Grand Calumet Uranium Fluorite Deposit

Grand Calumet Township, Quebec

NTS 31F/15

Location

The property consists of 8 claims totalling 354.6 hectares located on lots 28 to 31 Range 7 and lots 30 to 33 Range 6, in Grand Calumet Township, Quebec, approximately 35km northwest of Hull on the Ottawa River and 2km NE of the village of Rivière-Berry.

Ownership

The property is 100% owned by Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. and was acquired by staking. 

Access

The property is easily accessible via all weather gravel and paved roads.

History

The property was first worked by Calumet Uranium Mines Ltd. from 1953 to 1954 during which period radiometric surveys, along with stripping and sampling were undertaken following the discovery of significant radioactivity.  Based on these surveys and the positive sampling results, diamond drilling was started in the spring of 1954 and by June 1955, 20,082 feet of drilling in 39 holes had been completed.

Diamond drilling and scintillometer surveys showed two important radioactive zones with the most promising area near the intersection of two zones in lots 29 and 30, Range VII.

Further drilling was undertaken in the area with a reported 80 holes being drilled.  Geological mapping, mineralogical studies, and further analysis followed with all work being completed by 1956.

Government records do not show any work being submitted since 1956, with the property remaining in the same hands most recently under the name of Albarmont Mines Corporation.

Economic Geology

There are two main types of mineralization on the property.

The first is characterized by coarse grained and irregularly shaped fluorite- pyroxene skarns.  The fluorite is dark purple and commonly contains long narrow prisms of partially altered uranothorite.  Dark green pyroxene, apatite, pink calcite, scapolite, feldspar and several other minerals are also present.  Associated rocks are well developed pyroxene granites, syenites and hybrids.  This type of zone occurs on lots 28 to 31 inclusive, Range 7.  Assays up to 4% U₃O₈ and 20% ThO₂ have been recorded from this type of mineralization.

The second is characterized by limestone or skarn composed principally of white to salmon-pink calcite.  Small amounts of diopside, lithium bearing yellow mica and chondrodite are also present.

Radioactive minerals include cubes of black uranoan thorianite and grains of red uranothorite.  The rock units outcrop in a band which strikes N60^oE and dips southeast of the contact between limestones and pyroxenic granites on lots 29 and 30, Range 7.

A radioactive zone extends some 500 feet on surface with a few feet of width exposed.  A 1,500 pound bulk sample assayed 0.10% U₃O₈ and 0.15% ThO₂, the radioactive minerals being uranoan, thorianite, uranothorite and monazite.  The zone appears to be a calcite rich skarn which closely resembles the limestone in which it occurs.  Structurally the area of the zone is complex with folding and cross-folding evident.  This zone was reported to contain 490,000 tons averaging 0.05% U₃O₈ and 0.15% ThO₂. 

An odd third type of slightly radioactive mineralization occurs on the lot line of lots 28 and 29, Range 7.  Here, pits have exposed sulphide rich rock which has weathered to rusty material.

(The above descriptions were paraphrased from Geological Report 80, Radioactive Mineral Occurrences of the Province of Quebec, by D.M. Shaw, 1958, pages 30 to 32 inclusive.)

The only reference to the property subsequent to 1958 is the 1983 Annual Report of Albarmont.  Within, their report a possible tonnage of 1,000,000 tonnes grading 0.08% U₃O₈ , 0.29% ThO₂ and 10-15% fluorite is indicated.