Joutel Copper Mine
Location, Access, Description
The Joutel Copper Mine property consists of 28 mining claims totalling 862Ha in the heart of Joutel Mining Camp (NTS 32E07), 100km to the north of Amos (Abitibi, Qc). The claims are wholly owned by Globex and are not subject to any underlying royalties or third party interests.
Topography is quite flat and locally swampy with elevations of 280 to 300m high, except from the center of the property where elevations reach 340m on the top of a hill. The entire property is covered with boreal forest. Numerous outcrops can be observed on the center hill and southern edge of the property.
The property is easily accessible by Provincial Road 109 which links Amos to Matagami. At kilometer 157, the Authier-Nord-Joutel road then leads to the property toward west. A dense network of exploration trails allows to move easily in VTT within the property.
Geology and Mineralization
The Joutel mining camp is located in the western part of the Northern Volcanic Zone of the Abitibi Subprovince of Canadian shield. Regional geology of the Joutel area is composed of a N-S homoclinal series of bimodal volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks with polarity toward east (Legault and al., MB2000-10). All these rocks are SE-oriented and were verticalized and metamorphosed to the greenschists / amphibolite facies after three major tectonic events during Archean and Paleoproterozoic.
Rocks of the Joutel Copper property consist of NW-SE oriented felsic to intermediate volcanics and tuffs alternating with gabbro sills. The Kakinogama shear zone crosses the entire property from NW to SE corners and the McClure-Plamondon anticline crosses the southwestern part of the Joutel Copper property. Numerous gold and base metals deposits are present along the McClure-Plamondon axis at a regional scale. The property is surrounded by both synvolcanic Mistaouac Pluton and Valrennes mafic Complex to the west, and by the syntectonic Marest Pluton to the east. The Joutel tonalite of limited extension lies immediately west of the property and cuts the Joutel deposit at depth.
Joutel Mine is a Noranda type SMV that produced 1,45 Mtons of ore grading 2.40% Cu, 2.90% Zn and 17.15g/t Ag between 1967 and 1975 (Sigeom). It was mined down to about 325 meters before the deposit is cut by a so-called “batholith” that actually refers to the Joutel tonalite which was later characterized as a series of sills and dikes rather than a batholith (MB2000-10). This observation is capital as sills widths are usually much lower than that of batholiths so that mining exploration could still be possible below.
History
Mining exploration in the Joutel mining camp began in 1958, when Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Limited carried out an airborne geophysical survey. Between 1959 and 1991, a total of 28,105 meters of holes were drilled, spread over 154 holes.
Between 1967 and 1975 the Joutel Copper Mine produced 1,45 Mtons of ore grading 2.40% Cu, 2.90% Zn and 17.15g/t Ag.
Little Exploration work was undertaken after the mine closure. Thus, between 1979 and 1981, SOQUEM undertook some work, including 4 surveys totalling 1,205 meters. Between 1991 and 1994, Aur Resources Inc. carried out ground geophysical surveys, geological surveys and finally diamond drilling to investigate the strongest electromagnetic conductors. A total of 5,125 meters of core were drilled leading to the discovery of a 18 meters massive sulphide zone which returned 1.49% Zn over 3.96 meters.
Between 2013 and 2019, Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. carried out limited geological mapping, grab sampling and ground electromagnetic survey in order to investigate the massive pyrite zinc-enriched zone. Limited drilling was recommended but not done yet.
Resources and Potential
At the Joutel mine closure, historical resource was estimated to 34,000 tons @ 1.80% Cu and 27,000 tons @ 6.10% Zn (Sigéom). However that resource could possibly be strongly increased if the width of the Joutel tonalite appeared to be limited so that the deposit could be still intact at depth. A vertical DDH started from the Joutel Mine should therefore be done to figure out the width of the sill(s) and probe for volcanics below it and possibly sulphides. Down hole geophysics should also test for any anomalous readings in the area of the hole that could indicate sulphides.
In 1994, following a compilation of historical drilling data, Aur Resources Inc. estimated a non NI 43-101 compliant resource of 242,800 tonnes grading 10.37% Zn on the west zone, a new massive sulphide lense they discovered by drilling (Martin and al., 1994 – Internal report of Aur Resources).