MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
839
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
Copper
NTS AREA
63N3NE
63N3SE
REF.
CU3
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
Sherridon Mine
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1977
Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Company Limited
Flin
Flon, Manitoba
OBJECT LOCATED
Main (No. 3) Shaft, located on Crow M.C.
MINING
DIVISION
The Pas
Uncertainty
(m)
200
Latitude
55° 08'22"
Longitude
101° 06'25"
Northing
_______
UTM Zone
_____
Easting
_______
L.S./Quarter
Section
___
Section
___
Township
71
Range
24 WPM
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
The consolidated rocks of the Sherridon Mine area are
sedimentary gneisses of Precambrian age. They form part of a large highly
metamorphosed, east trending paragneiss domain referred to as the Kisseynew
sedimentary gneiss belt. The Nokomis Group comprises the lower meta-greywacke
sequence (garnetiferous hornblende gneiss) and the Sherridon group
comprises the upper meta-arkose sequence (quartzite) (Farley, 1949, p. 25, 26,
Bailes, 1975, p. 14; 1971).
The East and West orebodies of the
Sherridon mine were located in the Sherridon Group near the
contact with the hornblende-plagioclase gneisses of the Nokomis Group (Davies et
al., 1962, p. 93). The footwall rocks are quartzite and arkosic and greywacke
derivatives. The contact footwall unit is gneissic quartzite. The hanging wall
contact unit is garnetiferous hornblende gneiss (Farley, 1949, p. 25). The
enclosing gneiss of the ore deposit formed the southwest limb of an overturned
syncline.
The deposit was localized along and within a pegmatite sill that
intruded along the contact of the gneissic quartzite and hornblende gneiss. The
emplacement of the deposit was considered to be a sulphide replacement of the
tabular sill-like pegmatite mass along the shear zone located near the contact
of the quartzite and hornblende gneiss. Pegmatite residuals occurring as
unreplaced fragments were prominent throughout the ore zone (Farley, 1949, p.
26, 27).
Twenty-five percent of the Sherridon production was mined
from offshoot orebodies. These bodies were all localized within pegmatite masses
that had intruded and occupied folded structures in the hanging wall hornblende
gneiss (Farley, 1949. p. 28).
The East and West orebodies together formed a
long sulphide deposit having a combined length of 16,000 feet (4878 metres), of
which 3600 feet (1098 metres) between the East and West ore zones carried no
ore. The East ore zone was outlined to have an average width of 15.2 feet (4.6
metres), a length of 4300 feet (1311 metres), and a maximum thickness of 250
feet (76.2 metres). For the West ore zone, the dimensions consisted of an
average width of 15.5 feet (4.7 metres), a length of 7900 feet (2409 metres) and
a maximum thickness of 1500 feet (457.3 metres) (Farley, 1949, p. 27).
The
ore of the Sherridon deposit was relatively coarse-grained and ranged
from the massive to the disseminated type. The metallic sulphides present, in
order of abundance, were: pyrite and pyrrhotite (2:1 ratio), chalcopyrite,
sphalerite (marmatite variety), minor cubanite, rare arsenopyrite; small amounts
of gold and silver were recovered. The insoluble gangue content of the
ore-bearing material averaged 35 per cent (Farley, 1949, p. 28, Davies et al,
1962, p. 101).
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Zinc, Gold, Silver
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The Sherridon Mines was situated approximately 65 km NE of Flin
Flon and 140 km N of The Pas. The area is accessible by CN Railways, on the
branch line linking Lynn Lake with The Pas.
The Sherridon Mine
consisted of the Main Shaft (No. 3 Shaft) on the Crow M.C. and the Central Shaft
(No. 2 Shaft) on the Spruce M.C. which were sunk into the West ore zone and the
East Shaft (No. 1 Shaft) on the Lake M.C. which was sunk into the East ore zone.
The distance between the No. 3 and No. 2 shafts was 3250 feet and between the
No. 2 and No. 1, 6625 feet.
The original discovery was made by Philip
Sherlett in 1922 on the shore of a bay of what is now known as Camp Lake, a
short distance east of Kississing Lake (Brown, 1933, p. 468). Seven mineral
claims (Teddy, Deer, Mink, Gull, Daisy, Bear, Rose) were recorded in the name of
the Philip Sherlett family during January and February, 1923. The Sherlett
claims lapsed in 1924 due to failure to record assessment work.
About the
time of Sherlett's discovery, C.W. Sherritt and R. Madole made a second
discovery and staked a number of claims including the Lake M.C. (site of No. 1
Shaft) which was recorded in January 1923. When Sherlett's claims lapsed in
1924, Sherritt and Madole restaked the Teddy and Daisy claims as the
White and Black claims. Also, during this time, Sherritt and Madole
acquired additional claims in the area from other prospectors. The acquired
group of 16 claims were known as the Sherritt-Madole group.
