Regional Geology

The Blue Quartz project is situated within the west-central portion of the Abitibi Greenstone belt. The oldest rocks which underlie the area are volcanic rocks with predominantly tholeiitic basalts with lesser komatiitic basalts, calc-alcaline andesites to rhyolites. and sedimentary rocks, which have been intruded by dykes, sills and batholiths which range from granite to gabbro to peridotite in composition. Syn-volcanic intrusives include peridotite and gabbro, to syenite and felsic porphyries. The sediments are locally derived clastics that can contain cherty exhalites, iron formation, and carbonate beds. The entire volcano-sedimentary succession has been divided stratigraphically and litho-chemically into four mega-cycles. The properties fall near the base of the third mega-cycle in rocks of the Stoughton-Roquemaure mafic volcanic formation and at the top of the second mega-cycle in the Hunter Mine felsic fragmental formations.

The general geology of the Beatty Township area is described by J. Satterly and H. Armstrong (ODM Volume LVI, Part VII – Geology of Beatty Township, 1947). They describe the area as being underlain by Archean pillow lavas, felsic volcaniclastics, and clastic sediments that are intruded by peridotite and gabbro bodies; all of which have been cut by north trending Matachewan quartz diabase dykes and northeast trending Keweenawan olivine diabase dykes.

All rocks are Precambrian in age, and have been regionally metamorphosed to middle green schist facies or lower. Regionally, the rocks strike in an east-west direction and dip near vertical.

Northeast trending diabase dyke, which cut all rock units, represent the youngest rocks in the area.

Major structural deformation zones including the Porcupine Destor Fault, Pipestone Fault and Munro Fault, occur in the region. These structures are spatially associated with several current and past producing gold mines and prospects, including the Glimmer mine in Beatty Township, Jonpol Exploratons in Garrison Township and the Lightning Zone in Harker and Holloway Townships.