Moose River Basin: geology and mineral potential - Geology Ontario

DRILLHOLE 75-01
Lignite and Industrial Mineral Resources
Lignite fragments were encountered at depths from 14.8 m to 19.7 m in
drillhole 75-01, Soweska River, in the northwest corner of Hambly Township
(see Figure 1.3). The lignite fragments occur in association with grey clay and
with fine quartz sand within 6.7 m of the contact with overlying glacial till. The
lignite-bearing beds are underlain by at least another 26.5 m of quartz sand,
kaolinitic clay, and fireclay devoid of lignite. The hole was abandoned, at a
depth of 46.0 m, due to sanding of the rods.
DRILLHOLE 75-02
A few peaty wood chips were found in drillhole 75-02 (25 km north-north
west of drillhole 75-01) in coarse quartz sand at a depth of 103.5 m to 104.8 m.
The sand occurs within 3.0 m of the contact with overlying glacial till, between
1.0 m of brown clay immediately above, and 0.5 m of hard, bluish white clay im
mediately below the sand.
DRILLHOLE 75-03
The upper 8.3 m of Mesozoic sands and clay in drillhole 75-03 (40 km northnorthwest
of drillhole 75-01), at a depth of 115.0 m to 123.4 m, contain frag
ments of lignite. From 115.0 m to 119.4 m, the beds are primarily sandy, while
in the lower part (119.4 m to 123.4 m) lignite is associated with beds of green
and grey to black clay. At least another 12.0 m of red, brown, and green clays
devoid of lignite underlie these beds. See Telford (this report) for a strati
graphic classification of these units.
DRILLHOLE 75-04
Fragments of lignite occur in glacial till in drillhole 75-04 (12 km northnorthwest
of drillhole 75-01) at depths of 76.6 m to 79.7 m, 87.1 m, 88.0 to 89.5
m and 103.4 m to 106.5 m. These sections are part of a larger section of till un
derlying 26.8 m of clay and other till near the surface and underlain by addi
tional till and stratified sediments to a depth of 155.7 m. Mesozoic sands under
lying these glacial deposits, at least to a depth of 166.9 m, show no trace of
lignite. It must be assumed that the lignite fragments in the till derive from
now eroded overlying Mesozoic deposits or otherwise from underlying deposits
elsewhere.
The hole was abandoned, at a depth of 166.9 m, due to plugging of the rods
with coarse sand. (Rogers et al. 1975). The extreme depth (155.7 m) to which
glacial deposits extend suggest that they locally fill an old river channel.
149