Raglan 1.2

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RAGLAN – Magmatic Ni
Quebec, Canada
Raglan Mine Camp (Falconbridge)
General Characteristics
• Proterozoic ultramafics
• Pentlandite and pyrrhotite, with chalcopyrite, magnetite and pyrite
• Ni, Cu, (Co, PGEs)
General Geology
The mineralisation at Raglan consists of sulphide lenses associated with Proterozoic
ultramafic flows that lie along the contact of tholeiitic basalts and sediments of the
Povungnituk Group and komatiitic basalts of the Chukotat Group within the Labrador
Trough. Nine peridotitic flows contain significant mineralisation over a distance of 55km.
The nine areas are: Donaldson, Boundary, West Boundary, 13-15, 5-8, Kaatinniq, 2-3,
East Lake and Cross Lake. These ultramafic bodies contain sulphide mineralisation,
mostly in the form of pentlandite and pyrrhotite, but also contain chalcopyrite, magnetite
and pyrite with associated cobalt and platinum-group metals.
The Kaatinniq (sometimes spelt Katiniq) ultramafic lens hosts the main orebodies
and comprises a concordant lenticular body of olivine mesocumulate to orthocumulate.
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Raglan deposits
Surface Geochemical Criteria

Regional scale (800m spacing) stream sediments around the Donaldson Deposit gave
a Ni anomaly of 3.5 km2 and a Cu anomaly of 3.52. On a detailed scale (80m spacing)
the anomalies were 0.1 km2 for Ni and 0.2 km2 for Cu (Beaumier, pers. comm., and
Allan, 1973).
Lithogeochemistry and Elemental Zoning

Several (confidential) studies have been undertaken for Falconbridge through
Laurentian University (MERC), for which details are not available. In addition, work on
the geochemistry of rocks in the Raglan Block has been published (Burnham et al.,
1999a, 1999b, 2001). Burnham et al., 1999a published data on the geochemistry of
representative volcanic rocks from the Raglan Block (below). They note, too, that the
PGE contents of the olivine- and pyroxene-phyric basalts are highly enriched relative to
most oceanic basalts and resemble those reported for komatiitic basalts elsewhere.
Although these publications provide comprehensive lithogeochemical studies pertaining
to petrogenesis, they do not provide information on the extent of the geochemical
footprint of the Raglan ores. However, consideration of the chemistry of the individual
volcanic flows sheds light on the potential extent of a recognizable footprint signature.
Hence by mapping these flows it might be possible to establish a lithogeochemical ore
footprint.
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Analyses of Raglan Block volcanics (Burnham et al., 1999a)

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Alteration
Remobilized ore is very rich in Cu and PGEs
Isotopes and Fluid Inclusions

No information
Gaps in Knowledge
Large gaps in all areas, although there appear to be a number of studies conducted for
which the information is not in the public domain (e.g. Laurentian University – MERC).
Geochemical Footprint
9 peridotitic flows within a 55 km belt – sketch maps indicate up to
~10 km in length by several 100m in width
Exploration medium Yes/No Details

Soils – conventional N
Soils – selective extraction N
Regolith N
Drainage sediments Y Small Ni, Cu anomalies in stream seds.
Glacial sediments N
Surface waters N
Formation waters N
Organic samples N
Gases N
Hydrocarbons N
Lithogeochemistry Y Confidential (Laurentian – MERC)
Alteration halo ? Remobilized ore is very rich in Cu and PGEs
Fluid inclusions N
Isotopes N
Other N
References
Allan, R.J., 1973. Surficial dispersion of trace metals in arctic Canada: A Ni deposit,
Raglan area, Cape Smith-Wakeham Bay Belt, Ungava. GSC paper 73-1, part B,
9-19.
Burnham, O.M., Lesher, C.M., Keays, R.R., 1999a. Geochemistry and petrogenesis of
mafic and ultramafic rocks from the Raglan Block, northern Québec, Canada.
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, P41B-08, San Francisco, EOS, p.
F625-626.
Burnham, O.M., Lesher, C.M. and Keays, R.R., 1999b. Geochemistry of mafic-
ultramafic complexes and associated basalts in the Raglan Block, in C.M. Lesher
(Editor), Komatiitic Peridotite-Hosted Fe-Ni-Cu-(PGE) Sulphide Deposits in the
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Raglan Area, Cape Smith Belt, New Québec. Guidebook Series, v. 2, Mineral
Exploration Research Centre, Laurentian University, Sudbury, p. 159-173.
Burnham, O.M., Lesher, C.M., Keays, R.R., 2001. Geochemical evolution of mafic and
ultramafic magmas in the Raglan Block of the Cape Smith Fold Belt, Northern
Quebec. GAC-MAC Annual Meeting, Abstracts Volume, St. John’s, p. 19.
Chisholm, K.M., Welch, M.J., Lemery, R.G. and Nemcsok, G., 1999. Mine Geology of
the Katinniq and Zone 2 Ni-Cu-(PGE) Sulphide Deposits, Cape Smith Belt, New
Quebec, in C.M. Lesher (Editor), Komatiite Peridotite-Hosted Fe-Ni-Cu-(PGE)
Sulphide Deposits in the Raglan Area, Cape Smith Belt, New Quebec,
Guidebook Series, v.2., Mineral Exploration Research Centre, Laurentian
University, Sudbury, p.150-158.
Fedorowich, J.S., 1999. Structural geology of the Raglan Belt. in Lesher, C.M.,
(Editor), Komatiitic peridotite-hosted Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposits in the Raglan area,
Cape Smith Belt, New Quebec. Guidebook Series v.2, MERC, Laurentian
University, Sudbury, p. 35-42.
Lesher, C.M., Barnes, S.J., Gilles, M., and Ripley, E.M., 1999, Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulphides in
the Raglan Block, in Lesher, C.M., (ed.), Komatiitic Peridotite-hosted Fe-Ni-Cu-
(PGE) Sulphide deposits in the Raglan area, Cape Smith Belt, New Quebec:
Guidebook Series, v. 2, Mineral Exploration Research, p. 177-184.

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1

Raglan Mine Camp (Falconbridge)

Surface Geochemical Criteria

Lithogeochemistry and Elemental Zoning

Analyses of Raglan Block volcanics (Burnham et al., 1999a)

Isotopes and Fluid Inclusions

Exploration medium Yes/No Details

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