Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. - at home in North America Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. | Contact Us | Join Our Email List | Home |  Disclaimer 
 
 
 
 
 
Globex Properties

Kelly Lake - Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd, Co, Rh
Blondeau Township, Quebec (31M/07)

Updated December 2019

Summary
The Kelly Lake property, located 13km WSW of Belleterre Quebec, contains a Cu–Ni deposit with 1.4 million tonnes of 0.7% Cu, 0.7 Ni, 1/3 g/t Pt+Pd and a potential for minor amounts of Co and Rh.  Though these reserves are 43-101 non-compliant and historic in nature, 98 holes intersected mineralization that resulted in blocking off a sulphide body.  Dimensions and attitude of the body are approximately 150m long, 10m thick, 335m deep, with a steep westerly rake and open to depth.  Though the PGE content was not rigorously studied, intersections as wide as 7.93 m (true width) grading 4.80 g/t Pt were encountered.  Most PGE values obtained vary between 0.5 to 1.0 g/t Pt + Pd.  Also of interest, is a 1.4km long HEM conductor that has the deposit in its center.  This target, as well as the property in general, require deep EM testing with corresponding follow-up drilling. 

Several feasibility - metallurgical studies were preformed and it was thought, the impediment to an economic deposit was not discovery of more sulphide mineralization, but a better mineral processing technique.  Complex mineralogy resulted in recoveries no greater than 60%.  However, in 1998 a bacterial oxidation processes was used and recoveries of Cu-Ni-PGE increased to +90%, with Co being 61%. 

Location – Access – Claim Description
The Kelly Lake Property is located in the Blondeau Township, Timiskaming region of Quebec, Canada, in SNRC:  31M/07.  It can be accessed by travelling 44km East of Ville-Marie on highway 382, then taking the Lorraine Mine road and later, 6km of bush roads (Figure 1).  Globex Mining owns 100% of 6 map staked claims (350 ha) and the deposit is located in the center of the main block.

 

History and Development
First recorded exploration activity occurs in 1935 where a gold rush lead to the discovery of the Belleterre mine.  Several trenches were made and the main sulphide body of Kelly Lake was exposed, but low gold values resulted in an end to work. 

In 1948, the Radisacs-Storiseude Syndicate acquired the property for its copper nickel potential.  Several trenches were dug and the main zone was exposed over 30m.  As a result of this encouragement they drilled 2 holes of 30m each.  Hole R1 appears to have had no mineralization but hole R2 intersected 7.93m true width of massive sulphide.  The grade of this massive sulphide was 0.43% Cu, 0.89% Ni and 4.80 g/t Pt.

The property was then optioned to Sapphire Petroleum and in 1952, 11 holes were drilled.  Though 7 of the 11 holes intersected massive sulphide that had an average grade of 0.54% Cu and 0.60% Ni over a true width of 7.16m, they optioned off the claims to Jellicoe Mines in 1953.  Jellico completed some geophysics and drilled 19 holes but assays were considered low so again work was discontinued.  Later that same year, the property was acquired by Conrego Nickel Mines.

In 1956 Conrego launched, what was to become, the largest exploration program on the property.  It consisted of ground and airborne magnetic, isolated HEM and 107 drill holes resulting in 16,750m (55,000 ft) of core.  This amount of drilling represents 89% of all holes on the property to date.

As a result of this effort, 3 ore reserve estimations were performed.  The first ore reserve was compiled by Wilson in 1957.  He outlined the deposit from surface to 267m allowing for 10% dilution and came up with 1,323,636 tonnes grading 0.65% Cu and 0.59% Ni.  In 1964, Kerr estimated the resource to be 1,243,000 tonnes grading 0.73% Cu and 0.67% Ni to the 335m depth.  In 1971, Kish estimated the deposit to be 1,133,250 tonnes grading 1.4% combined Cu-Ni. 

During the period between 1957 and 1964, at least 3 feasibility and metallurgical studies were completed, but unfortunately not all the data is available.  What is evident however is that the ore is complex and recoveries do not exceed 60%. 

In 1968 Conrego Nickel Mines was acquired by Kelly Lake Nickel Mines and in 1969 a metallurgical drilling program was launched.  A test sample of 2,800kg was collected from 4 HQ drill holes containing 206 m of mineralization.  The average grade was 0.63% Cu, 0.77% Ni, 0.05% Co, 4.10 g/t Ag, 0.10 g/t Au, 0.99 g/t Pt+Pd, and 0.03 g/t Rh.  Because of the larger diameter core, it is considered this composite sample is more representative of the true tenor of the deposit, than previous sampling.  Of interest in this drilling campaign, is the intersection of 4.83 g/t PGE over 2.5m in K-3H-69.

