Moose River Basin: geology and mineral potential - Geology Ontario

Moose River Basin
Onakawana were discontinued and the plant and equipment removed. The
foundations of these buildings and some of the discarded machinery can still be
seen on the banks of the Abitibi River at Onakawana.
The post-1947 lull in activities at Onakawana was to last for nearly twenty
years. At the regional level, however, the exploration of the Moose River Basin
was continued by the Ontario Department of Mines and other agencies. The
Ontario Department of Mines drilled 3 deep holes to the Precambrian base
ment. These are: Campbell Lake (310 m), Jaab Lake (552 m) and Puskwache
Point (468 m). The 61st Annual Report of the Ontario Division of Mines (1953)
contains contributions by Martison, Wilson, Dyer, Crozier, Gerrie, Hogg, Sat
terly, and Wilson, reflecting the drilling activities. This report also includes a
comprehensive account of the stratigraphy of the James Bay Lowland, as well
as comments on the petroleum potential of the area.
During 1966, another regional study called "Operation Kapuskasing", was
undertaken by the Ontario Department of Mines. This study consisted of a heli
copter-supported geological survey of the geology and mineral resources of
about 72 500 km2 of Hudson Bay Lowland (Bennett et al. 1967). Also in 1966,
Alberta Coal Company acquired a licence of exploration for about 1036 km 2
area around Onakawana. The company carried out extensive drilling (133
holes totalling 5791 m) with the objective of demarcating the field boundaries
and establishing reserve quantity and quality of lignite in the area. A hitherto
unknown deposit, called Portage Field, was discovered north of Onakawana
during this investigation.
POST 1966 ACTIVITIES
Following an aeromagnetic survey of the Hudson Bay region in 1966
(MacLaren et al. 1968), the Geological Survey of Canada carried out an air sup
ported geological reconnaissance survey of about 337 000 km2 of the Hudson
Bay Lowland (Operation Winisk; Sanford, Norris, and Bostock 1968). Impor
tant results of this programme included reports on the Quaternary stratigra
phy of the Moose River Basin (Skinner 1973), Ordovician strata of the Hudson
Bay Lowland (Cumming 1975), Devonian stratigraphy of the Hudson Platform
(Sanford and Norris 1975), Devonian palynology of the Moose River Basin
(McGregor et al. 1970; McGregor and Camfield 1976; Playford 1977), and Meso
zoic deposits and coal of the Hudson Bay Lowland (Price 1978).
The world-wide energy shortage of the early 1970s rejuvenated efforts to
reassess Ontario's reserves of fossil fuels and to decrease provincial dependence
on imported coal. In 1972, the Ontario Government, Ontario Hydro, and Ona
kawana Development Limited (a subsidiary of Manalta Coal Limited, the suc
cessor of Alberta Coal Company) entered into an agreement to undertake a fea
sibility study on the development of the Onakawana lignite deposit. The
results of this study by Shawinigan Engineering Company (1973) were pub
lished by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This study concluded that
the development of Onakawana for generation of thermal power generation
was a viable prospect. The feasibility study by Onakawana Development Lim
ited, as well as a recalculation of tonnages on the basis of compilation of data
10