In
October, 1925 J.P. Bordon optioned the Sherritt-Madole group and the
added more claims including the Crow M.C. (site of No. 3 Shaft) to form a group
of 25 claims known as the Sherritt-Gordon group. This group was then
optioned to Nipissing Mines Company, Limited which during the winter of 1925/26,
drilled 4966 feet in 28 holes. Two ore-shoots were indicated, 2600 and 3600 feet
long with an average width of 15 feet. The shoots were 3400 feet apart (Staff,
Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, 1930, p. 246). It was reported that this
work indicated some 450,000 tons (308,000 tonnes) of ore averaging 2.86% Cu,
3.3% Zn, and less than $1.00 in combined Au and Ag (Wright, 1929a, p.
95).
The option was dropped by Nipissing Mines Company, Limited in September,
1926 and then acquired by the Victoria Syndicate, Limited (an associate of the
Mond Nickel Company, Limited). The latter option was also dropped in December,
1926 and then acquired by the Victoria Syndicate, Limited (an associate of the
Mond Nickel Company, Limited). The latter option was also dropped in December,
1926 and again acquired, this time by J.L. Agnew and associates of the
International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited in January, 1927. This option
was allowed to lapse in the summer of 1927 without any known work being
done.
R.J. Jowsey became interested in the Sherritt-Gordon group
during 1926, and after securing the backing of the Theyer Lindsley interests in
the spring of 1927, Sherritt Gordon Mines Limited was incorporated in
July, 1927 (Wright, 1929a, p. 95, and Northern Miner, 1948, Annual Number, p.
43, 49 and 53).
Ten shallow holes were drilled into the East ore zone during
the fall of 1927 and another 64 holes by the fall of 1928.
Two, 3 -
compartment, mine shafts were sunk in 1928. The No. 1 shaft was sunk into the
East ore zone to the 280-foot level and the No. 2 shaft into the West ore zone
to the 480-foot level.
By the fall of 1928, the following tonnages and grades
had been calculated:
Ore Zone Tonnage Cu Zn Au Ag
Tons Tonnes % %
oz/ton oz/ton
East 866,175 785,621 2.14 5.78 0.0189 0.76
3,271,900
2,967,613 2.91 2.76 0.0179 0.94
Total 4,138,075 3,753,234 2.75 3.39 0.0179
0.90
In addition, within the West ore zone, a central low grade section
was outlined. This section contained 1,116,500 tons (1,012,666 tonnes) of ore
averaging 1.40% Cu, 0.80% Zn, 0.0121 oz/ton Au, and 1.22 oz/ton Ag (Staff,
Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, 1930, p. 246).
After considering the
results from the 1928 drilling program, plans were made to bring the property
into production at 500,000 tons per year. Also an agreement was made with Hudson
Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Limited to treat 200 tons of copper concentrate per
day at Flin Flon (Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, Ann. Rept. for
1929).
During the winter of 1928/29, the No. 3 Shaft, a four-compartment
shaft inclined at an angle of 51 degrees, was sunk to the 680-foot level in the
West ore zone (Brown, 1933, p. 469, 470, 474).
The mineral claims of the
Sherritt Gordon property were leased in 1929, as leases 1007-1061 and
1142.
Operations were suspended in the East ore zone in June, 1930 due to the
weak price of copper on the world market, but production from the Main Shaft
(No. 3 Shaft) began April 1, 1931 and continued to June 15, 1932 when operations
were also suspended, (Sherritt Gordon, Mines Limited, Ann. Rept. for
1930, 1932).
Production from the Main Shaft resumed on August 1, 1937 and was
initiated from the No. 1 Shaft in May, 1940. The mine was operated for an eight
month period (April to November), each year and was closed for the winter
months. Zinc concentrate (50%) production began in June, 1942 on ore milled from
the East ore zone. The East Shaft remained in production to October, 1946, when
the ore reserves were exhausted (Sherritt Gordon Mines Limited, Ann.
Repts. for 1937, 1940, 1942 and 1946).
Production continued from the Main
Shaft until September 20, 1951 when the ore reserves in the West ore zone were
exhausted. Production of zinc concentrate was also maintained by milling the
copper tailings (Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, Ann. Rept. for
1951)
The leases were renewed on April 24, 1950, but were cancelled on
September 16, 1976.
The ground was reopened for staking on December 8, 1976
and was restaked as C.B. 6439-6443 by N.H. Thurber, J. Pickell and M. Christie
for Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Company Limited on January 10, 1977.
In particular, C.B. 6442 overlaps a portion of the former Crow M.C., upon which
the Main Shaft (No. 3) was located.