Once again companies reorganized and in 1990, Moneta Porcupine Mines drilled 4 NQ sized holes into the body in an attempt to better determine the metallurgy.  The average grade this time was 0.56% Cu, 0.66% Ni, 0.05 Co, 0.69 g/t Pt, 0.55 g/t Pd and 3.6 g/t Ag.  However the problem was low Ni recovery at 46%. 

Moneta persisted and in 1998, submitted 10kg of the 1990 material to be tested using bacterial oxidation.  Results this time were spectacular.  It was demonstrated that a +90% recovery was possible for the metals and 61% for Co.

In 2001 the property was compiled by J.D. Charlton for Exploration Tom and Exploration Loubel.  A cross-section of the body at L3030E, clearly showed the thickness, grade and continuity of mineralization (Figure 2).  When isocontours of Cu+Ni times thickness are drawn in a longitudinal section of the mineralized body (Figure 3), one can see a higher grade-thickness core steeply plunging to the west.  Mr. Charlton determined the historic mineral resource to be 1,400,000 tonnes grading 0.7% Cu, 0.7% Cu with potential Pt and Pd grades being 0.7 - 0.6 g/t respectively, with the mineralization open beyond the current depth of 335m. 

In 2002 Tom and Exploration Loubel drilled 7 BQ sized holes into the main mineralized body.  Individual drill hole element assays of up to 2.87% Cu, 1.80% Ni, 0.08% Co, 1.12 g/t Pt, 0.67 g/t Pd, 11.0 g/t Ag and 0.38 g/t Au were reported in drill holes K-02-117 and 122.

Geology
The Kelly Lake Property is located in the southern part of the Belleterre-Angliers Archean volcano-sedimentary greenstone belt (Figure 4).  This belt has 3 groups known as Baby, Lac des Bois and Belleterre.  The property is situated in the eastern portion of the Lac des Bois group, which is tholeiitic in nature.  Rocks underlying the property are E-W to ENE-WSW striking series of primarily tholeiitic basalt with secondary calc-alcaline volcanic rocks.  Several gabbroic to dioritic intrusive bodies noted.

The Kelly Lake deposit is intimately associated with gabbroic intrusive rocks and rhyolite.  Principal sulphide mineralogy consists of pyrrhotite, pyrite, pentlandite (violarite) and chalcopyrite.  The bulk of the sulphide mineralization is contained in the gabbro intrusive.  Primary textures of sulphides are noted within the gabbro, as mineralization change from disseminated, to patches which then increase in concentration to become massive as the felsic volcanic contact is approached.  No significant evidence of remobilization has been noted through this zone.  In general, the more massive mineralization is, the higher the grade.  This is especially true for PGE mineralization, which is found solely within massive sections.  This is consistent with primary magmatic mineralization features and an absence of remobilization. 

Conclusion
The Kelly Lake Property contains a historic Cu-Ni resource estimated to be 1,400,000 tonnes grading 0.7% Cu, 0.7% Ni, 1/3 g/t Pt+Pd and a potential for minor amounts of Co and Rh.  Past explorers agree the deposit is open at depth but the problem to economic profitability is not more mineralization but a better metal extraction technique.  To this end, a bacterial oxidation process appears to provide a viable alternative as it was able to extract +90% of the metals. 

In order to understand if this deposit could be economic, several things must happen:  1) deep penetrating geophysics must be performed on the property, with attention to the deposit;  2) a comprehensive drill program that both extends the deposit to depth and explores new targets;  and 3) a new bulk sample must be taken so bioleaching processes can be explored as viable metal extraction techniques.

Kelly Lake Geology map 2017

 

 

Kelly Lake Long Section

 

Click to read: Third-Party VTEM Data Confirms Massive Sulphide Conductors

Click to read: Is Rhodium Pulling A Thelma & Louise On Us?

click here to view property locations
Globex Mining Quick Links

 

 


 

Press releases related to this property

 

April 12, 2017
Globex Acquires Kelly Lake Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium, Cobalt, Rhodium Project in Quebec
(English) | (Deutsch) | (Français) |

 


 

Partner News related to this property

 

No related Partner News found.

 
   
 
© Copyright 2022 Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved | Admin | Privacy | Terms of Use |  Disclaimer  |