The 56865ha Knife Lake Property is located 136 km northwest of Flin Flon, Manitoba and 180 km northeast of La Ronge, Saskatchewan, it is accessible by float or ski-equipped plane from these centers. A winter road between the communities of Sandy Bay and Southend crosses the property providing seasonal access for tracked vehicles and a hydro power transmission line exists 8 km to the south of the property.
The claims are 100% owned by Eagle Plains with no underlying royalties or encumbrances with the exception of two mineral claims that carry a 1% NSR.
Project Highlights
- Host to shallow VMS mineralization with an NI 43-101 compliant resource and potential for structural repeats
- Excellent regional geology highly prospective for VMS mineralization
- Untested regional geophysical targets with potential for VMS style mineralization
- Significantly underexplored region with encouraging early results
- High-voltage Hydro Transmission line located 8km south of property
Geology
Knife Lake lies within the Scimitar Complex, a structural domain within what is generally known as the Churchill Structural Province of the Canadian Shield. The Churchill Province is lower Proterozoic (Aphebian) in age. The Scimitar Complex is a highly deformed, multiply-folded terrane dominated by middle to upper amphibolite facies, hornblende-biotite-plagioclase-quartz gneisses of generally intermediate composition and gneissic felsic intrusives. The lithologies have been divided into gneissic granodiorites and subordinate metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks and frequently exhibit pegmatitic textures due to partial melting of up to 30 percent of the rock, in the case of granodioritic rocks and calcic wackes. Crosscutting, late granitic pegmatites are also noted. Due to the metamorphic grade, original sedimentary and/or volcanic textures and structures, other than gross lithologic layering, are rare.
The area northeast and east of both Scimitar and Pistol lakes is underlain by the western extensions of the sedimentary Kisseyney gneiss belt dominated by psammitic and pelitic gneisses. The region underwent upper amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism. The metavolcanic rocks of the Glennie Domain range from rare rhyolitic through common dacitic and andesitic compositions to less common basaltic rocks. The intermediate to mafic rocks are medium to coarse grained and contain invariably black amphibole. The felsic, dacitic to rhyolitic members tend to be medium to fine grained with dominant feldspar, quartz and only minor biotite and hornblende. Younger monzodioritic intrusive rocks are ubiquitous throughout the region. The Kisseynew sedimentary gneisses are characterized by medium to coarse grained quartz-feldspar-biotite gneiss with variable contents of hornblende; 1-3% flaky graphite is common in many sedimentary gneisses in the region. In the project area, thrusting occurred from east to west and strata dip generally east and trend north to northeast.
Two, and most probably between three and five deformation events, with associated folding, affected the Scimitar Complex. Most of the folds are large scale with amplitudes and wavelengths in the order of 2 to 10 km. Minor folds are present, but not common, refolding other small scale folds.
The region between Scimitar Lake and Gilbert Lake shows a refolded syncline-anticline pattern. If one extrapolates from the Knife Lake deposit and follows the structural trend around the refolded synforms and antiforms, several areas stand out as likely hosts of Knife Lake horizon volcanic rocks.
History
The first regional mapping work, known to have been completed in the Churchill River-Flin Flon area, occurred in 1896. It was nearly twenty years before prospecting activity began which resulted in the discovery of the Prince Albert Gold Mine in the Amisk Lake area and two years later the gold/copper Flin Flon Mine. Several additional gold and base-metal deposits were discovered in the region in the ensuing years.
In the late 1950's to early 1970's a second phase of exploration activity occurred, focussing on base-metals and in part, as a result of advances in geophysical technology.
In the early 1980's, shortly after the sharp rise is gold prices, active precious-metal exploration commenced with the most significant discovery being the Seabee gold deposit about 58 km SW of Knife Lake.
In the immediate Knife Lake area, government geological surveys were conducted in 1930, 1956, 1971 and 1996.
The earliest known work in the immediate Knife Lake area is from 1968 to 1972. During this period Straus Exploration conducted an extensive program including ground-based geophysical surveys, geochemical soil sampling, geological mapping, trenching and diamond drilling, over a gossanous copper-gold showing on the western shore of Knife Lake. An 87 hole diamond drill program totalling 8,484 m delineated the Knife Lake deposit. A mining lease was taken out covering the copper showing and surrounding geochemical anomaly.
