MINERAL
INVENTORY FILE NO.
187
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT
CESIUM
NTS AREA
52L6NW
REF.
CS 1
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PROPERTY
Tanco Pegmatite
(Lith No. 12)
OWNER OF
OPERATOR ADDRESS
1988-Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited
Bernic Lake, MB
R0E 0G0
37.5% interest – Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting
Co.,Limited
37.5% interest – Kawecki Berylco Industries
25% interest –
Province of Manitoba
OBJECT LOCATED
Shaft
MINING
DIVISION
Winnipeg
Latitude
50°25.71’
Longitude
95°27.15’
Uncertainty
(m)
50m
UTM Zone
_____
Easting
_______
Northing
_______
L.S./Quarter
Section
___
Section
___
Township
___
Range
_________
DESCRIPTION OF
DEPOSIT
The Tanco pegmatite, which is host to the deposit, occurs in the
Archean Bird River greenstone belt which is comprised of metavolcanic, related
and derived metasedimentary rocks of the Rice Lake Group. The areas north, east
and southwest of the belt are occupied, respectively, by the Maskwa Lake,
Marijane Lake and Lac du Bonnet batholiths (Crouse et al., 1979).
The Tanco
pegmatite was emplaced, cogenetic with the Lac du Bonnet intrusion, as a
bi-lobate shallow north-dipping doubly plunging feature, into the core of a
synclinorium. The core is composed of interlayered polymictic metaconglomerate,
metavolcanic rocks and iron formation; synvolcanically intruded by large stocks
of composite nature of gabbro, diorite, quartz-feldspar porphyry and
granodiorite (Crouse et al., 1979).
The pegmatite occupies an almost
horizontal cross-cutting fracture in near vertical dipping amphibolites, forming
a flat, tabular body almost 1l300 m long, up to 300 m wide and 20-90 m thick
(Tanco, 198l). According to Cerny (1982a) and Bannatyne (1985, p. 46), the
pegmatite is 1440 m x 820 m, and just over 100 m thick.
From a large-scale
viewpoint, the internal structure of the pegmatite exhibits nine zones of
different mineral composition, texture and location plus a zone of contact
exomorphism in the wallrock. Some of the outer zones appear to be concentric
envelopes, but the inner zones occur as more or less discontinuous layers
(confined to the upper central parts of the pegmatite). In detail the structure,
however, shows a complex array of mineral assemblages and thus the nine zones
are an over-simplification (Crouse et al., 1979).
Cesium occurs in the
"pollucite zone" in three sheet-like bodies, the largest of which is l67 m (550
ft) in length, an average of 6l m (200 ft) in width and up to l4 m (45 ft) in
thickness; its dimensions have also been reported as l80 x 75 x 12 m (Cerny,
1982a, p. 533; Bannatyne, 1985, p. 48).
"The zone consists almost entirely of
pollucite, finely veined by very subordinate amounts of spodumene, albite,
lithian muscovite, microcline, and quartz. Large crystals of manganoan apatite
and amblygonite-montebrasite are found in the lower parts of the pollucite
bodies and masses of petalite and quartz occur sparingly within them. Most of
the pollucite shows a peculiar 'augen'-structure, consisting of clear glassy
eyelets embedded in a braided white matrix" (Crouse and Cerny, 1972).
Cestibtantite, and cesian analcime has been reported in the Tanco pegmatite
(Cerny, 1982b).
According to Penner and Clark (197l), the Tanco pegmatite is
approximately 2.6 billion years old.
Pollucite has been reported in another
pegmatite body (370 m x 900 m, and up to 47 m thick), the lower Tanco pegmatite,
which occurs below the main Tanco pegmatite (Ferreira, 1984). (See 52 L/6 TA l).
The discovery of Rb-Cs-rich zinnwaldite in the lower Tanco pegmatite is the
first of its kind in Manitoba (Olson and Cerny, 1982).
ASSOCIATED
MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE
Beryllium, lithium, tantalum, gallium, rubidium, tin, quartz,
feldspar, niobium, apatite, .
