Tyrone

Regional Settings

The property is located in the oriental section of the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield, in the La Grande Subprovince, bounded to the north by the gneisses and plutonic intrusions of the Minto Subprovince and to the south by the metasediments and plutonic intrusions of the Opinaca Subprovince. The Minto is intrusive in the La Grande sequences (RG 2001-13). In the property area, the Minto Subprovince is composed of quartz-monzodiorite of both Radisson Pluto and Salleneuve Suite (RG 2011-05), while the Opinaca is represented by metamorphosed wackes, mudrocks and paragneisses of the Laguiche Complex (RG 2000-10).

The La Grande Subprovince represents a volcanic-plutonic complex comprising Archean tonalitic basement (3.36 to 2.79 Ga), and the volcano-sedimentary bands of the La Grande River and the Lower Eastmain River (RG 2001-13 ; MB 97-30 ; MB 96-04 ; MM 94-01). These bands are characterized by the presence of ancient volcanic rocks (2,880 to 2,820 Ma) and younger volcano-sedimentary sequences (2,732 Ma). They are intruded by synvolcanic, syntectonic and late-tectonic intrusions of felsic to ultramafic composition.

According to Hocq (MM 94-01), the boundary between the Opinaca and La Grande generally corresponds to regional shear zones injected by tonalitic and granodioritic intrusions. This boundary is also characterized by an abrupt change in the metamorphic grade from middle amphibolite in the La Grande to upper amphibolite or granulite in the Opinaca.

The structural style of the region is complex. It results from the superposition of ancient ductile deformation affecting the gneisses prior to the emplacement of the volcano-sedimentary sequence, polyphase tectonics comprising kilometres of faults and folds affecting the volcano-sedimentary sequence, and a phase of folding into domes and basins (RG 2001-13).

Three (3) generations of proterozoic diabase swarms aged 2.07 to 2.5 Ga intruded the Archean rocks of the area. Mistassini dykes are NNW-oriented, Senneterre dykes are NNE-oriented and Lac Esprit dykes are N- to NE-oriented (RG 2001-13).

Eade (1966) defined the Sakami Formation to refer to several isolated patches of sedimentary rocks lying unconformably on Archean rocks in the Superior Province. These flaps are generally associated with half-grabens and grabens bordered by brittle faults (GM37017). The sedimentary rocks of the Sakami Formation form subhorizontal benches (dipping E, SE or SSE from ~15 to 40°) resting in erosional unconformity or fault contact on Archean rocks of the La Grande Subprovince and southern Minto Subprovince (RG 184; DPV 730; RG 99-06; RG 2001-13; RG 2000-10; RG 2002-11; RG 2011-01; RG 2015-02). Proterozoic-age faults that bound the sedimentary basins of the Sakami Formation continue within Archean units (RG 2011-01). Based on cross-referencing with Neoarchean (Mistassini Dyke Swarm) and Paleoproterozoic (Senneterre Dykes, Lac Esprit Dykes) diabase dykes, Goutier et al. (RG 2001-13) estimated an age between 2,510 Ma and 2,216 Ma. Goutier et al. (RG 2000-10) calculated a maximum thickness of 1,500 m for this unit.

Property Geology

The Tyrone property lies in the central part of the Yasinski Group volcanic-sedimentary belt of the La Grande Subprovince. This sequence is dominated by mafic metavolcanics with few detrital metasediments and lenticular iron formations. These metavolcanics are essentially composed of massive, pillowed andesitic-basaltic flows of tholeiitic affinity, generally chloritized and amphibolitized. Some oxide iron formations and intermediate pyroclastic flows are locally observed in concordance within the mafic volcanics. Several gabbroic sills and porphyritic diorite dykes have been injected into this volcanic pile.

In the north part of the property, the Sakami Formation lies in a NE-oriented sedimentary basin bordered with normal faults. On the Tyrone property, rocks of the Sakami Formation are composed of quartzitic arenite with local presence of coarse to conglomeratic white sandstone (RG 2000-10; GM37017).

