Introduction to Prospecting - gov.nu.ca · Iron $4.3 Diamonds $8.1 ... ‘backpack’ drill (drill...

Introduction to Prospecting

Session One – Introduction to Prospecting

Introduction – Prospecting Course

What can I expect in this course…?

• The Mining Sequence

• Basics of prospecting

• Information on the Nunavut Prospectors Program.

• Basic geology

Mountains near Qikiqtarjuaq

Nunavut Prospectors Program (NPP)

What is the Nunavut Prospectors Program?

• Encourage the discovery of Nunavut’s resources, and provide future opportunities for Nunavummiut.

• Funding (up to 8000$/year) for prospectors interested in pursuing a project of their own.

Session Four – Ore Deposits

Session Three – Minerals

What to Look Forward to in this Course


Session Two – Geology

Session Five – Prospecting

Saturday (optional) – Taking your skills outside!




Taking your skills outside!




Prospecting

Have Inuit prospectors discovered significant mineral deposits in Nunavut?

Mary River Mine – Baffinland (ArcelorMittal)

• The hill of iron (now Mary River Mine) was known to local Inuit, they showed it to

Ron Sheardown and Murray E. Watts in 1962

• Now a fully operational mine as of 2014

Unloading rock truck in Arviat

Re-supply plane at Mary River

Beluga Sapphire Project

• First high-quality transparent sapphire in Canada.

• Brothers Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik from Kimmirut discovered the gems on a hilltop southwest of town.

Soapstone quarries throughout Nunavut

• 77 soapstone deposits were confirmed.

John Tugak’s gold findings: • Recently signed an option deal

with Agnico Eagle

2017 Exploration & Deposit Appraisal Expenditures (Preliminary estimates; $ millions)

19

Precious Metals $152.0

Base metals $4.6

Uranium $0.5

Iron $4.3

Diamonds $8.1

Nunavut Total

$169.5 million

Source: NRCan Mineral Statistics, as of February 2018 (unadjusted for inflation)

Exploration & Deposit Appraisal Investment

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

$ M

illio

ns

Juniors Seniors

Over $4.1 billion investment in Nunavut since 1999 20 Source: NRCan Mineral Statistics, as of February 2018 (unadjusted for inflation)

Exploration in Nunavut

Nunavut Exploration Overview

• Currently, there approximately 35 active projects across the territory.

