MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
251
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
GOLD
NTS AREA
52L14NE
52L14NW
REF.
AU 7
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
SOLO-ORO GRANDE
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1985 - Highmark Resources Ltd.
Homestead Resources Inc.
810 –
625 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 2T6
OBJECT LOCATED
Solo Shaft
MINING
DIVISION
Winnipeg
Latitude
50° 53.10’
Longitude
95° 15.00’
Uncertainty
(m)
100 m
UTM Zone
_____
Easting
_______
Northing
_______
L.S./Quarter
Section
___
Section
___
Township
22
Range
_________
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
The deposits are situated within the Oro Grande shear zone
which strikes 330°/60-70°NE. Early workers believed the shear zone lay in a 122
m broad sill of meta-diorite close to its east or upper contact. The sill
intruded andesite flows and tuffaceous sediments of the Rice Lake Group. The
flows and sediments strike 340°/70°NE. The deposits are located on the northeast
limb of a large anticline.
The shear zone has been traced in prospect pits
for about 122 m, pinching out to the N and passing beneath swamp to the south.
In the pits, the zone varies from 1.8 to 6.1 m wide and consists of dark green
chlorite schist derived from the meta-diorite. Quartz lenses and stringers are
sporadically distributed across a part or the full width of the shear zone for a
strike length of 76.3 m from the edge of the swamp. The lenses are up to 0.6 m
wide and 6.1 m or more long. The quartz is chiefly a grey sugar-grained variety
containing a little carbonate, scattered flakes of chlorite, and disseminated
grains of pyrite and pyrrhotite. Small bodies of quartz were reported to assay
very high in gold. The grey quartz is cut at right angles to the strike by short
gash veinlets of milky white quartz carrying patches of fine-grained chlorite,
flakes of biotite, and a few blebs of pyrite. The wallrock is partly altered to
rusty weathering carbonate and carries many grains and cubes of pyrite, but in
most places not enough gold to be of economic importance (Stockwell and Lord,
1939).
The shear zone continues to at least 153 m in depth, but quartz bodies
are narrow and discontinuous. The grey quartz carries pyrite, chalcopyrite,
pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and gold.
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Silver
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The deposit is located 0.4 km west of Beresford (formerly Bulldog)
Lake, and 6.4 km E of the former community of Wadhope and Provincial Road No.
304. A branch road runs to the mine site.
In 1919 D.E. Smith staked Oro
Grande M.C. (27543) over part of the deposit and four years later Solor M.C.
(32854) was staked over the rest of the deposit by R.H. Little. In 1923 and
1924, A.D. Miles optioned both claims for Anglo-Canadian Explorers, Limited.
Delury (1927) reported that this company installed a plant, including two
boilers, an air compressor, hoist and assay office. A shaft was sunk to a depth
of about 43 m. At the 38 m level a cross-cut was driven W to cross the vein.
Drifts were driven 18 m to the south on the Solo claim and another 38 m north
into the Oro Grande. The vein was traced for a distance of about 152 m on
the surface. The cross-cut established its continuity to a point underground,
122 m farther south than was known from the surface outcrops on the Oro
Grande. Diamond drilling established the presence of the vein 61 m farther
south than the end of the 18 m drift. A 15 m prospecting shaft was sunk on the
Oro Grande at a point 122 m north of the shaft. Additional work was done
in stripping the outcrop and sinking test pits.
Where exposed or developed
the Oro Grande-Solo vein shows a width varying from a few cm up to 1.8 m.
Ore averaging over $14 a tonne was said to occur in the vein for a length of at
least 310 m. In most of this distance it was probably of workable width. Work
was suspended on the property late in 1926 and the entire plant was removed for
use on the Kitchener group (52 L/14, Ref AU 10).
In 1925 Lease No. 561 was
issued on Oro Grande M.C. and Lease No. 562 on Solo M.C. The Solo M.C.
was assigned to the Solo Mining Company, Limited (75% controlled by Central
Manitoba Mines, Limited) in 1926.
Late in 1927, Oro-Grande Mines
Limited was formed and optioned (unrecorded) the Oro Grande M.C. and Solo
M.C. The company began development work in February 1928, deepening the No. 1
shaft on the Solo M.C. to 161 m with stations cut at 76, 114 and 153 m; and the
No. 2 shaft on the Oro Grande M.C. to 55 m. Results were not encouraging,
the company dropped its options, and the workings allowed to fill with
water.
