumico. Three of these strike E-W and are interpreted as extensions of the Central Duparquet CD Zones. The other two zones, which strike NW-SE, occur on the eastern portion of Dumico. Based on the current interpretation, they are thought to be associated with a secondary structure subparallel to the regional DPFZ.
Pitt Gold Claim Block Mineralization
Most of the mineralized intersections have been obtained north of the DPFZ. A few isolated gold values were encountered in sediments to the south of the fault zone and a few more within schist (chlorite, sericite, carbonate, fuchsite) representing the fault zone, but although the assay values could be quite high, limited continuity could be established with the data available.
Gold mineralization is more abundant towards the north of the fault zone and is hosted within distinctive structures and units that seem to be more variable and complex. Porphyry intrusions are prominent north of the DPFZ; and their association with gold mineralization is poorly understood. It is suggested that the intrusions were emplaced along the same dilatational structures that mobilized gold-bearing fluids. Drill hole data suggests that gold is not only confined to the porphyries, and there appears to be a crosscutting relationship between the gold-bearing structures and the porphyries or volcanic units.
Porcupine East Claim Block Mineralization
Prospecting and exploration work led to the discovery of three gold showings on Porcupine East. These are Touriet, Touriet Est, and GF-81 (Porcupine-173595). In addition to these showings, anomalous gold values have also been intercepted by drilling. In general, gold showings and intersections are located along the DPFZ and its subsidiary faults.
The mineralization found locally on Porcupine East is disseminated sulphides associated with felsic intrusives.
Duquesne Mineralization
Felsic porphyry intrusions are very important for gold mineralization at Duquesne. These felsic intrusions are located on the contact between two lithostratigraphic units, in the fault zone or on the extension of the sedimentary band of the Duparquet Formation.