• 27 Gold

• 1 Base Metals

• 1 Iron

• 6 Diamonds

http://cngo.ca/exploration-overview/2017/

Aberdeen Lake

Amadjuak

Lake

River

Baker Lake

DubawntLake

Kazan

Nettilling

Lake

South HenikLake

Thlewiaza River

Yathkyed Lake

Riv

er

Riv

er

Back

Great Slave Lake

Grand lac des Esclaves

Great Bear Lake

Grand lac de l'Ours

Lake Athabasca

Lac Athabasca

Cop

per

min

e

Riv

er

Th

elo

n

Riv

erD

ub

aw

nt

BAIE DE BAFFIN

BAIE D' HUDSON

Détroit de D

avis

Détroit d' Hudson

Baie d'Ungava

BAFFIN BAY

HUDSON BAY

Davis Strait

FOXE

BASIN

Hudson Strait

C H A N N E L

Prince Gustaf AdolfSea

Amundsen

Gulf

Foxe Channel

M'C

linto

ck

Gu

lf of Boothia

Pri

nce

Reg

ent

Inle

t

Viscount

Taverner Bay

Ungava Bay

Vic

tori

a Str

ait

Wager Bay

Wellington Bay

Wellin

gto

n C

ha

nn

el

Bay

of

God

s M

ercy

Agu Bay

Alexander Bay

Andrew Gordon Bay

Ad

mira

lty In

let

Barrow Strait

Bear Bay

Belcher

Bernier Bay

Bowman Bay

By

am

Ma

rtin C

ha

nn

el

Committee

Bay

Coronation Gulf

Cumberland Sound

Daly Bay

Dease Strait

Dolphin and U

nion Strait

Exeter Sound

Finnie Bay

Foster Bay

Fra

nkl

in S

tra

it

Frobisher Bay

Fury and Hecla Strait

Garry Bay

Ha

dley

Ba

y

Ha

ssel So

un

d

Hazen Strait

Hecla

an

d G

riper B

ay

Hoare Bay

Home Bay

Ikpik

Bay

Jones Sound Lady Ann Strait

Lancaster Sound

Larsen Sound

Markham Bay

Ma

ssey Soun

d

Murray Maxwell Bay

Nauj

a B

ay

Norway Bay

Norwegian Bay

Parry Bay

Pe

el S

ou

nd

Penny Bay

Pen

ny

Stra

it

Povungnituk Bay

Queen Maud Gulf

Rasmussen

Basin

Richardson Bay

Ro

es W

elc

om

e S

ou

nd

SimpsonBay

Smit

h B

ay

South Bay

Storis Passage

Ch

an

nel

Melville Sound P A R R Y

Channel

Steensby Inlet

Mil

ne

Inle

t

Eclip

seSound

ALBERTA

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST

SASKATCHEWAN

ÎLE

BAFFIN

DE

BAFFINVICTORIA ISLAND

DEVON ISLAND

MELVILLE ISLAND

BATHURST

ISLAND

SOMERSET

ISLAND

PRINCE OF WALESISLAND

SOUTHAMPTON

ISLAND

Amund Ringnes Island

Cornwall I.Lougheed Island

Graham I.

Cornwallis

Island

Byam Martin I.

StefanssonIsland

Bylot Island

King

WilliamIsland

Prince

Charles

Island

Air Force I.

Nottingham

Island

Coats

Island Mansel

Island

Cameron Island

Rowley I.

Wales I.

Salisbury

Island Big

Island

ISLAND

Resolution

Island

Charles

Island

Akpatok

Island

PARRYISLANDS

Kivalliq

Kitikmeot

Qikiqtani

Devon

Ice Cap

Barnes

Ice Cap

Penny

Ice CapAuyuittu

q NP

Beverly CPMA

Bowman

Bay WS

Bylot Island MBS

Nirjutiqavvik

NWA

Dewey Soper

MBS

East Bay MBS

Harry

Gibbons

MBS

Iqalugaarjuup

Nunanga TP

Niginganiq NWA

Kekerten TP

Kugluk TP

Mallikjuaq

TP

McConnell River MBS

NorthernBathurst Island(Proposed NP)

Polar Bear Pass

NWA

Prince Leopold

Island MBS

Qamanirjuaq

CPMA

Queen Maud GulfMBS

Seymour IslandMBS

Sirmilik NP

Sylvia Grinnell a

nd

Qaummaarviit TP

Thelon WS

Ukkusiksalik

(Proposed NP)

Ovayok Park TP(Mt. Pelly)

Inuujaarvik TP

Pitsuktinu Tungavik TP

Katannilik TP

Qaqulluit N

WA

Akpait NWATuktutNogaitNP

Sirmilik

NP

Qikiq

tarjuaq

Kimmirut

IQALUIT

Pangnirtung

Arviat

Chesterfield Inlet

Cape Dorset

Whale Cove

Rankin Inlet

Coral Harbour

Repulse BayBathurst Inlet

Umingmaktok

Kugluktuk

Baker Lake

Cambridge Bay

Pond Inlet

Hall Beach

Igloolik

Arctic Bay

Grise Fiord

KugaarukGjoa Haven

Taloyoak

Clyde River

Resolute

YELLOWKNIFE

ARCTIC CIRCLE

CERCLE ARCTIQUE

Hackett River

High Lake

Izok LakeGeorge Lake

Goose Lake

Hope Bay - Doris

Meliadine

Kiggavik

Mary River Mine

Coppermine River

Wishbone

Committee BayHood River

Itchen Lake

Ulu

Wishbone Gold

ATLAS

Luxx

Qilalugaq

Nanuq

Amaruq

Greyhound Lake

Kiyuk

Pistol Bay

Aberdeen

Turqavik

Angilak

Agnico-Eagle OptionInuit Owned Lands

Kiggavik North

Kiggavik South

Borden

Storm

West Melville

Chidliak

Qilaq

Mel

Roche Bay

Tuktu

Jericho MineLupin Mine

Nanisivik Mine

Polaris Mine

Meadowbank Mine

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4

7

1

3

6

5

2

, 8

50°W60°W

70°W

70°W

80°W

80°W

90°W

90°W

100°W

100°W

110°W

110°W120°W

70°N

70°N

60°N

60°N

NUNAVUT

20 Kitikmeot Active Projects

18 Kivalliq Active Projects

9 Qikiqtani Active Projects

Projection:Canada Lambert Conformal Conic, NAD 83

0 100 200 30050

Kilometres

• Liaising body between industry, government and communities.

• Promotion of mineral exploration for the territory.

