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Saskatchewan Energy and Mines

Saskatchewan Geological Survey

Miscellaneous Report 90-4

Summary of Investigations 1990, Saskatchewan Geological Survey

Printed under the authority of the Minister of Energy and Mines

Although the Department of Energy and Mines has exercised all reasonable care in the compilation, interpretation and production of this report, it is not possible to ensure total ac­curacy, and all persons who rely on the information contained herein do so at their own risk. The Department of Energy and Mines and the Government of Saskatchewan do not accept liabllity for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies that may be included in, or derived from, this report.

Editors

R. Macdonald T.I.I. Sibbald C.T. Harper D.F. Paterson P. Guliov

Production Editors:

C.T. Harper N. Richmond-Johnson

Production Assistants:

J. Bilkhu V. Zeigler R.P. Kydd K.G. Jones

ISSN 0228 5657 Printed by Printco Graphics Inc.

ii Summary of Investigations 1990

Foreword

Preliminary results of the 1990 geoscience program of the Saskatchewan Geological Survey are presented in this publication. Funds for the program were provided from the core budget of Saskatchewan Energy and Mines, from the Public Service Commission's Sum­mer Student Employment Program (SSEP) and from the Saskatchewan Mineral Industry Diversification Program (MIDP), now in its second year. Collectively these funds provided for a level of geoscientific activity equivalent to that of the previous year.

The reports in this volume were produced by staff of the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, or under contract mainly with the Saskatchewan Research Council and the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina, as well as other institutions. The Survey also acknowledges ad­ditional contributions to this volume by these agencies and the Geological Survey of Canada using funds outside of the MIDP.

The main thrust of the geoscience program continued to be focussed on geological map­ping and related studies in selected parts of northern Saskatchewan judged to have the highest potential for development of precious and base-metal deposits. Diversification into other commodities also received priority and studies related to rare-earths, diamonds, high salinity brines and dimension stone were carried out.

Formal negotiations commenced recently regarding a new five-year Canada-Saskatchewan Mineral Development Agreement (MDA-2) effective April 1, 1990. This will place the current year's provincial MIDP under the first year of the agreement and increase federal commit­ments in years two to five of the program.

I wish to thank all of the authors who contributed reports to this volume and gratefully ac­knowledge the efforts of the editorial, cartographic and stenographic staff in maintaining the high standard of publication.

L.S. Beck Executive Director Geology and Mines

November 1990

Saskatchewan Geological Survey iii

iv Summary of Investigations 1990

Contents

Page

Foreword.................................................................................. iii

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Review......................................... . .......................................... ix

Northern Geoscience and Mineral Deposit Studies

location of Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

* Geology of the Snake Rapids Area, Flin Flon Domain (Parts of NTS 63L-9 and -10 ........................................................ K.E. Ashton 4

* New Perspectives on the Amisk Group and Regional Metallogeny, Douglas-Phantom Lakes Area, Northern Saskatchewan ................................. D.J. Thomas 13

North Lake Gold Deposit: A Model for Arenite-hosted Gold .............................. D.J. Thomas 21

* Bedrock Geological Mapping, Mystic Lake - West Arm, Schist Lake Area (Part of NTS 63K-12) ................................................. BA. Reilly 25

* Bedrock Geology, Tulabi-Church Lakes Area: Derivation and Significance of Porphyroclastic Gneisses in the Pelican Window ............................ J.F. Lewry 36

Lithogeochemical Studies in the Flin Flon-Amisk Lake Area .............................. B.R. Watters 44

The Wollaston Group and underlying Archean Basement in Saskatchewan: Subsurface and Bedrock Geological Mapping in 1990 .......... Irvine R. Annes/ey and Catherine Madore 48

U-Pb Sphene/Zircon Geochronological Investigations ...................... G.D. Delaney, L.M. Heaman, S. Kamo, R.R. Parrish, W.L. Slimmon and BA. Reilly 54

Structural Controls on Gold Deposits in the Star Lake and Island Lake Plutons ........................................................... R.G. Roberts 58

* Field Observations on the Corner Lake and Tower East Gold Showings, Byers Fault Area ...............•..•....................•.......... P.L. Schwann 60

Oxygen, U-Pb and Pp-Pb Isotope Systematics in Uraninite from Complex U-Au-PGE Vein-type and Unconformity-type Uranium Deposits in Northern Saskatchewan ....•.....•................. T.K. Kyser, T. Kotzer and T.1.1. Sibbald 64

Reconnaissance Geological Study of the Seabee Gold Deposit, Glennie Domain .....................................................•............ D.J. Schultz 70