HISTORY OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The deposit is situated beneath Bernic Lake, approximately 180 m
south-southeast of the Jack Nutt shaft (See: 52L/6 SN 2). The deposit is
accessible by road from the west, a branch off of Provincial Road No.
315.
The early history of this deposit is shared with that of Akmen M.C. and
Lith No. 5 (see: 52L/6 SN 2 and LI 8, respectively). However, because of its
stratigraphic position it was not known to exist until The American Metal
Company of Canada (later, America Metal Climax, Inc.) found massive pollucite
containing up to 35.43% Cs2O in five separate holes drilled on Lith No. 12
(W21671), optioned from Montgary Explorations Limited in 1957.
In 1959,
drifting to the pollucite deposit began. In 1960, a 213 m (700 ft) cross-cut on
the 87 m (285 ft) horizon from the shaft towards the south, and a raise driven
up into the pollucite were completed. Two lots of cesium-bearing samples were
sent to large American chemical firms.
Analysis of the composite of 49
channel samples representing a drift length of 64 m (2ll ft) from the
beryl-tantalite zone gave:
0.l5% tin
0.42% tantalum pentoxide
0.15%
beryllium oxide
0.01% columbium pentoxide
with pollucite and lithium
minerals.
It was reported that the Chemalloy deposit "is not only the
largest deposit known in the world (125 000 - 150 000 tons (113 430 - 136 120
tonnes) grading between 25%-30% Cs20 and 1.0% Rb20) but also the only known
sizable deposit in North America" (Northern Miner, April 28, 1960). By June
1960, a stockpile of 2058 tonnes (2268 tons) of cesium ore averaging close to
27% Cs20 was accumulated. Eighteen additional diamond drill holes, totalling
1577 m (5173 ft) were drilled from the ice of Bernic Lake to map the extent of
the cesium and rubidium mineralization. At the end of September 1960, a total of
884 m (2900 ft) of drifting, cross-cutting and raising had been completed and
underground drilling of 50 holes totalling 2134 m (7000 ft) carried out. "The
shaft was deepened to 103 m, 1840 m of drifting was completed, and 149
underground holes were drilled by Chemalloy" (Bannatyne, 1985, p. 44).
During
1961 most operations appeared to have ceased except that 544 tonnes (600 tons)
of quartz were removed from the underground workings by Nick Soroka. A 21-year
Lease M-7542 was issued to Chemalloy Minerals Limited about the same time. Later
in 1961, Chemalloy acquired the Noble Group adjoining the main property to the
west from The Lithium Corporation of Canada, Limited, for stock (see
remarks).
Early in 1962, 91 tonnes (100 tons) of pollucite were mined for
Chemalloy by Mr. Soroka. Shortly afterward the underground pump was taken out
and the mine was allowed to flood. During the next five years underground work
ceased, but Chemalloy continued to sell ore from its stockpile (see History of
Production).
Early in 1967, Chemalloy obtained backing for exploratory tests
on the tantalum content of the Bernic Lake deposit. In 1959, Chemalloy commenced
investigations to establish tantalum values (see Mineral Inventory Card 52L/6 LI
8), but the project was abandoned because of depressed markets at that time for
the material. For a continuation of the history, see: 52L/6 TA l.
Cesium
reserves occur in three sheet-like bodies. The largest, in the southeast
quadrant of the pegmatite, up to 14 m (45 ft) thick, is estimated to contain 272
230 tonnes (300 000 tons) 23% Cs2O (as of December 31, 1972). In addition, there
are 145 190 tonnes (160 000 tons) averaging 5% Cs2O in the lower grade zones
(Northern Miner, June 14, 1973).
Indications are that future markets for
cesium are in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generation and space
propulsion.