• Education of the mineral exploration industry.

• Several mine training initiatives in conjunction with industry.

• Regulatory body in Nunavut. • Handles all permitting and fees for

work performed. • Land tenure & Map staking initiative. • Assessment reporting. • Mining Recorder’s Office. • Contain all physical and digital

resources for future exploration.

• Liaising body between industry, government and communities.

• Promotion of mineral exploration for the territory.

• Education of the mineral exploration industry.

• Several mine training initiatives in conjunction with industry.

• Regulatory body in Nunavut. • Handles all permitting and fees for

work performed. • Land tenure & Map staking initiative. • Assessment reporting. • Mining Recorder’s Office. • Contain all physical and digital

resources for future exploration.

DEVOLUTION

Prospecting

• Find a place to prospect.

• Research for mineral showings, lapsed properties, mineral trends from adjacent properties. Read Assessment report.

• Go out and take notes and samples.

Research and planning

Bedrock geology maps and government reports - targets are volcanic belts, igneous rocks and economic geology sections.

Assessment reports - have targets that have already been sampled. These reports have known mineral occurrences.

The Mining Sequence

Staking

• Putting up posts outlining your property, and submitting a staking form.

• Initial ‘stake’ is valid for 2 years without work.

• Work must be done each year to keep your claim.

• Before staking: Check out Nunavut Map Viewer.

• Once you have a staked claim, you must submit and assessment report each year.

Mary River: Red areas are active mineral claims and the green areas are active mineral exploration permits.

Geological Mapping & Sampling

• Mapping is a fundamental prospecting activity.

• Take samples of rocks of interest.

• Label rock types identified and your sample locations on a map.

GN image

Trenching & Geochemical Sampling

• The overburden is stripped off to reveal the rock underneath.

• Reveals rock structure and mineralization .

Trenching and cutting in northern Ontario.

Drilling

• Drilling is the most common exploration activity.

• Diamond drilling is most common form.

• Results are most targeted by investors, and can generate future funding for a project.

Drilling

• A drill rig can range from a ‘backpack’ drill (drill down to ~30 m), to large diamond rigs that can drill to depths >2 km.

• Can be drilled vertically or angled to intersect assumed mineralization at the proper angle.


The Mining Sequence

Drilling

• A drill rig can range from a ‘backpack’ drill (drill down to ~30 m), to large diamond rigs that can drill to depths >2 km.

• Consists of a diesel engine, casing, rods, fuel and core materials.

• Can be drilled vertically or angled to intersect assumed mineralization at the proper angle.

• A diamond drill produces drill core.

Universal Drill in the Atacama Desert, Chile

Drill It Log It

Store It

Drilling

• Another common form of drilling is reverse circulation (RC) drilling.

• Involves hammering the rock into sand/dust, and collecting rock ‘chips’ instead of core.

RC Drill at Peregrine Diamonds


The Mining Sequence

Drilling

• With varying sizes of rigs come varying sizes of core.

• Another common form of drilling is reverse circulation (RC) drilling.

• Involves hammering the rock into sand/dust, and collecting rock ‘chips’ instead of core.

• RC rigs can also range from small ‘backpack’ rigs to massive rigs with rod diameters >2 ft.

RC Drill at Peregrine Diamonds

Drilling

• Drilling results are typically inputted into GIS Software.

• Generate a 3D model, showing interpretation of mineralization underground.

Geophysics

• Geophysical surveys search for mineral deposits by measuring physical properties of near-surface rocks.

• Electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic and radioactive properties are measured.

• All the data collected through the various tools of exploration increase the project’s confidence.

• A mine will not be created without the highest level of confidence – a proven resource and reserve.

• The engineering and construction of a mine are completely dependent on the high level of confidence of what will be encountered underground.

Development

• All the mine studies are done, all the reserves have been proven.

• A mine can take anywhere from 3-5 years, depending on the “size” of the mine, ore processing procedures, and the infrastructure.

Meadowbank Mine (Agnico Eagle)

Ore Processing & Production

• Ore processing is what this whole process is all about. Getting the commodity out of the ground and into the market.

• Processing the commodity at the highest rate of efficiency partially determines the mine life.

Baffinland ore heading to Europe.

Diavik Diamond Mine

• Mine reclamation is built into a mine plan (i.e. they can’t build a mine without having the plan and money for reclamation).

• Reclamation processes can begin long before a mine shuts down.

