James Bay
The James Bay territory is huge and relatively unexplored. The discovery of the Roberto deposit (inferred and indicated resources totalling 5.3 million ounces of gold, www.goldcorp.com) in 2004 by Virginia Gold Mines Inc. revitalized mineral exploration in this area. There are also two other major deposits. The Réservoir deposit (10 Mt at 0.65 g/t Au and 0.12% Cu) and the Eau Claire deposit (inferred and indicated resources totalling 990,000 ounces of gold). These discoveries make the James Bay territory one of the most promising gold regions in North America.
Arianne Resources Inc. has been exploring the James Bay territory since 2005. It has three properties at different stages of exploration. On the Opinaca property, five gold showings have been drilled to a depth of 350 m. Several sites were stripped by machinery on the Lac H property, held in partnership with Soquem, to search for volcanogenic mineralization. The Komo property hosts lithium mineralization and two gold showings were discovered there during traverses.
All of Arianne’s properties are accessible by road and crossed by power lines.
Opinaca property
Location and geology
The Opinaca property is located just south of Opinaca reservoir. It is contiguous to the southeast with the Lac H property. The property is 100% owned by Arianne Resources.
Since 2006, 84 holes have been drilled primarily on the Contact Zone, Chino, Isabelle, Bull and Aïeul showings. These showings are located near a volcanosedimentary contact. The first four showings are located on either side of the Acotago Fault. The mineralization occurs in the form of gold-bearing quartz veins and quartz-carbonate stockwork. In 2009, a new showing with 28.3 g/t Au was discovered along the Acotago Fault, 1.5 km south of previously identified mineralized zones.
Contact Zone
This zone is located within the sedimentary rocks west of the Acotago Fault. The mineralization consists of boudinaged auriferous quartz veins. The Zone includes two horizons (A and B), which have been traced to a vertical depth of more than 350 metres. For example, here are a few intersections obtained along certain holes:
- 4.02 g/t Au over 3.60 m (OPI-06-02 from 56.45 to 60.05 m)
- 4.73 g/t Au over 3.10 m (OPI-06-16 from 132.55 to 135.65 m)
- 2.38 g/t Au over 1.50 m and 2.97 g/t Au over 1.65 m (OPI-06-32 from 211.05 to 212.55 m and from 217.75 to 219.40 m)
- 2.13 g/t Au over 3 m and 2.15 g/t Au over 3.8 m (OPI-08-02 from 413.00 to 416.00 m and from 440.40 to 444.20 m).
The first three drill holes contained visible gold (VG). The lateral extension of this zone on surface is in the order of 600 metres. Grab samples graded up to 34.75g/t Au.
Typical cross section
Longitudinal section
Chino Zone
The zone lies within the volcanics south of the volcanosedimentary contact and east of the Acotago Fault. The gold mineralization is confined to a folded quartz vein and its altered walls. The surface sampling returned values of up to 92.9 g/t Au over 1.4 m. Intersections in the order of 14.58 g/t Au over 5.4 m (OPI-08-10 from 85.15 to 90.55 m) and 3.57 g/t Au over 1.75 m (OPI-08-11 from 97.25 to 99.00 m) were obtained in drill holes that targeted the depth extension of the intersection grading 1.15 g/t Au over 5.50 m in OPI-06-41 (from 37.80 to 43.30 m). The Chino Zone was intersected to a vertical depth of 100 metres and still remains open at depth. It has a lateral extension of more than 60 metres visible on surface. It remains open laterally toward the south-southeast, under Chino Lake.
Isabelle Zone
Located just west of the Acotago Fault, the zone lies in the eastern extension of the Contact Zone. It consists of a folded quartz vein that yielded an intersection of 31.44 g/t Au over 2.6 m along drill hole OPI-06-34. It is still poorly defined and remains open at depth.
Bull Zone
The zone lies just east of the Acotago Fault. It is hosted by pyritized sedimentary rocks with carbonate and biotite alteration, which returned intersections along drill holes such as:
- 1.52 g/t Au over 13.60 m (OPI-06-37 from 75.10 to 88.70 m)
- 1.50 g/t Au over 5.75m (OPI-06-38 from 135.25 to 141.00 m).
Lac H property :
Location and geology :
The Lac H property is contiguous with the Opinaca property in the northwest. It is jointly owned by Arianne (50%) and SOQUEM (50%).
The property is particularly interesting for two reasons. It is located along the extension of the gold-bearing corridor of the Opinaca Property (100% Arianne Resources Inc.). In fact, a sample grading 1.8 g/t Au and 0.28% Cu was taken on the property near this contact.
It also hosts the Lac H Volcanic Complex (LHVC). Two years of exploration and 14 mechanical stripping sites within the LHVC brought to light a hydrothermal system highly prospective for the discovery of volcanogenic massive sulphides. At several locations, pyrrhotite-pyrite-bearing massive sulphide horizons (1a) have been discovered, as have major volcaniclastic units with numerous massive sulphide clasts (1b). Zones of intense hydrothermal alteration have been identified (2a and 2b). A pillow breccia with a pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite matrix was also revealed by stripping (3). Many InfiniTEM anomalies remain unexplored.
The Lac H property is contiguous to the Opinaca property. It is located 380 km north of Matagami, James Bay, Quebec. The Lake H property is the subject of a joint venture between Arianne (50%) and SOQUEM (50%). Access to the property is relatively easy, especially since SEBJ just built a road across a good number of the claims.
Komo property :
Location and geology :
The Komo property is located on either side of the Km 381 service area. It hosts the Komo Formation and a swarm of spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes.
Lithium showings
Spodumene is a lithium mineral essential for manufacturing a number of batteries including those of electric cars or hybrids. The lithium-bearing dyke swarm on the property is over 4 km long and 200 m wide and is represented by the Cyr-2 and Cyr-Lithium showings. Twenty-five claims (the brown area on the map) are currently under option to Lithium One Inc.
Gold showings
The Esta gold showing was discovered in 2007. It is hosted by a chert unit. The gold is associated with graphite- and arsenopyrite-rich bands. The best intersection obtained by channel sampling was 2.38 g/t Au over 0.75 m.
In 2009, a second gold showing grading 1.08 g/t Au was discovered 1.4 km east of the Esta showing. It consists of disseminated arsenopyrite in a context similar to the latter.
