Model Number A-10: Epithermal Gold (SilverBase Metals)Low-Sulphidation Subtype

Synonym: Adularia-sericite subtype. Concise Description: Gold (silverbase metal) mineralization in quartz veins, breccias, stockworks, and as disseminations that formed in a near-surface (<1.5 km) environment associated with volcanic-related hydrothermal activity. Geological Environment Host Rock Types: Spatially related to volcanic centres. Intermediate to felsic volcanic flows and fine to coarsegrained pyroclastics predominate. These have a principal calc-alkaline, with less common alkaline and bimodal tholeiitic geochemical affinities. Subaerial volcanics are typically dominant but submarine volcanics may also be associated. Other common hosts include subvolcanic intrusions, commonly porphyritic, as stocks, dykes, and sills, and clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks in intravolcanic basins. In Saskatchewan, the Laurel Lake Au-Ag deposit at Amisk Lake in the Flin Flon Domain is the only well-accepted example of this deposit type. It lies within an arcuate belt of mafic to felsic metavolcanic rocks and porphyritic subvolcanic intrusions that are associated with a large volcanic vent complex. Rock Textures: Primary volcanic, sedimentary, and intrusive textures are commonly overprinted by alteration, metamorphic textures, and by deformation fabrics, shearing, and faulting. Ages of the Host Rocks and Mineralization: On a world scale this deposit type may be of any age but is most abundant in the Tertiary. This is probably related to erosion, in that these deposits are formed near to the surface and the older deposits are more likely to have been removed. The Laurel Lake deposit and other possible examples in Saskatchewan are Paleoproterozoic. The mineralization is related to the host volcanic-intrusive rocks but is epigenetic, forming somewhat later than the hosts. Depositional Environment: High-level volcanic and subvolcanic intrusive centres with related near-surface (<1.5 km) to surface (hot spring) hydrothermal activity. Fault-fracture systems associated with volcanic calderas, complexes, and grabens. Extensional structures are common. Magma-related hydrothermal fluid flow occurred along structures with subsequent deposition of mineralization at favourable structural and less commonly stratigraphic sites. Tectonic Setting: Principal convergent volcanic island arc and continental margin arc; with less common continental volcanic field environments. A large-scale extensional component is necessary to facilitate access of magma and higher-level hydrothermal fluids. More local volcanic centre related fault-fracture structures, including ring and radial faults. Extensional features such as pull-apart basins and grabens are important. Local dilatant structural features to focus the hydrothermal fluid flow. Associated Deposit Types: Epithermal Au-Aghigh-sulphidation subtype; calc-alkaline and alkaline porphyry; polymetallic vein; and placer gold deposit types. The low-sulphidation subtype occurs further removed from the volcanic vent than the high-sulphidation subtype. The Missi Island Vent Complex that hosts the Laurel Lake deposit is spatially associated to the south with a Cu-Mo-Au porphyry deposit. However the porphyry intrusion has been dated as much younger and is therefore not genetically related (Ansdell and Kyser, 1991). Deposit Description Mineralogy: Electrum and native gold are the principal ore minerals, with associated minor to >10% sulphides that may include sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and a variety of sulphosalts. Veins with high sulphide contents occur in proximity to the intrusions. Gangue minerals may include dominant quartz, with adularia, calcite, chlorite, barite, anhydrite, rhodochrosite, fluorite, and sericite. Mineralogical zoning may be present. At the Laurel Lake deposit free gold and electrum are the principal ore minerals. The Ag:Au ratio is 10:1 in the subvolcanic porphyry stock but rapidly decreases upward until the gold is equal to, or greater than, the silver content in the volcanic fragmentals. Associated sulphides include pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and the sulphosalts include tetrahedrite, tennantite, and enargite. These are zoned within the massive porphyry from north to south as a pyrite subzone, to a tetrahedrite subzone, to a chalcopyrite subzone, to a sphalerite-galena subzone. Textures and Styles of Mineralization: Variable. Tabular when controlled by fault geometry. As irregular fracture fillings and veins in stockwork and breccia. When formed by rock replacement or open-space filling may take on the form of the original host. This may range from irregular and discordant to concordant and tabular. Common textures include steeply-dipping veins, stockworks, breccia filling, layering, crustiform and comb textures, banding, and