George (1978) reported 372 000 tonnes of ore reserves. As of
December 31, 1978, reserves were reported as "270 000 tonnes of pollucite
averaging almost 23.9% Cs2O in the main zone, 47 000 tonnes averaging almost
23.9% Cs2O in one westerly zone and 55 000 tonnes of somewhat lower grade in the
second westerly zone"; no allowances were made for dilution or pillars. Reserves
don't include: "large areas of the pegmatite body containing quantities of
pollucite averaging 500 to 1500 g of Cs2O per tonne" (George, 1978). In
addition, drilling below the main pegmatite body has indicated a second sill,
approximately 30 m below the main body, that contains pollucite, tantalite and
spodumene mineralization" (George, 1978). (See 52L/6 TA 1).
Ore reserves as
of January 1, 1980 were estimated at pollucite (cesium oxide) - 270 000 tonnes
grading 23.0% Cs2O (Zahalan, 1980).
Reserves as of December 31,
1982:
...........................................................................Tonnes...........................................
Grade
a) Main pollucite zone................................... 317
520.............................................23.89% Cs2O
b) Additional
"drill indicated"........................ 54
430..................................... 'slightly lower
grade'
c).......................................................................
145 150.............................................5% Cs2O
(Source:
Bannatyne 1985, p. 44)
Bannatyne (1985, p. 49) reported reserves of 320
000 tonnes grading 23.3% Cs2O while the Canadian Minerals Yearbook (1985)
reported reserves of 300 000 tonnes of pollucite grading 24% Cs2O.
HISTORY OF
PRODUCTION
In 1965 it was reported that the U.S. space program had been using
around 2270 kg (5000 lbs) of cesium annually from the Chemalloy deposit and in
1964 was closer to 9070 kg (20 000 lbs) (Northern Miner, March 18, 1965). On
April 18, 1965, the Northern Miner published that "Cesium metal refined from the
300 000 ton (272 230 tonne) pollucite ore deposit of Chemalloy's Bernic Lake
property is propelling the first U.S. cesium ion engine rocket on a 90-day orbit
through space at speeds as high as 100 000 miles (160 930 km) per hour".
From
late 1969 to the end of 1975, a total of 1400 tonnes of pollucite averaging 27%
Cs20 was produced. Of the total, 86% went to the U.S.S.R., 8% went to the
U.S.A., and the remainder to England, West Germany and Japan (Canadian Minerals
Yearbook, 1975).
In 1976, the Canadian government banned shipments of cesium
to communist countries (Canadian Minerals Yearbook, 1976). The deposit is the
only source of Canadian cesium production (Canadian Minerals Yearbook,
1985).
Bannatyne (1985, p. 5) reported the following production history of
pollucite:
.......................................Pollucite: contained
Cs2O (kg solid)
..............................1960...............2
268....................1970...........36
288?
..............................196l................2
268....................1971...........90
720
..............................1962...............2
268....................1972...........19
6l8
..............................1963...............2
268....................1973...........68
040
..............................1964...............9
072....................1974...........7l
887?
..............................1965-1968...................................1975.........
.78 640?
..............................1969...............9 072
No
shipments of ore were made in 1976, and a minor amount was shipped in 1977. In
1978, about 254 tonnes were shipped to the U.S. (George,
1978).
.....................................Table 1. Canadian cesium
production*, 1978-85
............................(Source: Canadian Minerals
Yearbook, 1985, p.
l7.4-l7.5).
...........................................................Pollucite....................Cesium....................Contained....................Contained
Year..........
Country...........................Shipped...............Oxide
Grade..............Cesium
Oxide...................Cesium
.............................................................(tonnes).....................(%).........................(tonnes).........................(tonnes)
1978............U.S.A...................................254..........................27.2.............................69...................................65
1979............F.R.G.**................................53..........................25................................13...................................12
1980
- - - -
-
1981............F.R.G....................................300.........................24................................72...................................68
1982
- - - -
-
1983............F.R.G...................................200..........................24................................48...................................45
1984............F.R.G...................................300..........................24................................72...................................68
1985***.....F.R.G./U.S.A(1).................525..........................24...............................126.................................119
*In
addition, there have been small orders from time to time
**Federal Republic
of Germany
***Estimated; - Nil
(1)F.R.G. 500 tonnes/U.S.A. 25
tonnes.