The Oro Grande Development Company Limited optioned Oro
Grande M.C. and in July 1932 installed a 3-tonne per day mill to process
development ore. A total of 715 g (23 oz.) of gold were secured from the first
11 tonnes put through the mill. In 1933, the Oro Grande shaft was
deepened from 55 to 78 m, with levels at 38 and 69 m. The 38 m level was
connected to the Solo shaft 122 m to the south. A mill with an installed
capacity of 68 tonnes per day was completed in September 1933 and put in
operation treating 32 to 36 tonnes per day. Results of the milling were not up
to expectations and milling was suspended in February 1934.
In October 1934
the Oro Grande Development Company Limited optioned Solo M.C. from
Central Manitoba Mines, Limited. At the same time the Oro Grande
Development Company Limited sold all its property and assets to Beresford Lake
Mines Limited.
Beresford Lake Mines Ltd. started work on the property in June
1936. On the 69 m level two sections were opened up. The first of these showed a
length of 49.41 m and averaged 14.06 g/tonne (0.41 oz/ton) gold across 1.30 m.
Muck samples averaged 6.75 g/tonne (0.49 oz/ton) the last 46 m of this distance.
The second section was opened up for 34 m and back samples showed an uncut
average value of 10.33 g/tonne (0.30 oz/ton) across 1.1 m. Chip face samples
averaged 8.47 g/tonne (0.24 oz/ton) across 1.4 m while muck samples from the
drift averaged 5.48 g/tonne (0.16 oz/ton, $35 gold).
The shear zone on the
3rd level was wide. Exploration at the 114 m level failed to reveal the downward
extension of the two ore-shoots and in May 1937 work was suspended.
J.D.
Shannon and his associates leased the property as a salvage proposition in
November 1937. A consulting mining geologist, T.L. Gledhill reported that during
1937 J.D. Shannon worked the property on lease and in the course of his
operations mined out a stope between the second and third levels lying between
the Oro Grande and the Solo shafts. He took out about 9000 tonnes of ore
within this block of ground and demonstrated an ore-shoot that had a length of
92 m and an average width of 0.9 m, and grade somewhere between 13.7 g/tonne
(0.4 oz/ton) and 16.65 g/tonne (0.49 oz/ton) (Northern Miner; August 10, 1939).
Shannon's lease expired on May 15, 1939.
In 1940 a new showing was found
194\m north of the Oro Grande shaft. After a program of surface assaying
and diamond drilling, a decision was made to extend the 69 m level of the Oro
Grade shaft another 76 m to penetrate the new zone. Some good values were
reported but assays were erratic and it was difficult to calculate the grade of
the ore. The company suspended operations in October 1940.
Twenty-one year
leases on the Solo M.C. and Oro Grande M.C. were renewed in 1946, but
were cancelled in 1950. A. VanderBrink immediately staked Solo M.C. (W 18336)
over that part of deposit but two years later it was also cancelled. In 1959
E.A. Carlson staked Key No. 2 (W 30924) on the former location of Solo M.C.
Shortly after he assigned it to A. VanderBrink who held it until 1960. Two years
later A.L. Gaffray staked Vault No. 2 (35199) over the deposit. It was later
assigned to A. VanderBrink.
In 1962 both Oro Grande M.C. and Vault No.
2 (formerly Solo M.C.) were optioned to Central Manitoba Mines, Limited. This
company carried out a 15 hole 1116 m drill program on the claims. A seven hole
612 m drill program tested the extensions of the mined orebody. The results were
disappointing and no further work was undertaken (Manitoba Mines Branch d).
Oro Grande M.C. and Vault No. 2 were cancelled in 1966 and 1973
respectively.
Mel Linnell staked Oro Nos. 3, 4 (W 44792,44793) over the
deposit in 1972.
There is no record of work being carried out by Linnell and
the claims lapsed in 1978.
In 1978 M. Linnell staked the claims again (W
45961). Cash payments were made in lieu of work requirements until 1984 when
Highmark Resources Ltd. acquired the property. In June 1984 Highmark Resources
Ltd. and Homestead Resources Inc. agreed to a 50-50 joint venture to explore
four contiguous claims, CB 8218, CB 8219, CB 9593, CB 9594, and claims W 45961,
and W 50608 which cover the Solo Oro Grande Mine, and Gunnar Mines,
respectively. They carried out a program which consisted of detailed sampling of
tailings sites, VLF-EM and MAG surveys, soil sampling, and detailed prospecting.
The companies are currently trying to interest a "major" company to assist in
financing the next exploration phase (pers. comm. Highmark Resources).