The Knife Lake copper showing remained largely inactive until 1989 with the exception of an airborne geophysical survey conducted by Hudson Bay along with some mapping between 1980 and 1983 after which the property was allowed to lapse.
In 1989, CopperQuest acquired the project and conducted two geophysical surveys over the copper prospect. These surveys were designed to, and were successful in, identifying three areas where the copper mineralization may have been thickened due to folding. These areas and three other conductive zones outside of the immediate copper prospect area were recommended for drilling but none was carried out.
In 1996, Leader optioned the mining leases and over the next three years completed an extensive exploration program consisting of airborne and ground-based geophysical surveys, prospecting, geochemical surveys, satellite imagery analysis and diamond drilling. The result of this and previous work totalling over 26,000m of diamond drilling in over 300 holes outlined mineralization over 4,300 m strike and to a depth of 100 m. A drill indicated resource* (Non 43-101) was calculated at 20.3 million tonnes grading 0.6% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au, 3 g/t Ag, 0.06% Co and 0.11% Zn for the Knife Lake deposit. A mini bulk sample was collected and analysis revealed that >90% Cu and >80% Au could be easily recovered. The program also resulted in the interpretation that the Knife Lake deposit is a remobilized fraction of a larger primary VMS deposit with the potential of discovery at depth consistent with the existence of deep EM conductors (approx. 300m).
The last recorded work on the claims occurred in 2001 when Leader Mining completed 3 drill holes to test geophysical targets along the Knife Lake Horizon and failed to intersect significant base-metal mineralization.
In 2017 the claims were allowed to lapse after lying dormant for almost 2 decades and were acquired by Eagle Plains Resources.
Knife Lake Zones
Knife Lake
Copper mineralization at Knife Lake is the largest and most important known occurrence of copper mineralization in the Scimitar Complex. This sequence of meta-sediments and metavolcanics hosting the mineralization terminates both southeast and northwest of Knife Lake but is repeated 4 km to the east at Scimitar Lake, where two other copper showings are known to occur. This prospective lithologic package lies within a broader area of rocks mapped as amphibole bearing gneisses.
A possible structural component to the formation of the Knife Lake mineralization appears to be fold repeated at least in the central portions of the copper deposit. This fold pair has significantly increased the maximum thickness of mineralization seen in the core of the deposit.
Scimitar Lake
Copper showings at Scimitar Lake contain trace chalcopyrite and about 3% combined pyrite and pyrrhotite. Historical mapping indicates that one of the Scimitar Lake occurrences is situated immediately south of a wide zone of alteration characteristic of a remobilized VMS- system. A second copper showing on Scimitar Lake contains up to 2% disseminated chalcopyrite and also has similar alteration characteristics.
Some of the sulphides at the first occurrence have been remobilized during metamorphism and deformation, the resulting alteration characteristics are believed to represent a mobilization from what may be a nearby and possibly partially intact, VMS deposit.
Other smaller showings occur throughout the Knife Lake-Scimitar Lake area, principally near the fold repeat of the Knife Lake stratigraphy, at Scimitar Lake.
Pistol Lake
The iron rich volcanic rocks of the Pistol Lake structure have anomalous copper contents in numerous locations and are mostly accompanied by anomalous zinc and silver values. The area is of economic interest and has the potential to contain economically significant deposits of VMS style mineralization down plunge and at depth.
Redhill Lake
In this area during the early 70’s extensive trenching of showings containing semi-massive pyrrhotite mineralization identified anomalous Cu, Ni, Zn, Ag and Co values. A low Co/Ni ratio indicates an atypical VHMS type derivation for the sulfides.
Gilbert Lake
VHMS style alteration was noted at Gilbert Lake. The area combines a favorable location on the W flank of the Knife Lake domal stucture, strongly altered volcanic rocks and unresolved conductors under Gilbert Lake.
