MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
0828
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
Zinc
NTS AREA
63K16NE
REF.
ZN 1
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
Chisel Lake Mine
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1981- Hudson Bay Mining and
Smelting Ltd.
1906-201 Portage
Ave.
Winnipeg, MB, R3B 3K6
OBJECT LOCATED
Mine shaft
MINING
DIVISION
The Pas
Latitude
54°50'05
Longitude
100°07'00
Uncertainty
(m)
100m
UTM Zone
14U
Easting
428300
Northing
6077700
L.S./Quarter
Section
15
Section
27
Township
67
Range
18 WPM
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
The orebody, made up of a series of nearly massive sulphide lenses,
occur along a structural discontinuity, striking northwest, running from Lost
Lake to Chisel Lake, and presumably extending beneath the latter. The ore zone
is sheet-like in form and dips approximately 45° northeast. Within the main ore,
a coarse, massive green tremolite rock, in which the widest and highest-grade
massive sulphides occur. Disseminated sulphides and stringers of more massive
sulphides occur in the footwall rocks, in places extensive enough to bring the
siliceous schists, that form the footwall, up to ore grade. The main ore mineral
is sphalerite, but pyrrhotite, pyrite, galena, and arsenopyrite also
occur.
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Lead, gold, copper and silver.
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The deposit is located below Chisel Lake, which has been partially
drained, five miles southwest of Snow Lake. As the deposit underlies a group of
claims, the record will trace the history of the mining claims upon which the
shaft is located.
Mr. J.B. Home-Hay first recorded the H.H. No. 1 (P 8220)
claim in February of 1945, on the site of the present shaft location. The
development work was never recorded, and the claim was cancelled in February
1948.
On April 4, 1955, J. Gordon Bragg staked the OX #50 (P 34207) claim,
51.65 acres in area. The claim was subsequently transferred to the Hudson Bay
Mining and Smelting Company Limited (HBMS).
The orebody was discovered in the
spring of 1956. A weak electromagnetic anomaly was diamond drilled (Northern
Miner, October 11, 1956). Following this, 15 600 m (51 089 ft.) of diamond
drilling, which outlined an economic 3.5 million tonnes (t) (3 832 00 ton) Zn
sulphide orebody, plans were made to bring the property into production. During
1956, a transmission line and an 13.6 km (8.5 mi.) road were constructed to link
the property of the existing road and powerline facilities at Snow Lake.
In
1957, a complete mining plant was constructed, the development shaft was
collared, and shaft sinking began. The following year, the shaft was completed
to a depth of 355 m (1163 ft.), and the water was drained over the orebody by
lowering the level of Chisel Lake.
During 1959, main haulage level headings
on the 77, 137, 200, 260, and 320 m (250, 450, 650, 850, and 1050 ft.) levels
were driven a total of 3018 m (9900 ft.), stope development was started, and
4143 m (13591 ft.) of exploratory underground diamond drilling was completed.
The hoist, headframe and ore bins for the production haft, which was sunk to 350
m (1150 ft.), were installed.
In November 1959, a 84 km (52 mi.) railway line
to connect to Optic Lake on the Lynn Lake branch was completed
The OX #50
claim became mining Lease M-72000 on September 6, 1960. First ore was shipped to
Flin Flon in September 1960. The large ore zone had been developed by sub-levels
at about 18m (60 ft.) intervals. Mining is by shrinkage method and the output is
expected to average 907 t (1000 tons) per day.
As of January 1, 1960, ore
reserves were estimated at 3 471 000 t (3 826 000 tons) averaging 11.6% Zn, 51
g/t (1.49 oz/ton) Ag, 22 g/t (0.65 oz/ton) Au, .52% Cu and 0.7% Pb (Precambrian,
September 1960.
Proven ore reserves, as of January 1968, totalled 2 920 000 t
(3 218 500 tons) grading 12.0 % Zn, 42 g/t (1.23 oz/ton) Ag, 17 g/t (0.49oz/ton)
Au, 0.39 % Cu and 0.7% Pb.
In 1973-74, methods to mine a large block of ore,
immediately below the lake, were investigated. With ample ore reserves, further
exploration work was delayed until 1976.
In 1975, the main production shaft
was deepened to 81 m (267 ft.). Mine production was lessened in 1976, primarily
to reduce refined Zn inventory at Flin Flon as sales slumped.
Exploration
work at the 442 m (1450 ft.) level in 1977, indicated new reserves.
In 1978,
drainage of the open pit site was carried out and two test wells were drilled
and pumped. In 1979, maintenance of underground ore reserves and open pit
development were postponed.
In 1988, probable ore reserves were outlined as
2.4 million t (2.7 million tons) grading 9% Zn, and 0.2-0.3% Cu. HBMS, using a
high-grade crown pillar deposit, with probable reserves of 1.2 million t (1.3
million tons) grading 10% Zn, 0.23% Cu, 1.4% PB and 2.5 g/t (0.074 oz/ton) Au,
and 55 g/t (1.60 oz/ton) Ag, began preparations for the development of a low
cost open pit mine (Northern Miner, September 26, 1988). The developments were
completed late 1988, ahead of schedule, with a 5-year life anticipated.
The
Chisel North deposit was discovered and outlined in 1991 (See: Mind No.
1046).
Chisel Lake mine closed in March 1994, due to depletion of
resources (Canadian Mines Handbook, 1994-95).
