Rouyn Merger

The Rouyn-Merger property is set on the contact between the Abitibi and Pontiac subprovinces represented by the Cadillac-Larder Lake (CLL) fault. The CLL is the major regional feature of the area; numerous showings and deposits have been uncovered along this prolific structure in both Quebec and Ontario provinces. In the area of the property, the CLL separates volcanic rocks of the Blake River Group (BRG) in the north and metasediments of the Timiskaming and Pontiac Groups in the south. Regional metamorphism is at the greenschists grade and locally reaches the lower amphibolite grade around large Archean intrusions. All Archean rocks of this area have been verticalized during the Kenorean orogenesis that occurred about 2.5 billion years ago. Proterozoic diabase swarms cut through every Archean rocks.

The Rouyn-Merger property includes the Blake River Group volcanics in the north of the property, the Timiskaming Group sediments in the south, the Cadillac Group in the east, and the Pontiac Group in the south. The Davidson Creek Fault crosses the Rouyn-Merger property in a NE-SW orientation.

Stratigraphy is generally E-W dipping north or south between -60° and -85°. Late NE and NW fractures and E-W shear zones are also present on the property and in the vicinity (GM 52670). Numerous quartz veins cut through the Timiskaming sediments and traces to 2% pyrite and arsenopyrite can be observed locally (GM 53662).

The Abitibi Greenstone Belt hosts several world-class deposits and has produced more than 210 Moz Au historically (Dubé and Mercier-Langevin, 2019), which makes it one of the largest and richest greenstone belts in the world. The Larder Lake – Cadillac fault is one of the major gold mineralizing structures in the Abitibi Sub-province, host to numerous deposits > 100t Au (Kirkland Lake, Kerr-Addison, Sigma-Lamaque, Malartic…).

The Blake River Group is associated with VMS deposits of the Noranda Mining Camp, some of which being world-class ones (Horne : 54Mt @ 2.2% Cu, 6.1 g/t Au and 13 g/t Ag ; Waite Amulet : 9.7Mt @ 4.2% Cu, 3.6% Zn, 0.9 g/t Au and 28 g/t Ag), and of the Doyon-Bousquet-LaRonde (DBL) Mining Camp (cumulative production at the end of 2005 : 67Mt @ 5.67 g/t Au (12.3 Moz Au) with the LaRonde Complex still producing at the present date. Source : Chartrand and Cattalani, 1990.

The Rouyn-Merger property hosts numerous gold showings and former mines whose production dates back to the 1930’s-1940’s. Mineralization is vein-type and consists of gold, pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, scheelite, and galena in quartz-carbonate-tourmaline veins cutting through sedimentary rocks of the Cadillac Group and mafic rocks of the Blake River Group (GM 64293). The host rocks are silicified and carbonated schists. Historical production data are shown in the geology map below.

Many gold mineralization, including the former Astoria, Granada, Heva and Hosco mines, are also associated with the Timiskaming Group east and west of the property. Free orogenic gold is observed on the edges of smoky quartz veins mineralized with fine pyrite and arsenopyrite, inside faults and shear zones affecting the Timiskaming sediments. Strong silica-chlorite-carbonate alteration is commonly observed around mineralized zones.