Reclamation & Remediation

North Rankin Nickel Mine (1957-1962)

Right: Barge headed for Polaris Mine (1981-2002) Left: Polaris Mine in 2002

• Reclamation for Polaris began in 2000 – 2 years before the mine closed.

• Most infrastructure was dismantled and shipped to disposal sites. Other infrastructure was buried.

• Environmental monitoring continued to 2011.

Reclamation & Remediation – Polaris Mine

What is an ore deposit?

Naturally occurring large body of economically valuable minerals, as measured by its grade

(value) and tonnage (amount).

Types of Deposits

Gold

• Gold occurrence is dependent on several geological factors, such as host rock type, tectonic setting, etc.

• Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) deposits can yield gold.

• Meadowbank gold Mine hosted in Banded Iron Formation type rocks.

Gold

• Lode gold is a broad type of deposit, however typically refers to gold associated with geological fluid events, resulting in associated quartz and sulphides.

• Placer deposits are those found in streams and lakes.

Photo Courtesty of John Tugak

Iron

• Typically mined out of large swaths of banded iron (BIFs) formations, which represents the largest source of iron in the world.

• Mary River is a special case for iron ore, as the quality of the ore is so high, it does not need additional processing onsite.

Diamonds

• Diamonds deposits are very sought after in Nunavut.

• Deposits have been found in all 3 regions of the territory.

Diamonds

• Found to be associated with deep, ancient volcanic eruptions called kimberlite.

• Kimberlites are often found in clusters, and are mainly found in Archean cratons (rocks older than 2.5 Billion Years old!)

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chidliak_Kimberlite.jpg

Base Metals

• Practical metals, such as copper, nickel and zinc.

• Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) deposits are one of the primary deposit types for many base metals.

• They are typically created in ancient volcanic regions.

Uranium

• Uranium-derived energy is considered to be the cleanest form of non-renewable energy.

• Radioactive uranium is found naturally across the globe, but concentrated deposits are considered rare

• The uraninite extracted from the ground must first be re-concentrated before being used for nuclear energy.

Oil & Gas

• Oil & gas potential in Nunavut is very high.

• Oil is derived from a rock called shale (oil shale), a very fine- grained sedimentary rocks with high organic content.

• Over time, with specific heat and pressure conditions the organic mater in the rock turns into oil or gas.

The Environment Environmental Studies

• Strict environmental regulations are at the forefront of prospecting, exploration and mining throughout Nunavut.

• Companies are required to perform environmental baseline studies and monitoring in order to measure the environmental impact created from their activities.

Nunavut Impact Review Board

• The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) handles environmental and socio-economic assessment for all projects in Nunavut.

• All projects in Nunavut are assessed by NIRB before any permits and/or licences are granted.

Water Usage

• Water usage throughout the territory is closely monitored.

• Exploration companies must apply for water use license before commencing any work.

• The Nunavut Water Board (NWB) regulates the use of water in the territory.

• The Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC) handles a review of land use of projects in Nunavut.

• All projects in Nunavut are screened first via Approved Land Use Plans.

Nunavut Planning Commission

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20070818-0001-strolling_reindeer.jpg

Permitting

• Prospecting license (INAC) :

• Prospecting permit – This is an optional form, meant to hold a piece of ground that you wish to prospect:

• Land Use Permit – Required before bringing in equipment:

• Application to Record Mineral Claims – Required to record any claims which have been staked.

• Statement of Work – Required when you have performed work over your claims: You must perform at least $5/hectare/year.

Land Tenure

Inuit Owned Land & Crown Land

• Inuit Owned Land (IOL) or Crown Land.

• IOL are surface or subsurface rights.

• Surface rights belong to regional Inuit organizations.

• Subsurface (mineral) rights are held by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI).

Inuit Owned Land & Crown Land

To prospect on Crown Land: • Require a Prospecting License

from INAC Mining Recorder’s Office ($5).

To prospect on Inuit Owned Land (IOL): • Must obtain a Land Use Permit

from the local regional Inuit association .

• There is no prospecting fee for beneficiaries working on IOL.

• There is a $250 fee for non-beneficiaries.

Nunavut Prospectors Program Funding Application and Sample Description Sheet

2018 NPP Guide, for assistance.

GN Handout

What Did We Learn?

Introduction to Prospecting - gov.nu.ca · Iron $4.3 Diamonds $8.1 ... ‘backpack’ drill (drill...

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Transcript of Introduction to Prospecting - gov.nu.ca · Iron $4.3 Diamonds $8.1 ... ‘backpack’ drill (drill...