* Bedrock Geology and Gold Metallogenesis, Nielsen Lake Area, Tabbernor Fault Zone ............................................................. . K.H.Wilcox 74

Petrogenetic Aspects of the Goldfields Granites, Beaverlodge Area, Saskatchewan .................•.......................................... Edward C. Appleyard 84

Reconnaissance P-T-t Isotope Studies of Hydrothermal Fluids in the Tabbernor Fault Zone, Saskatchewan ................................... . M.P. Fields and R. Kerrich 94

* Metallogenic Environments, Deception Lake Area .................................... Charlie Harper 96

* Rare Earth Element Mineralization in the Athabasca Group - Maw Zone ........•....... D.G. MacDouga/1 103

* Pyatt Lake Pegmatites and Fluoritic Granites, Peter Lake Domain (NTS Area 64E-5) •..............•..•..•.....•............•.. D.G. MacDouga/1 106

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vi

Geochemistry of Miscellaneous Pegmatites in the Wollaston, Peter Lake and Glennie Domains ........ . ..•.. . ......... . ... . .••... . ........... D.G. MacDougall 113

Aeromagnetic Anomaly Ground Check for Kimberlite in the Precambian Shield Area .. . .. .. . .. .... • ••.•..•.• . •.. . .... . ....•... .. . ... . . . . W.L. Slimmon 116

Mineralized Core Collection ..•........... . .. . .. . ........ . .. . ..................... . .. A.J. Gracie 118

Contributed Northern Geoscience Reports

Location of Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • • . . • • . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . 122

The Snowbird Tectonic Zone, Stony Rapids Area, Northern Saskatchewan ....... .... .... .... Simon Hanmer, Shao Chengji, Mark Darrach and Chris Kopf 123

Lithogeochemistry and XRD Mineralogy of the Martin Group and Related Rocks, Greater Beaverlodge Area, Saskatchewan ................ . • ........ David H. Quirt 129

Age of Granitoids from the Flin Flon Domain: An Application of the Single-zircon Pb-evaporation Technique .... .. .... ........... . .. . .... Kevin M. Ansde/1 and T.K. Kyser 136

Rb.Sr Geochronology of the Lodge Bay Granite, a ca. 3.0 Ga Basement in the Beaverlodge Area, Saskatchewan ..... ...... .. .. ... Michael Bikerman, Keith Bell and John Blenkinsop 143

Metasomatic Host-rock Alteration at the Frontier Gold Prospect, Goldfields Area, Saskatchewan ..•.. . ... ... . ...... . .... . ........ . ..... .... . . .... . . . David H. Quirt 146

Fluid History of the Athabasca Basin and its Relation to Uranium Deposits ..... . .. T. Kotzer and T.K. Kyser 153

Site Investigation of a Biogeochemical Gold Anomaly near Wadin Bay, Lac La Ronge . ... ................ . ... ... ... . . . . .. . ...•.. C.E. Dunn and P.L. Schwann 158

Fluid Inclusion, Stable Isotope and Microprobe Data from the Jasper Zone Lode Gold Deposit, La Ronge Domain ...... . .. . .. . .. F. Hrdy, T.K. Kyser and R. T. Kusmirski 163

Petrology of Some Mafic Gneisses, Black Birch Lake, Saskatchewan .. . ...... . S. Orrell and J. Tangeman 166

Petroleum Geology

Location of Projects . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4

Ordovician Hydrocarbon Reservoirs, Herald and Yoeman Formations (Red River), Southeastern Saskatchewan . ••.. ... .. . . ............... .... ... ..... ..... . . ... .•... • .. F.M. Haid/ 176

Seismic Mapping of the Northern Williston Basin ...•... . . ....... . . . .. Chengnan Zhu and Zoltan Hajnal 187

Progress of the Pore Geometry Reservoir Model Study for the Devonian Winnepegosis Member in Southeast Saskatchewan • • ..................•...•...... Melinda Yurkowski 190

Lithogeochemical Study of the Cretaceous in Central Saskatchewan: Preliminary Report • .. . .. . .. ..... . ... . ... . •............ ... ... ..... ..... .. .. ....... .. C.E. Dunn 193

A Paleo-flow Model for a Devonian Winnipegosis Reef, Southeastern Saskatchewan .. .. . ............ . . .. ............ . .. . ........ .. . . .. .. Ning Quiang and D.M. Kent 198

Industrial Minerals

Review of Industrial Mineral Investigations . . ... • ....••.••..•• . . ...... . Paul Guliov and Malcolm Gent 206

Fluid Flow Events in the Elk Point Basin of Western Canada as Recorded in Evaporite Minerals ....... •... . . . ....•.. ..•. .• •.•• D. Chipley, T.K. Kyser and T. Danyluk 211