Lenses of sediments of the Ekomiak Formation are also mapped within volcanics of the Yasinki in the property area. The Ekomiak consists of clastic rocks (wacke and conglomerates) associated with fluvial or alluvial environment (BG 2019-05).

This volcano-sedimentary band has undergone an arcuate inflection against a large tonalitic pluton (Duncan Intrusion). This inflection is accommodated by NW-SE-trending shears, parallel to the contact of the pluton with the volcano-sedimentary band, the main ones being the Chain Lake shear to the south and the Tupper fault to the north (GM72274). The latter has been described as a southwest-verging reverse fault, and several showings on the property appear to align with it.

The Duncan intrusion is mapped both SW and NE of the Tyrone property and essentially consists in massive to foliated biotite ± hornblende tonalite which is distinguished from the tonalites of the Langelier Complex by a more homogeneous petrographic structure and less deformation (RG 98-09). The Langelier Complex represents the oldest rocks in the La Grande Subprovince. In the area of the property, the Langelier Complex is represented by foliated tonalite and granodiorite with local gneissic textures.

The main structure described on the property is the ESE-trending Chain Lake syncline, which dips to the south and plunges to the NW (GM55561).

Metamorphism in rocks of the Tyrone property is at the greenschists to lower amphibolitic grade so that volcanic textures are locally well-preserved (RG 2001-13).

Regional Metallogeny

Up to nine (9) types of mineralization are recognized in the region (RG 2001-13): 1) Algoma-type iron formation volcanogenic mineralization ; 2) Cu-Ag ± Au mineralization in tuffs or wackes and their metamorphosed equivalents their metamorphosed equivalents ; 3) stratabound gold mineralization associated with iron formations ; 4) Cu-Ag ± Au vein mineralization ; 5) gold mineralization associated with deformation zones ; 6) magmatic Cr mineralization ; 7) vein-type uranium mineralization (Proterozoic) and 8) polymetallic mineralization (Proterozoic).

Property Mineralization

The property is recognized by the presence of several gold and base metal showings, some of which are associated with mafic metavolcanites and others with oxide iron formations. These gold mineralizations can be grouped into 3 different types:

• Volcanogenic sulfides with pyrite and chalcopyrite inter-pillows and/or disseminated in altered metavolcanites such as the Baie, Baie Nord 2, PH and the six Tyrone showings 1 to 6. To date, this type of mineralization has not yielded economic gold values.

• Lode-type mineralization with quartz-tourmaline veins associated with pyrite-chalcopyrite-hematite sulfides returned good gold values in grab samples from schistose mafic metavolcanics. This includes the Baie Nord showing (8 g/t Au, 28.9 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu), Baie Nord 3 (10.2 g/t Au, 0.9 g/t Ag, 0.3% Cu), PH (13.8 g/t Au) and Tyrone 1 showings (14.0 g/t Au, 4.7 g/t Au; 12.2 g/t Au, 4.3% Cu), Tyrone 2 (4.4 g/t Au, 107 g/t Ag, 1.2% Cu), Tyrone 3 (0.6 g/t Au, 7.9 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu), Tyrone 4 (2,0 g/t Au, 5.4 g/t Ag, 0.5% Cu), Tyrone 5 (4.3 g/t Au, 29 g/t Ag, 1.98% Cu) and Tyrone 6 (20.6 g/t Au, 89.5 g/t Ag and 11.6% Cu; 21.0 g/t Au). The six (6) Tyrone showings #1 to #6 and the PH showing show two styles of mineralization, syngenetic volcanogenic and epigenetic veinlet.

• Lode-type with gold mineralization both in magnetic sulphide bands (1-3% pyrite and 1-2% arsenopyrite) and at the edges of stratiform quartz veins in sheared and/or folded oxide iron formations in contact with schistose basalts. There appears to be a positive correlation between high arsenopyrite grades and the gold values returned on grab samples. This mineralization style is observed on the Chiskabish West (4 g/t Au) and East (12.0 g/t Au; 6.2 g/t Au 4.0 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Au / 1.5 m) showings.