Moose River Basin: geology and mineral potential - Geology Ontario

History of Geological Exploration
from all drill holes by Trusler et al. (1974), indicated that the total recoverable
reserves are about 189 million tons from a total in place quantity of about 221
million tons. Three lignite fields were outlined. These are: Main Field, East
Field, and Portage Field (see Figure 5.1). The reserves are distributed among
the three fields as follows:
Main Field
163.0 million tons
East Field
11.7 million tons
Portage Field
14.3 million tons
Total
189.0 million tons
In examining Onakawana as a possible source of energy, environmental
concerns have not been ignored. In January 1973, a special task force (Task
Force Onakawana) with representatives of various Ontario Ministries, Ontario
Hydro, the Conservation Council of Ontario, and local representatives from
Moosonee, produced a report on the possible environmental effects of mining of
the Onakawana lignite. The Task Force concluded that, on balance, the local
and regional effects of developing this resource could be advantageous provided
appropriate steps were taken to maximize the benefits to the local people and to
minimize the adverse environmental effects (Task Force Onakawana 1973). It
was felt that strip mining followed by proper reclamation would provide better
drainage in the swampland and the resulting environment would be a better
habitat for wild life than it is at present.
During 1977, Onakawana Development Limited continued to update their
engineering and feasibility studies of the Onakawana area. The purpose of this
work was to evaluate the economic viability of several modes of power plant
generation based on varying capacities and tonnages of lignite. Included in this
study was a major investigation by Golder Geotechnical Consultants Limited
to evaluate the geotechnical and hydrological conditions on the site. Onaka
wana Development Limited was granted a 21 year lease, effective February l,
1978, giving it the right to mine, stockpile and process lignite. Under the terms
of the lease, the company is required to establish within seven to nine years, or
longer if approved, a mining operation which will mine, produce, sell, or other
wise utilize not less than one million tons of mined lignite each year thereafter.
Limited petroleum exploration was also carried out during the early 1970s
in the James Bay Lowland. A consortium of companies headed by Aquitaine of
Canada Limited drilled several deep holes (to the Precambrian basement) in
the Moose River Basin. One of these, Hambly No.l (Aquitaine Sogepet et al.
1973), was put down in Hambly Township northwest of Smoky Falls and en
countered an important complete section of the Lower Cretaceous Mattagami
Formation (see Telford, this report). In 1974, the Aquitaine Sogepet group
drilled a series of shallow holes in the Ranoke area, south of Onakawana (File
No. 83-1-118, Aquitaine Company of Canada Limited, Assessment Files Re
search Office, Ontario Geological Survey), providing much new data on the De
vonian stratigraphy of the basin.
In 1975, the Ontario Geological Survey launched a fresh programme of geo
logical and geophysical investigation of the Mesozoic sediments in the Moose
River Basin. To date, three drilling programmes (Rogers et al. 1975; Verma,
Telford, and Norris 1978; Telford and Verma 1978), two geophysical surveys
(Utard 1975; Scintrex Surveys Limited 1976), and two outcrop reconnaissance
surveys (Telford et al. 1975; Verma and Telford 1978) have been completed.
11