In January, 1988, Regulation 59/88 regarding the shipment of
cesium ore was passed: Production lease No. 7, 8, and 9 were to be exempted from
subsection 9 (1) of the Mines Act with respect to cesium ore shipments not
exceeding 1000 tonnes annually, and rubidium ore not exceeding 500 tonnes
annually for a five year period starting June 1, 1987 (Manitoba Gazette,
February 6, 1988) (see 52 L/6 TA l, remarks).
REFERENCES
Bannatyne, B.B., 1985: Industrial minerals in rare-element pegmatites
of Manitoba; Manitoba Energy and Mines, Geological Services, Economic Geology
Report ER84-1, p. 5, 43-49.
Brinsmead, R.E., 1960: Manitoba mine yields rare
metals (Chemalloy Minerals Ltd.); Precambrian, v. 33, No. 8 (August), p.
18-39.
Canadian Minerals Yearbook, 1985: Review and Outlook; Energy, Mines
and Resources Canada, Mineral Report 34, p. 17.1 -17.5.
Cerny, P., 1972:
Secondary minerals from the spodumene-rich zones; in The Tanco Pegmatite at
Bernic Lake, Manitoba, ed. L.G. Berry; The Canadian Mineralogist, v. 11, Part 3,
p. 714-726.
Cerny, P., 1982a: The Tanco pegmatite at Bernic Lake,
southeastern Manitoba; in Granitic Pegmatites in Science and Industry, ed. P.
Cerny; Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Handbook 8, p.
527-543.
Cerny, P., 1982b, Mineralogy of rubidium and cesium; in Granitic
Pegmatites in Science and Industry, ed. P. Cerny; Mineralogical Association of
Canada, Short Course Handbook 8, p. 152-153.
Cerny, P., Trueman, D.L.,
Ziehlke, D.V., Goad, B.E. and Paul, B.J., 1981: The Cat Lake-Winnipeg River and
the Wekusko Lake pegmatite fields, Manitoba; Manitoba Department of Energy and
Mines, Mineral Resources Division, Economic Geology Report ER80-1, p. 87-93,
152-153.
Crouse, R.A. and Cerny, P., 1972: Geology and paragenesis; in The
Tanco Pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba, ed. L.G. Berry; The Canadian
Mineralogist, v. 11, Part 3, p. 591-608.
Crouse, R.A., Cerny, P., Trueman,
D.L. and Burt, R.O., 1979: The Tanco pegmatite, southeastern Manitoba; The
Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin (CIM Bulletin), v. 72, No. 802
(February), p. 142-150.
Davies, J.F., 1955: Geology and mineral deposits of
the Bird Lake area; Manitoba Mines Branch, Publication 54-1, 44p.
Davies,
J.F., 1958: The lithium and beryllium pegmatites of southeastern Manitoba; The
Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin (CIMM), Transactions, v. 61, No. 4
(April), p. 230-236.
Dawson, K.R., 1974: Niobium (columbium) and tantalum in
Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Economic Geology Report No. 29, p. 39-41,
81.
Ferreira, K.J., 1984: The mineralogy and geochemistry of the lower Tanco
pegmatite, Bernic Lake, Manitoba, Canada; M.Sc Thesis, University of
Manitoba,
Gamvrelis, A.G., 1984: An evaluation of the potential for
Manitoba's cesium; Master of Natural Resource Management Thesis, University of
Manitoba, 164p.
George, J.G., 1978: Cesium; in Canadian Minerals Yearbook
1978; Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Mineral Report 28, p. 99-100.
Howe,
A.C.A. and Rowntree, J.C., 1966: Geology and economic significance of the Bernic
Lake pegmatite, Manitoba; The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, CIM
Annual Meeting (April, 1966), Quebec City; abstract in The Canadian Mining and
Metallurgical Bulletin (CIM Bulletin), v. 59, No. 647 (March), p.