Blob Lake
Blob Lake is located between Pistol Lake and Gilbert Lake along the axis of an overturned anticlinal fold that trends between Pistol and Gilbert lakes. Geophysics produced a large strong bedrock conductor immediately W and SW of Blob lake. Drill targets have been established on those conductive anomalies that are coincident with magnetic and/or gravity signatures.
Eagle Plains Exploration
In 2018 a desk top study was performed in order to compile all existing geological information which was incorporated into a database. From this, an analysis was conducted and recommendations for future work were made. Eagle Plains has secured full access to the Leader Mining drill core from the 1996 – 2000 drill program including resampling.
In November 2018, Rockridge Resources optioned the Knife Lake Property from Eagle Plains. In late March 2019 Rockridge commenced a ~1053m drill program over 12 holes designed to verify the results of historic drilling as well as to better define the Knife Lake mineralization. Results from this program were used to support an updated NI 43-101 compliant resource calculation for the project. In August 2019 Rockridge reported an inaugural NI 43-101 resource estimate for the Knife Lake Project:
- Indicated resources of 3.8 million tonnes at 1.02% CuEq (0.4% CuEq cut-off) or 3.8 MT at 0.83% Cu, 3.7 gpt Ag, 0.097 gpt Au, 82 ppm Co, 1740.7 ppm Zn
- Inferred resources of 7.9 million tonnes at 0.67% CuEq (0.4% CuEq cut-off) or 7.9 MT at 0.53% Cu, 2.4 gpt Ag, 0.084 gpt Au, 53.1 ppm Co, 1454.9 ppm Zn
The Knife Lake deposit contains typical VMS mineralogy which has been significantly modified and partially remobilized during the emplacement of granitic rocks. Therefore, the known deposit may represent a remobilized portion of a presumably larger “primary” VMS deposit based on general observations about the mineralogy, mineral textures and metal ratios in the deposit. Most of the historical work has consisted of shallow drilling at the deposit area with little regional work carried out and limited deeper drilling below the deposit. As a result, there is strong discovery potential both at depth and regionally.
A 2019 fall field program focused on an area within a 6 km radius of the Knife Lake deposit. Soil sampling, prospecting and mapping were undertaken on 3 of 11 priority target areas.
In February 2021 Rockridge conducted geophysical surveying over the Scimitar and Gilbert lake targets to investigate prospective VMS stratigraphy which hosts the Knife Lake copper deposit. This survey provided for the identification, modeling and prioritization of geophysical conductors for subsequent drill testing.
During March 2021, Rockridge commenced a 1,600 metre program in 6 to 8 holes to test the Gilbert Lake North and South target areas located approx. 5 to 6 km to the west of the Knife Lake deposit. This program was expanded to 2,100 metres in 10-12 drill holes based on encouraging observations in the initial holes with visual indications of VMS-style mineralization, including semi-massive to massive sulphides hosted in intermediate-mafic volcanic rocks and pegmatites. Early interpretations indicate it is the same stratigraphic horizon as the Knife Lake deposit. Assay results for all holes are pending.
Future Work
The assay results of the recently conducted drill program along with the interpretation of the geophysical surveys will be used to guide future exploration programs at the Knife Lake Project.
Cautionary Statement
*Eagle Plains’ management considers the historical mineral resource estimates to be historical in nature and cautions that a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. These estimates do not comply with current definitions prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 or the Canadian Institute of Mining, and are disclosed only as indications of the presence of mineralization and are considered to be a guide for additional work. The historical models and data sets used to prepare these historical estimates are not available to Eagle Plains, nor are any more recent resource estimates or drill information on the Property..
Eagle Plains - A Project Generator
Eagle Plains Resources is a project generator with mineral exploration properties of merit that meet qualifying transaction requirements. While the Knife Lake Project is not available for option, other Eagle Plains projects are available. We facilitate the listing process for capital pool companies and initial public offerings while providing technical expertise for exploration programs. Companies interested in co-operatively exploring any of these projects please contact: Tim Termuende at tjt@eagleplains.com or Mike Labach at mgl@eagleplains.com or call 1 866 Hunt Ore (486 8673).
Updated August 12, 2022