Stable Isotope Evidence for the Petrogenesis of Carnallite in the Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite Formation, Saskatchewan .... . G.D. Koehler, T.K. Kyser and T. Danyluk 218

Summa,y of Investigations 1990

Computer Modelling Saskatchewan's Coalfields Using an Expert System ......................................... J.D. Hughes and W.J. McDougall 223

Appendices

Titles and Abstracts IO O ••I••••• 0 4 0 0 IO O o o o O O O IO a. 0 .. O • • o o IO O O IO O I• o o o o IO I IO O O O IO o I• o • o o 4 o o I Io I I 239

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Organization Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Staff List ................................................ • ..... . ................ Jnside. back.cover

*Asterisked reports are IICCOITlpanled by maps or sections, as llsled on the tnslde cover of the map package.

Saskatchewan Geological Survey vii

viii Summary of Investigations 1990

Review

During the past year, exploration for metallic minerals in the province, as elsewhere in Canada, has waned sig­nificantly. Uranium and gold exploration levels have been much reduced, although production and test mine developments and advanced exploration continue on a number of properties. Base metals have seen some renewed interest and provide a real opportunity fo< northern exploration, highlighted by the discovery at Mc­llvenna Bay, and the promise of further finds particularly under the feather-edge of Phanerozoic sediments along the eastern Shield margin. Oil and gas exploration has yet to respond significantly to the higher prices en­gendered by the Middle East crisis. Industrial minerals are a reserve yet to reach their full potential; while potash remains the core industrial mineral, such com­modities as clays, dimension stone, high-salinity brines and silica sands have development potential. Meanwhile the diamond exploration play in the province, which commenced in 1988, continues unabated.

Although the Saskatchewan Geological Survey mandate has in the past been seen primarily as relevant to the development of the mineral industry, there is a rapidly growing need for the use of regional geoscientific data in matters of environmental concern. These concerns in­clude not only the particular environment of mining operations, but a growing range of fields including such things as water supply, epidemiology, land use manage­ment, and waste disposal in general. Apart from the basic value of geological mapping and other framework projects, regional geochemical surveys and studies are particularly applicable, and there is expected to be a stronger emphasis on these areas in Mure years.

The northern geoscience program this year has focussed on projects related to gold and particularly base metal exploration. The main emphasis of this pro­gram is to improve the basic geological map of the southeastern part of the Precambrian Shield area, which is currently perceived as having the highest mineral ex­ploration potential (projects 1.03, 1.04A, 1.05, 1.06 and 2.05). Understanding of the geological framework of the north is being supported by other studies including lithogeochemistry, geochronology, isotope geology etc. (1.07, 1.08, 1.09 and 2.09; see also A to D and Jon

Saskatchewan Geological Survey

pages ix). A diversity of mineral deposit studies are also in progress in the Precambrian Shield region; on gold (1.048, 2.01A and B, 2.02, 2.04, 2.06, 2.07; E and H), base metals (2.08 and 2.10), uranium (F), polymetallic uranium + gold + PGE (2.03) and rare metals (2.11 ).

In 1989 a program aimed at stimulating and assisting the diamond exploration play in the province was com­menced, and was continued this year (1.11, 3.02A and 4.04). There are indications that many new kimberlite pipes have been found in the Phanerozoic region of the province, although at this time no diamonds of economic dimension have been reported.

The Saskatchewan Geological Survey embarked this year on a pilot study in the Glennie Domain which will permit us to process and enhance regional geophysical and other regional numeric data using All/CAD software (1.10). During the past year substantial funds were also dedicated to upgrading microcomputer sys­tems. Several database files have been published and are being made available in microcomputer formats. These include the Assessment W0<k Catalogues, Mineralized Core Collection Inventory (2.12), Mineral Deposits Inventory, Saskatchewan Precambrian Bibliog­raphy, and the Geochronology File. Internal map produc­tion methods are also being computerized through the acquisition of new software, and preliminary planning is in hand towards establishing Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

This year a number of ongoing projects are not reported in the Summary, generally because full final reports are in preparation or press, e.g. Malcolm Gent's report on Phanerozoic Anomalies of Saskatchewan, and Gary Delaney's report on Glennie Gold Deposit Environ­ments. Also during this year several final reports are due to be published on projects emanating from the 1984-88 Mineral Development Agreement. These will include reports by Dave Thomas and Charlie Harper which sum­marize the the Geology of the Central Metavolcanic Belt, with coloured maps at 1 :50,000 scale. A similar report by Gary Delaney will be published with a coloured geological map at 1 :50,000 scale for the laonil-Uskik lakes area.

ix