Noranda Letter
Mr. Pierre Gaucher
Instrumentation GDD
860, boul. de la Chaudiere
Quebec (Quebec) G1X 4B7
Re: Use of the Beep Mat in the discovery of the Tortigny deposit
Dear Sir:
As requested, I have the pleasure to briefly describe to you the role played by the Beep Mat tm during surveys that led to the discovery of the Tortigny deposit.
Tortigny is a massive sulfide deposit rich in Cu and Zn. It is located in the Frotet-Troilus greenstone belt, about 100 km north of Chibougamau (Quebec, Canada). In 1995, a drilling campaign defined a near-surface resource (0-200m) of 330,000 t assaying 2,6% Cu, 5,75% Zn and 73g/t Ag.
In 1993, computerized compilation and research works were done and led to the definition of several exploration targets for the discovery of base metals in the Troilus greenstone belt. In the summer of 1994, a four-man geological team, including myself, was mandated to investigate these different targets and to define their potential. As many of these targets were characterized by the presence of INPUT anomalies, it was clear from the beginning that we needed the Beep Mat to correctly evaluate them.
During our first visit in the Tortigny area, it was evident that the INPUT anomalies of the area were caused by an horizon of pyriptic and graphitic argilite. However, we were intrigued by an outcrop next to a swampy zone that looked silicified and seemed to contain some chacopyrite veinlets that caused the Beep Mat to "beep". As we came back to check and prospect the surrounding area, we localized, with a hammer, the first mineralized float that turned out to contain more that 15 % Zn. From then on, we had no more doubts about the usefulness of the Beep Mat tm. It allowed us to localize more than a dozen of massive sulfide floats, rich in Cu and Zn, in the swampy zone. The blocks were covered by moss and by a few centimetres of overburden. They led us directly to the source which was also located by the Beep Mat.
We are currently pursuing our exploration campaign in that greenstone horizon. We hope to find other mineralized showings that will hopefully lead us to an economic-size deposit. For that campaign, we will continue to systematically use Beep Mats.
Yours very truly,
Michel Dessureault, Eng.
Project Geologist- Eastern Canada
Mines et exploration Noranda Inc.
Phone: (819) 762-0813
Update note: As of September 1997, the Tortigny deposit is in the stage of a feasibility study for a mine exploitation.
