East Sudbury Project (ESP) IOCG Exploration Project
Ontario, Canada Gold, Copper, Cobalt, PGMs, Uranium
Canuc Resources Corporation (TSX-V: CDA, OTCQB: CNUCF, WKN: A14ZX4) holds a 100% ownership interest in the East Sudbury Project (ESP) located 30 km east of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
- Canuc’s East Sudbury Project (ESP) is a gold and critical mineral IOCG exploration project.
- ESP is located in a world class mining camp in a Tier 1 Mining Jurisdiction.
- ESP is developing both exploration and gold production work initiatives today.
ESP spans 19,710 hectares east of the prolific Sudbury mining camp in Ontario, Canada. This area benefits from extensive mining infrastructure, an abundance of qualified and experienced mineral industry professionals and several centers of mining and mineral processing excellence (Figure #1).
Figure #1 ESP, Regional Map
ESP is surrounded by claims and mining operations that are owned and operated by some of the world’s largest polymetallic mining companies (Figure #2).
Figure #2 ESP, Property Map
Surrounding claims are held and operated by: Glencore Canada Corp., Vale Canada Ltd., Magna Mining Inc., Inventus Mining Corp., New Age Metals Inc. and SPC Nickel Corp.
ESP has World Class Potential (IOCG Deposit Type)
Dr. Louise Corriveau (Geological Survey of Canada) first proposed in 2007 that the smaller scale gold and copper deposits found in the eastern Sudbury region may be derived from the Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) classification of ore deposits. *
The implications of this could be profound for the geological and economic potential of gold, copper and critical mineral deposits in the area.
Since most of the gold-copper deposits in the Sudbury area are small and inactive, they have received little research pertaining to their origin. The only deposit to receive research into the mineralization style is the Scadding Gold Mine which is located within Canuc’s East Sudbury Project (ESP). *
Schandl and Gordon (2007) determined that the Scadding Gold Mine and surrounding area fulfils all of the classification criteria for an IOCG deposit type ore genesis model.
Ref: NI 43-101 Technical Report for the SPJ Project, 18.October.2019
The ESP encompasses several areas of gold, copper and critical mineral mineralization which are today interpreted to be related to a mineral system that has formed IOCG and affiliated critical and precious mineral deposits. Included within the Project is the historical Scadding Gold Mine and associated gold mineralized system and the gold bearing tailings (Figure #3).
Figure #3 ESP, Claim Map
ESP Claim Map showing the geologically significant McLaren Fault Zone (MLFZ), past producing Scadding Gold Mine, other locally occurring past producing gold and copper mines and the Scadding gold bearing tailings.
The East Sudbury Project spans 19,710 hectares and hosts several past producing gold and copper mines over (3) three distinct mineralized trends with IOCG ore genesis potential.
McLaren Fault Zone (MLFZ) (IOCG Deposit Type Potential)
There is a rapidly growing body of evidence supporting the potential for an Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold (IOCG) deposit within an emerging MIAC (Metasomatic Iron and Alkali-Calcic) mineralized system on the Alwyn copper-gold trend within the ESP. The Alwyn copper-gold trend parallels the McLaren Fault Zone (MLFZ) which extends for over 12.5 km of strike length, trending NNW, across the north central portion of the company’s claims.
A Metasomatic Iron and Alkali-Calcic (MIAC) system is a geological formation where fluids from deep within the Earth’s crust alter rocks, replacing their original composition with iron-rich and alkali-calcic minerals. These systems are characterized by their association with various ore deposits, including Iron Oxide-Apatite (IOA), Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold (IOCG), and related deposits, making them significant targets for critical metal exploration.
Historical drilling along the McLaren Fault Zone (MLFZ) has identified gold and copper as high as 1.5% Cu and 3g/t Au. Gravity surveys, geological mapping and more recently seismic surveys which are supported and financed by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) all form corroborative evidence of this potential.
Pursuit of the discovery of an IOCG deposit proximal to the Scadding Gold Mine and along the McLaren Fault Zone (MLFZ) is a central feature of the ESP exploration program.
ESP’s Gold Mines
ESP includes several past producing gold mines including the Scadding Gold Mine and the Orostar Gold Mine. These gold mines were reported to have extracted 178,706 tons of gold ore and recovered a total of 26,440 oz. Au between 1984 and 1987. Head grades are estimated to have averaged in the range of 7-8 g/t Au. Gold was recovered from mined ores using a dual circuit flotation gravity mill.
There is considerable scope to find multiple further high-grade gold bearing zones in the areas beside and near to the old mine workings. Defining these zones, and permitting them as ‘bulk sample’ extractions for smaller scale, profitable gold mining, is now a central feature of the company’s ‘go forward’ strategy for developing the ESP.
There is considerable scope to find multiple further high-grade gold bearing zones in the areas proximal to old mine workings. Defining these zones, and permitting them for profitable gold recovery operations, is now a central feature of the company’s ‘go forward’ strategy for developing the ESP.
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* IOCG Potential of the gold-copper deposits in the Sudbury area:
‘Ref: Corriveau, L., 2007, Iron oxide-copper-gold deposits: a Canadian perspective, in: Goodfellow, W.D., (ed.), Mineral deposits of Canada: a synthesis of major deposit-types, district metallogeny, the evolution of geological provinces, and exploration methods: Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication 5, p. 307-308.