Little Bay Area Background
The Little bay area properties are staked over geology similar to that encountered at 32 mines developed in the Notre Dame bay area of Newfoundland and Labrador over the years. The Notre Dame Bay area is classified as being part of the Northwestern Dunnage tectonic zone.
Newfoundland Notre Dame Bay Ophiolitic volcanic-hosted environments are found predominantly within the sheeted dyke and overlying pillow lava components of the ophiolite complexes, most of which contain geochemical evidence for a supra-subduction zone setting. Deposits of this environment are concentrated in the Betts Cove complex and Lushs Bight Group where they are characterized by simple chalcopyrite–pyrite± sphalerite mineralization of the so-called “Cyprus type”. Mineralization forms stringer and stockwork zones, and massive lenses. Historically, Gold has been recovered as a by-product of copper mining in the region. With the exception of zinc and small amounts is silver, other metals were generally absent.Deposits are typically ellipsoidal and strongly deformed. Many are associated with high-magnesium basalts (boninites) and some also seem to favor the sheeted dyke–pillow lava contact or specific horizons within the pillow lavas. Chlorite schist is a common host rock and probably represents deformed hydrothermal alteration pipes. Notable early producers were Tilt Cove, Betts Cove, Terra Nova and Little Bay, followed in the 1960s by Whalesback and Little Deer.
These mines, together with other smaller and short-lived operations produced a total of 280, 000 tonnes of copper during their life. Tilt Cove was the largest deposit of its type in the Appalachian belt, having produced about 8 million tonnes of ore at grades that varied from 4 to 6% in its early days, to 2% in its later period. Over 100 mineral occurrences exist within the northwestern Dunnage Zone, making this one of the most richly mineralized parts of the island of Newfoundland.
Little Bay Properties
The properties are located near the communities of Little Bay and Beachside on the Little Bay and Halls Bay Peninsulas and on Other Island in Notre Dame Bay. Part of the properties are located 2.5 kilometres north east of the past producing Little Bay copper mine and related deposits. The Little Bay mine is located a short distance southwest of the town of Little Bay
Little bay area property - location of claimsA total of 11 mineral occurrences exist within the boundaries of the properties. The occurrences are of gold and copper. Copper grades up to 5.16%, gold up to 10.4 g/t and silver up to 2.5 g/t have been reported. A copper grade of 3.86 % was recorded in assays of ore from a 19 foot deep old shaft labeled as the Indian beach copper prospect. 1 - 2 tons of ore from the past working are said to be still piled near the shaft. The best copper grade of 5.16% was recorded is assays from test pits at the Other Island occurrences.
The highest gold grade of 10.4 g/t is recorded in assays from a 20 cm chip sample taken in an old test pit at the Otter island occurrences. This same chip sample also assayed 2.22% copper. Three other samples taken within the general area of the old test pits returned Cu values in the range of 1.78% to 5.16% and another sample returned 3.03% Cu.
A Phase 1 program will be carried out in 2010 consisting of geological mapping, geochemistry and prospecting.
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