Overview
Mink’s Montcalm project is lcoated adjacent to Glencore’s historical Montcalm Mine, 65 km northwest of Timmins, Ontario. The Montcalm Mine had historical production of approximately 3.93 million tonnes of ore grading 1.25% Ni, 0.67% Cu and 0.051% Co. (Ontario Geological Survey, Atkinson, 2010).
Mink’s claims cover very prospective geology including approximately 10 km2 of the gabbro phase of the Montcalm gabbro complex. The gabbro phase of the complex hosted the former Montcalm Mine (see Figure 1 – light blue unit). Despite a number of historical exploration programs there has been relatively limited drill testing of Mink’s 40 km2 property. To date the drill density over the entire property is approximately one hole per square kilometer.
Mink’s limited exploration program to date has demonstrated that the usage of both borehole IP and surface ground IP are cost-effective tools in developing new potential base metal targets. As a result, Mink intends to continue both surface ground IP in the South Target Area and further borehole IP in the Hook Zone and follow with further diamond drilling.
Significant advances in IP geophysical technology have enabled deeper penetrating systems with incredible clarity. The new IP systems allow for the production of 3D geophysical models of mineralized zones. Mink is benefitting from the work of previous operators who left numerous EM targets unexplained or untested in historical holes; these holes can now be probed with the new borehole IP technology. Borehole IP systems now have the capability to see a 250-meter radius around a borehole and significantly below the end of the drill hole, which is an extremely cost-effective way of evaluating both disseminated and more massive targets at depth. The deepest known nickel copper cobalt lenses at the Montcalm Mine are known to extend from approximately 250 to 400 meters vertical depth, which is well beyond the capability of many older surface EM systems.
Further, historical work at the Glencore mine site demonstrated that in addition to the higher-grade Ni Cu Co lenses at the mine, there is potential for disseminated mineralization. In some instances, this type of mineralization is associated with a magnetic high and no coincident electromagnetic (EM) response (ex. Hole MAC9731 (see Figure 2). Numerous magnetic targets of this nature are present on Mink’s claims both within the Hook Zone and across the South Target Area of the property representing valid exploration targets.
The recent surface IP survey in the South Target Area outlined a number of previously undetected anomalies proximal to strong magnetic responses. This test case of IP surveying proximal to magnetic anomalies demonstrates a reliable technique for outlining new targets possibly representing potential new zones of mineralization. Both disseminated and/or stringer mineralization as well as massive mineralization responds well to IP surveying and Mink’s new technology approach in this area utilizing both borehole IP and surface IP surveys rather than EM has proven successful in generating significant new targets. A good example of this is shown in Figure 4 where three flight lines from a historical EM survey were flown directly over the newly outlined SW IP Anomaly 1. Without the usage of ground IP this high priority target would have remained undetected.