Lac Brulé is a Ni-Cu exploration project located in the upper Laurentian region of Québec. A maiden drill program was carried out in July 2023 that discovered an ultramafic magmatic intrusive complex hosting significant Ni-Cu mineralisation.
Sama Resources Inc. launched the Lac Brulé Ni-Cu project in the province of Québec, Canada by acquiring a total of 480 exploration claims in the Nivernais and Esgriseilles Townships in 2020-2022.
Back in the 1980s, Dr. Audet had become aware of the geological potential in this region. Regional magnetometry, gravity maps as well as data from provincial stream and lake sediment sampling programs were used to delineate the geological potential that led to the discovery of a Ni-Cu gossan in May 2021.
No previous exploration had been carried out on the Lac Brulé property.
In May 2021, Dr. Audet made the first field visit with the intention of validating his assumptions. This led to the discovery of a mineralized ultramafic horizon to the east of the property, which can be easily spotted from the large gossan that is present at the surface (more than 450m in length and 65m in width).
The host of the gossan was described as mainly made up of massive pyroxenite with large crystals of pyroxene (and/or amphibole) and inclusions of serpentinized olivine. Puddles of interstitial sulfides (up to 5%) are present throughout, the latter being mainly formed of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and possibly pyrite and pentlandite. The surrounding units in the field predominantly consist of gneiss and granulites, and one may also notice the presence of massive garnet amphibolites.
In December 2021, SRQ commissioned Xcalibur Multiphysics to complete a 1,493 line-km MAG-HELITEM II survey on Lac Brulé.
Metamorphism is of high grade. It varies from amphibolite facies up to granulite facies. The regional structure has significant deformations, but it is notable that the regional foliation is characterized by a very low dip of 15 to 20°. The pyroxenite unit shows a discreet mineralogical foliation that weakly slopes towards the south.
More geological detailed works are needed, but already it could be interpreted that the mineralisation observed in the pyroxenite horizon clearly corresponds to the roof of a structure that is open downwards.
In August 2022, ground IP and EM surveys were performed on the North grid and South (Gossan) grid, respectively. Results for these surveys confirmed location and intensities of conductors outlined by the airborne EM survey. In July 2023, SRQ conducted a maiden drilling program comprising 13 drill holes for 3,950m on the Gossan Zone.
Analogies with Renzy historical mine and Nova Bollinger deposit, Australia
Several similarities can be drawn between the defunct Renzy Ni-Cu mine and the Australian Nova Bollinger Ni-Cu deposit. According to the literature, the “Renzy peridotite might have been injected in a pre-existent fold structure at a late stage of folding. i.e., its actual form is essentially the same as at the time of its emplacement and therefore has not been affected by any posterior folds. If true, this statement implies that the location of all the magmatic sulphide segregations is linked to the present contour of the peridotite body and not related to the sill’s original contours, which have been folded after solidification”.
The Lac Brulé project area lies within the western part of the Grenville geological province. The Grenville province has been the subject of only a handful of studies, most of which were close to the former Renzy Ni-Cu-PGE mine. No detailed study or prospective activity has ever been reported on the Lac Brulé project.
According to J. Martignole et al., 1997, the Grenville Province consists of a reworked Archean promontory partly covered by Proterozoic allochthons and two Proterozoic metasedimentary and metaigneous terranes, which are probably allochthonous. J. Martignole et al., 1997 proposed the possibility of late-Archean exhumation of high-grade terranes along the Front. South of the Front, two types of ductile shear zone are responsible for the geometry of terranes in this part of the Grenville Province. The first type corresponds to the boundary of allochthons transported onto the Archean parautochthon. The corresponding structures are not directly dated but reheating of the parautochthon at about 1,020 Ma (U–Pb ages on monazite) sets a minimum age for thrusting in this area.
No historical prospecting or ground exploration had been reported from the Lac Brulé area prior to SRQ’s involvement. The past-producing Renzy Ni-Cu mine, which operated until the early 1970s, is the closest mining activity with historical information available. Following the 1955 discovery of Renzy mineralisation, a series of prospectors and mining companies carried out field scouting trips but only in proximity to the mine site. The Company is targeting Ni and Cu mineralisation at Lac Brulé that could be similar to those at the Renzy mine and at other known Ni-Cu deposits in Canada and worldwide.
Only the Gossan Zone has been drilled.
Holes LB-23-01 to -05 and LB-23-10 to -13 were drilled at the main 600m-long, NE-SW oriented conductive zone. Holes LB-23-06 to -08 tested a smaller conductive zone 500m north of the first one. Hole LB-23-09 was used for geological purposes to help understand the geological sequencing.
The Ni-Cu mineralisation encountered is characterized by cumulate and aggregates of iron, copper and nickel sulphides: pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite, respectively. Pyrrhotite is the dominant sulphide with visible chalcopyrite. Pentlandite can be seen mixed with pyrrhotite. The textures of the sulphide mineralisation vary from disseminated to semi-massive to massive (> 80% of sulphide material) showing net-texture or brecciated sulfides between pyroxene and amphiboles. Thin massive sulphides horizons are intercalated and sometimes associated with garnet-rich xenoliths.Cobalt mineralisation is present in the sulphide material on hole LB-23-06.
Scientific and technical information contained on this page have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, Ph. D geology, P. Geo and President and CEO of SRQ Resources, and a ‘Qualified Person’, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
The technical report entitled “Lac Brûlé, Cantons Nivernais et Esgriseilles, Outaouais, PQ, NI 43-101 Technical Report”, with an effective date of June 27, 2023 was prepared by Mr. François Goulet (P. Geo) and by Mr. Joel Simard (Geophysicist P. Geo/Geoph), both “Qualified Persons” for the purpose of the Technical Report.