273.
Manitoba Gazette, The 1988: (February 2), Regulation 59/88; v. 117, No.
6.
Manitoba Mines Branch:
a Corporation Files; Lithium Corporation of
Canada, Limited, The; Chemalloy Minerals Limited
Mineral Policy Sector,
Corporation File: "Chemalloy Minerals Limited".
Nickel, E.H., 1961: The
mineralogy of the Bernic Lake pegmatite, southeastern Manitoba; Mines Branch,
Ottawa, Geological Survey of Canada, Technical Bulletin TB 20, 38p.
Penner,
A.P. and Clarke, G.S., 1971: Rubidium-strontium age determination from the Bird
River area, southeastern Manitoba; in Geoscience Studies in Manitoba, ed. A.C.
Turnock; Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper No. 9, p.
105-110.
Rinaldi, R., Cerny, P. and Ferguson, R.B., 1972:
Lithium-rubidium-cesium micas; in The Tanco Pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba,
ed. L.G. Berry; The Canadian Mineralogist, v. 11, Part 3, p.
690-707.
Simpson, F., 1974: The mineralogy of pollucite and beryl from the
Tanco pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba; M.Sc Thesis, University of Manitoba
(copy in GSC library MR 8255.S 61).
Springer, G.D., 1950: Mineral deposits of
the Cat Lake-Winnipeg River area; Manitoba Mines Branch, Publication 49-7,
14p.
Trueman, D.L. and Turnock, A.C., 1982: Bird River greenstone belt,
southeast Manitoba: geology and mineral deposits; Geological Association of
Canada - Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting (Winnipeg,
Manitoba), Field Trip Guidebook, Trip No. 9, p. 1-16.
Zahalan, R.G., 1980:
Mining in Manitoba; Manitoba Department of Energy and Mines, Mineral Resources
Division, Educational Series ES80-3, p. 30-33.
MAP REFERENCES
#Map 52L/6, West, Ryerson Lake (Topographic) Scale 1:50 000, Mines
& Technical Surveys, Canada.
Map 1194 G, Ryerson Lake (Aeromagnetic),
Scale 1:63 360, Manitoba Mines Branch and Geological Survey of Canada.
Map
49-7, Cat Lake-Winnipeg River area (Geology), Scale 1:63 360 - Accompanying
Report by Springer (1950), Manitoba Mines Branch.
Map 54-1, Bird Lake area
(Geology), Scale 1:12 000 - Accompanying Report by Davies (1955), Manitoba Mines
Branch.
Preliminary Map 1975 F-9, Bird River area East (Geology), Scale 1:31
680, by D.L. Trueman, Manitoba Mines Branch.
Map ER80-1-1, Cat Lake-Winnipeg
River pegmatite field (Geology), Scale 1:100 000 - Accompanying Report by Cerny
et al.(1981), Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.
Map ER80-1-3, Winnipeg
River pegmatite district (structural geology), Scale 1:50 000 - Accompanying
Report by Cerny et al.(1981), Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.
Claim Map
Series NW 6, 52L, Scale 1:31 680, Mining Recording, Manitoba Mines
Branch.
URL
N/A
REMARKS
1. In 1956, Lithium Corporation had carried out surface diamond
drilling (656 m (2l52 ft) in four holes) here, and succeeded in extending the
Chemalloy pegmatite westward. Also, a second body, about 38 m (125 ft) beneath
the upper, was intersected. It contains lithia-bearing material and beryl.
Gallium was found in the lithia mica sections. Chemalloy, in 1961, drilled four
holes totalling 734 m (2407 ft), on the Noble claims. Only one of these
intersected pegmatite.
2. Mineral Inventory Cards 52 L/6 SN 2, LI 8, CS 1 and
TA l form a continuous series.
NOTES
N/A
Compiled/Revised
by:
JDB AJ CFL HRW HDB PA
Date
11/73 07/75 11/78 02/82 04/82 04/88