The Main (No. 3) shaft of the
Sherridon Mine, also called the Main Mine, was in production between
April 1931-June 1932, and August 1937 - September 1951. The East (No. 1) shaft,
also called the East Mine was in production between May 1940 - October 1946. The
production of zinc concentrate began in June 1942, with the treatment of ore
from the East Mine. Production of the zinc concentrated continued following
closure of the East Mine by treating the copper tailings. Production statistics
for the Sherridon Mine between 1931 - 1932 and 1937 - 1951
are:
Ore Copper Zinc (50%) Gold Silver
Milled Concentrate
8,521,352
tons 1,83,123 tons 148,961 tons 101,026 oz 3,218,324 oz
(7,737,936 (166,093
(135,108 (2867 kg) (91,320 kg)
tonnes) tonnes) tonnes)
The value of
the production totalled $58,732,366.72 (Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited,
Ann. Repts. for 1931, 1932, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1946, 1951).
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
N/A
REFERENCES
Bailes, A.H.
1971: Preliminary compilation of the geology of the
Snow Lake - Flin Flon - Sherridon area, Manitoba Man. Mines Br., Geol.
Paper 1/71.
1975: Geology of the Guay-Wimapedi Lakes Area; Man. Mineral
Resources Div., Publ. 75-2.
Bateman, J.D.
1946: Sherridon map area;
Geological Survey of Canada, Map 862A, with descriptive notes.
1944:
Sherritt Gordon Mine Area, Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper
44-4.
Bateman, J.D. and Harrison J.M.
1945: Sherridon, Manitoba;
Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 45-15.
Brown, E.L.
1933: Mining methods
and costs of the Sherritt Gordon Mine; Trans. CIMM, v. 36, p.
468-494.
Bruce, E.L.
1929: Sherritt Gordon copper-zinc deposit;
Econ. Geol., V. 24, p. 457-469.
Davies, J.F., Bannatyne, B.B., Barry, G.S.
and McCabe, H.R.
1962: Geology and mineral resources of Manitoba; Manitoba
Mines Branch.
Farley, W.J.
1949: Geology of the Sherritt Gordon
Orebody, Bull, CIMM, V. 42, p. 25-30.
Froese, E. and Goetz, P.A.
1976:
Petrological studies in the Sherridon area, Manitoba; Geological Survey
of Canada, Paper 76-1A, p. 171-172.
Koffman, A.A., Cairns, R.B. and Price,
R.L.
1962: Recent evidence concerning the occurrence and deposition of
sulphide in the Precambrian Shield; unpubl. paper presented at Annual
Convention, CIMM, in Ottawa, April 1962.
Sherritt Gordon Mines,
Limited, NE, SE 3, 63N; Corporation Files, Man. MRD.
Sherritt Gordon
Mines Limited, Mining Engineering Files, Man. MRD.
Staff, Sherritt
Gordon Mines Limited (1930), Proposed Mining and milling practice at
Sherritt Gordon Mine; Trans. CIMM, V. 33, p. 245-271.
Stockwell, C.H.
and Harrison, J.M.
1948: Structural control of ore deposits in northern
Manitoba, in Structural Geology, of Canadian Ore Deposits, Vol. I, CIMM (1948),
p. 284-291.
Wright, J.F.
1929a: Kississing Lake area, Manitoba; Geological
Survey of Canada, Sum. Rept, 1928, Part B, p. 73-104.
1929b: Geology and
copper - zinc deposits of Cold Lake area, Manitoba; Trans CIMM, v. 32, p.
65-87.
MAP REFERENCES
*Map 63N/3, Sherridon (Topo.), 1:50 000; Surveys and Mapping
Branch, Ottawa.
Map 2551G, Sherridon (Aeromag.), 1:63 360; Manitoba
Mines Branch and Geological Survey of Canada.
Map234A, Kississing Lake Area
(Geol.), 1:126 720; Accomp. Publ. by Wright (1929), Geological Survey of Canada,
Sum. Rept., 1928, Part b.
Map 45-15A, Sherridon, Manitoba (Geol.),
1:126 720; Accomp. Publ. by Bateman and Harrison (1945), Geological Survey of
Canada, Paper 45-15.
Property Map, Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited;
Accomp. Sherritt Gordon Mines, Limited, An. Rept. 1929.
Maps, NE3, 63N
(Claim), 1:31 680; "Circa 1948, 1977" Claim Map Series, Mining Recording Man.
MRD.
#Map 44-4, Sherritt Gordon Mine Area (Geol.), 1:12000; Accomp.
Publ. by Bateman (1944), Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 44-4.
Map 862A,
Sherridon (Geol.), 1:63 360; Accomp. Publ. by Bateman, (1946), Geological
Survey of Canada.
URL
N/A
REMARKS
N/A
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
GJ JDB
02-77 02-78