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
The mill operated from 1932 to 1934 and from 1938 to 1940 with a total
of 165 kg (5 305 oz) gold and 16.3 kg (525 oz) silver produced. From 1932 to
1934 the production was:
Year Tonnes Milled kg (oz) Gold kg (oz)
Silver
1932 32 1.52 (49)
1933 272 2.78 (89.481) 0.60 (19.35)
1934 406
4.55 (146.2) 0.74 (23.8)
REFERENCES
Cole, G.E., 1938: Mineral Resources of Manitoba; Manitoba Economic
Survey Board.
Davies, J.F., Bannatyne, B.B.; Barry, G.S.; and McCabe, H.R.,
1962: Geology and Mineral Resources of Manitoba; Manitoba Mines Branch
Publication, p. 52.
De Lury, J.S., 1927: The Mineral Resources of
Southeastern Manitoba; Industrial Development Board of Manitoba, p.
33.
Financial Post Survey of Mines: 1928, p. 119; 1929, p. 85,
87.
Manitoba Mines Branch:
a. Annual Report on Mines and Minerals: 1st-p.
143; 5th-p. 18; 6th-p. 46; 7th-p.28; 10th-p.26; 11th-p.39; 12th-p.40, 13th-p.
31; 14th-p. 28.
b. Corporation Files; Beresford Lake Mines Limited,
Oro-Grande Mines Limited, The Oro-Grande Development Company
Limited.
c. Mining Engineering Files; Beresford Lake Mines Limited,
Oro-Grande Development Company Limited.
d. Non-confidential Assessment
Files; File No. 91347, 91399.
McRitchie, W.D., and Weber, W. (Editors), 1971:
Geology and Geophysics of the Rice Lake Region, Southeastern Manitoba (Project
Pioneer); Manitoba Mines Branch, Publication 71-1.
Russell, G.A., 1952:
Structural Studies of the Long Lake-Halfway Lake Area; Manitoba Mines Branch,
Publ. 49-6, p. 8.
Stephenson, J.F., 1972: Gold Deposits of the Rice
Lake-Beresford Lake Area, Southeastern Manitoba; University of Manitoba,
Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, p. 262-263.
Stockwell, C.H., and Lord, C.S., 1939:
Halfway Lake-Beresford Lake Area, Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir
219, p. 38.
Theyer, P., 1983: Geology of Gold Deposits in the Bissett/Wallace
Lake Portion of the Rice Lake Greenstone Belt; in Mineral Resources Division,
Report of Field Activities 1983, Report GS-17, p. 101-109.
Theyer, P., 1984:
Mineral Deposit Investigations in the Rice Lake Greenstone Belt; in Mineral
Resources Division, Report of Field Activities 1984, Report GS-23, p.
87-90.
Wright, J.F., 1938: Geology and Mineral Deposits of a Part of
Southeastern Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 169, p. 61.
MAP REFERENCES
Map 52 L/14, East, West, Garner Lake, (Topographic), Scale 1:50 000,
Mines & Technical Surveys, Canada.
Map 4048 G, Garner Lake,
(Aeromagnetic), Scale 1:63 360, Manitoba Mines Branch & Geological Survey of
Canada.
Map 280 A, Wadhope Area, (Geology), Scale 1:24 000, Geological Survey
of Canada.
Map 535 A, Halfway Lake-Beresford Lake, (Geology), Scale 1:12
000-Accompanying report by Stockwell and Lord (1939), Geological Survey of
Canada.
Map 809 A, Beresford Lake, (Geology), Scale 1:63 360, Geological
Survey of Canada.
Map 49-6, Structural Geology of Long Lake-Halfway Lake
Area, (Geology), Scale 1:15 840-Accompanying report by Russell (1952), Manitoba
Mines Branch.
Map (Unpublished) Oro Grande M.C. (27534), Lot 285,
Group 124 (Survey, 1924), Scale 1: 2400, Mining Recording, Manitoba Mines
Branch.
Map (Unpublished) Solo M.C. (32854), Lot 313, Group 124, (Survey,
1925), Scale 1:2400, Mining Recording, Manitoba Mines Branch.
Claim Map
Series 52 L/14NE,NW, Scale 1:31 680, circa 1950, Mining Recording, Manitoba
Mines Branch.
URL
N/A
REMARKS
A series of pits and a prospect shaft were sunk 122 m north of the
Oro Grande shaft. There may be another shaft 192 m noth of the Oro
Grande shaft. A shaft is on the Mirage No. 1 (52 L/14, Ref. AU 3)
immediately to the N of the Solo and Oro Grande M.C.'s.
The
Solo-Oro Grande is situated on the same shear as the Mandalay M.C. (see
AU 8).
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
JB JR
Date
05-67 12-73 06-85
