metallic metals - Government of Manitoba

and mud had been removed, but since 1937 allmining has been underground from two mainshafts and various auxiliary shafts. The south mainshaft is about 1220 m deep. The major metallicminerals at Flin Flon are pyrite, chalcopyrite andsphalerite (plate 17); the minor metallics includepyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, galena, altaite, marcasite,magnetite and ilmenite. The principal wall-rocksare chlorite and sericite schists (plate 20), derivedfrom andesite breccias, tuffs and quartz-porphyry.The ore occurs in six lenticular-shaped orebodies.like the other copper-zinc deposits of the Flin Flonarea, the orebodies are essentially strata-bound, inlayered, predominantly volcanic rocks. The massiveore consists mainly of pyrite with black sphaleriteand chalcopyrite; these minerals are associatedwith wall-rock remmants and with quartz andcarbonate gangue. There is also a disseminatedtype of ore composed of chalcopyrite, pyrite,pyrrhotite and brown sphalerite in chlorite and talcschists. As a matter of interest to mineral collectors,a crystal aggregate of native copper was foundduring the shaft-sinking.Owing to mining operations, casual visits arenot possible, but guided tours of the mine andsmelter are organized by the company for visitors atcertain times. Cadmium, extracted from the zincconcentrate, is cast into metal rods at Flin Flon.From the copper concentrate, silver, gold,selenium and tellurium are ultimately recoveredduring conversion of the anode (blister) copper topur electrolytic copper in eastern Canada.Copper-zinc ore is transported to Flin Flon forprocessing from various smaller mines in the area.Their ore is generally similar to the deposits alreadydescribed, with variations in detail. At the WhiteLake Mine for example (E 4), 13 km southeast of FlinFlon, pyrrhotite and pyrite (plate 21) occur inapproximately equal proportions as the majorsulphides; galena, although present, is inconspicuous.The orebody, which is associated withchlorite-sericite schist, contains about twice asmuch zinc as copper. The mine was opened in 1972and has a 420 m shaft. The Centennial Mine (E 5), 4km to the southeast, was opened in 1977. Its orebodyis beneath lake Athapapuskow, and themine is serviced by a 13° decline which extends 700m from the shore to the top of an internal shaft, 80m under the lake. The shaft was sunk downwardsfor 430 m to intersect the orebody. Pyrite, chalcopyrite,sphalerite and tennantite-tetrahedriteare the principal metallic minerals. Minor amountsof magnetite and arsenopyrite are also present inthe orebody which is associated with chloritesericiteschists.22Rockhounds and mineral collectors can findinteresting specimens on the rock-dumps of othersmall sulphide deposits near Flin Flon. The Cuprusmine (E 6) on the northeast arm of Schist lake, 12km southeast of Flin Flon, was operational between1948 and 1954; the main shaft was 320 m deep. Theprincipal sulphides were pyrite, chalcopyrite,sphalerite and pyrrhotite, with small amounts ofarsenopyrite and galena. The orebodies wereassociated wtih graphitic schist and chert; chloriticschist, andesite, diorite and graphitic tuff wereencountered in the mine workings, and pinkishwhite, massive dolomite is also found on thedumps. The Pine Bay shaft (E 7), 16 km east of FlinFlon, is situated on a peninsula towards the northend of Sourdough Bay. The copper deposit wasexplored by Cerro Mining Company of Canadalimited during the past decade, but was not­-brought to production. Pyrite, chalcopyrite andpyrrhotite are the principal sulphides, whilesphalerite is rare. The metallic minerals occur withquartz in chlorite schist and volcanic rocks. Thegangue minerals provide good specimens of talc,epidote and chlorite. Old trenches on the Baker­Patton property (E 8), near the opposite (northeast)shore of Sourdough Bay, date back to 1922, and the125 m shaft was sunk in 1928 by Callinan Flin FlonMines. Pyritohedra and cubic aggregates of yellowto silvery pyrite can be found on the rock-dumps(plate 22), and massive bronze-yellow pyrite is alsocommon. The associated rocks are cherty chloriticschist and sericitic schist. Powdery coatings of rustybrown goethite have developed on pyritic schistsdue to oxidation. The North Star mine (E 9) islocated 19 km east of Flin Flon, on a small islandnear the west shore of Thompson lake. Hudson BayMining and Smelting Company limited sank a shaftto 495 m to produce copper ore between 1955 and1958. The orebody consisted of massive pyrite andchalcopyrite (plate E) in silicified chlorite schist. Theadjoining rocks are andesite, dacite and a sill orflow or quartz porphyry. The Don Jon mine (also E9) on a small island 320 m to the southeast, wasconnected by a cross-cut to the North Star shaft atthe 180 m level. Don Jon Mines limited extractedcopper ore through this shaft between 1955 and1957. The two lenticular orebodies were similar tothat of the North Star but occurred in chloriticdacite, bounded by quartz porphyry partly alteredto siliceous sericite schist. The rock-dumps showirregular masses and some crystals of pyrite andchalcopyrite, in cherty-looking chlorite schist.Epidote, chlorite, dolomite and pink feldspar arefound here with massive quartz. The bright greenencrustations on ore-bearing rocks are brochantite,a hydroxyl-bearing copper sulphate that forms