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
Year Crude ore Au Ag Cu Zn Pb Tonnes (tons) (oz/ton) (oz/ton) % %
%
1960 95 166 2.0 85.4 0.42 13.1 1.8
(104 903) (0.059) (2.49)
1961 246
641 2.2 84.0 0.46 15.3 1.6
(271 877) (0.063) (2.45)
1962 306 969 2.3 77.8
0.4 13.4 1.6
(338 377) (0.068) (2.27)
1963 272 213 1.9 70.6 0.49 12.9
4.6
(300 065) (0.056) (2.06)
1964 242 789 2.2 59.3 0.61 11.1 1.4
(267
630) (0.063) (1.73)
1965 266 004 1.9 43.5 0.59 10.3 0.9
(293 221) (0.056)
(1.27)
1966 227 270 2.1 32.6 0.83 9.98 0.7
(250 524) (0.061) (0.95)
1967 230 531 1.6 40.1 0.63 10.56 0.4
(254 118) (0.046) (1.17)
1968
252 559 1.0 37.7 0.6 14.4 0.99
(278 400) (0.03) (1.1)
1969 256 188 1.0
27.4 0.7 13.7 0.7
(282 400) (0.03) (0.8)
1970 255 371 1.0 30.9 0.8 10.3
0.4
(281 500) (0.03) (0.9)
1971 148 052 1.4 30.9 1 8.4 0.3
(163 200)
(0.04) (0.9)
1972 189 691 1.4 30.9 0.9 9.3 0.3
(209 100) (0.04) (0.9)
1973 165 470 1.4 34.3 0.6 9.4 0.3
(182 400) (0.04) (1)
1974 154 039
1.7 34.3 1 10.1 0.4
(169 800) (0.05) (1)
1975 108 534 2.1 37.7 0.7 10.8
0.5
(119 639) (0.06) (1.1)
1976 106 320 2.1 41.1 0.8 10.8 0.4
(117
198) (0.06) (1.2)
1977 219 763 1.7 40.1 0.74 9.24 0.5
(242 248) (0.05)
(1.17)
1978 212 717 1.2 35.3 0.75 11.26 -
(234 482) (0.036) (1.03)
1979 205 386 1.3 29.1 0.51 11.35 -
(226 400) (0.037) (0.85)
1980 200
773 1.4 40.8 0.42 9.89 -
(221 316) (0.042) (1.19)
REFERENCES
Bence, A.E. 1963: Temperatures of Formation of the Chisel Lake
sulphide deposit, Snow Lake,
Manitoba; Canadian Mineralogist, v. 7, p.
663-6.
Brinsmead, R. 1960: New reserves for Flin Flon operation;
Precambrian, v. 33, September, p. 18
Canadian Mines Handbook 1989: Hudson
Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd.; Canadian Mines
Handbook, 1988-89, p.
251.
Canadian Mines Handbook 1990: Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co.
Ltd.; Canadian Mines
Handbook, 1989-90, p. 232.
Canadian Mines
Handbook 1995: Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd.; Canadian
Mines
Handbook, 1994-95, p. 195.
Davies, J. F., Bannatyne, B.B.,
Barry, G.S., McCabe, H.R. 1962: Geology and Minerals of
Manitoba; Manitoba
Mines Branch, p. 87.
Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company Ltd.: Annual
Reports, 33rd to 47th.
Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company Ltd. 1956:
Scrap book clippings, Manitoba Mineral
Resources Division.
Martin,
P.L. 1966: Structural geology of the Chisel Lake orebody; Trans. CIM, v. 69, p.
208-14
Mineral Policy Sector: Corporation Files - Hudson Bay Mining and
Smelting Company Ltd.
Northern Miner 1988: Hudbay thriving on better
metal prices, exp. success; Northern Miner,
September 26,
1988.
Northern Miner 1989: Hudson Bay mining Chisel Lake crown; Northern
Miner, March 3, 1989.
Sangster, D.F. 1972: Isotopic studies of ore-leads
in the Harrison lake –Flin Flon –Snow Lake
Mineral Belt, Saskatchewan and
Manitoba; Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 9, p. 550-13.
Sangster,
D.F. 1972: Precambrian volcanogenetic massive sulphide deposits in Canada:
A
Review; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 72-22, p. 8.
Williams, H.
1966: Geology and mineral deposits of Chisel Lake map area, Manitoba;
Geological
Survey of Canada, Memoir 342.
Williams, H. 1961: A
Petrographic study of the metamorphic rocks of the Chisel Lake Area,
Northern
Manitoba; unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toronto.
World Mining
1969: World Mining, v.22, No. 2, February 1969, p. 80.
MAP REFERENCES
Bailes, A.H.1971: Map, Snow Lake - Flin Flon - Sherridon area; 1:253
440 scale, geological map,
accompanying Manitoba Mines Branch Paper
1/71.
Harrison, J.M. 1949: Map 929A, File Lake, Geological Survey of
Canada, geological map,
scale 1:63 360.
Manitoba Mines Branch and
Geological Survey of Canada: Map 8455 G, File Lake; Manitoba
Mines Branch and
Geological Survey of Canada, aeromagnetic, scale 1:63 360.
Mining
Recording, Mineral Resources Division: Maps SE16/63K, Circa 1975, Claim Map
Series;
Mining Recording, Mineral Resources Division.
Surveys and
Mapping Branch 1985: Map 63 K/16, File Lake; Surveys and Mapping
Branch,
Ottawa, topographic map (3rd Edition), scale 1:50
000.
Williams, H. 1966: Map 1180 A, Chisel Lake Area; Geological Survey
of Canada, geological map,
Scale 1:12 000.
URL
N/A
Images
Images/0828-1
Images/0828-2
Word Document
REMARKS
This deposit is shown by a shaft symbol on Map 1180A. The deposit is
also clearly marked on Map 63 K/16, File Lake.
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
RM JDM CFL HW JJJ
Date
02-73 11-75 06-77 79 01-82 07-02