disseminations. Vein systems are laterally extensive but ore shoots are of limited (a few hundred metres at most) vertical extent. High grade zones are commonly found in dilational structural features. Very fine-grained to microscopic replacement is typical in sedimentary host rocks. Mineralized zones may occur over large areas in the range of one to tens of square kilometres. At Laurel Lake the mineralization is in the form of granular sulphide vein systems, stockworks, disseminations, and irregular replacements. Alteration: Commonly zoned around vein or breccia-filled hydrothermal fluid conduits. Typically consist of two alteration zones: 1) inner silicification zone consisting of wall rock replacement by quartz or silica; and 2) an outer potassic-sericitic zone of quartz + K feldspar and/or sericite, or sericite, or sericite and illite-smectite. Adularia is the common K feldspar. Chlorite and calcite may be common in some deposits. Kaolinite and smectite (argillic) is common as distal alteration. Propylitic (quartz, chlorite, albite, and carbonate sericite, epidote, and pyrite) alteration may be prevalent at depth and peripherally. The Laurel Lake deposit is characterized by extensive silicification proximal to the quartz vein systems and extensive surrounding sericitization that is most pronounced in the volcanic fragmental rocks. Geological Ore Controls: 1) island arc, continental margin arc, and less common continental volcanic field settings; greenstone belts; 2) volcanic intrusive complexes; 3) principal calc-alkaline, with subordinate alkaline and bimodal tholeiitic affinities; 4) related extensional structures; 5) near-surface (<1.5 km) processes; 6) magma-related hydrothermal fluids accessed open structural features and deposited early-epigenetic mineralization at favourable structural, and to a lesser degree, stratigraphic sites; 7) occur as quartz veins, stockworks, breccia and fracture fillings, disseminations, and replacements; and 8) may have an areal extent of up to tens of square kilometres. Geochemical Signature: 1) alteration zonation (see Alteration Section above); 2) common metal zonation from top to bottom of Au-Ag, to Agbase metal, to base metal-rich, to base metal-poor pyritic zones, typically over 250 to 350 m vertically; and 3) soil and till geochemistry for common associated elements that include Hg, Sb, As, Tl, Ag, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Geophysical Signature: 1) airborne and ground magnetic surveys as an aid to map bedrock geology and fault zones; 2) ground electromagnetic surveys to locate concentrated sulphide veins; 3) ground induced-polarization/resistivity surveys to locate associated disseminated sulphides and to help to differentiate alteration zones and locate faults; and 4) short-wave infrared spectroscopy for clay alteration identification in the field. Examples (with grades and tonnages) World examples include Mount Nansen, Yukon; Creede, Colorado; Waihi, New Zealand; and Kelian, Indonesia. The Laurel Lake deposit is the only well-recognized deposit of this type in the province. It has a 2003 historical geological resource of 210 000 t grading 15 g/t Au (SMDI 2133). Recently Claude Resources Inc. and St. Eugene Mining Corporation have re-examined the deposit as a bulk-tonnage scenario with new drilling and extensive sampling of historical core. In February, 2011 they released a NI 43-101-compliant Resource Estimate with an Indicated Resource of 30 150 000 tonnes grading 0.85 g/t Au and 6.17 g/t Ag, and an Inferred Resource of 28 653 000 tonnes grading 0.64 g/t Au and 4.01 g/t Ag. Mineral locations in the La Ronge Domain that have many common characteristics with this deposit type include JoJay and Earl Lake. JoJay has a 2010, NI 43-101compliant combined Indicated and Inferred Resource Estimate of 1 050 000 t grading 4.06 g/t Au (Wescan Goldfields Inc.). Selected Bibliography Ansdell, K.M. and Kyser, T.K. (1991): The geochemistry and fluid history of the Proterozoic Laurel Lake Au-Ag deposit, Flin Flon greenstone belt; Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 28, p155-171. Coombe Geoconsultants Ltd. (1984): Gold in Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan Energy and Mines, Open File Report 84-1, 134p. McDougall, F. and Walker, T. (1987): Geology of the Laurel Lake gold-silver deposit; in Gilboy, C.F. and Vigrass, L.W. (eds.), Economic Minerals of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Geological Society, Special Publication No. 8, p44-53. Panteleyev, A. (1996): Epithermal Au-Ag: low sulphidation, model H05; British Columbia Geological Survey, Mineral Deposit Profiles, www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/MineralDepositProfiles.

Simmons, S.F., White, N.C., and John, D.A. (2005): Geological characteristics of epithermal precious and base metal deposits; in Hedenquist, J.W., Thompson, J.F.H., Goldfarb, R.J., Richards, J.P. (eds.), Economic Geology One Hundredth Anniversary Volume 1905-2005, Society of Economic Geologists, p485-522. Taylor, B. (2007): Epithermal gold deposits; in Goodfellow, W.D. (ed.), Mineral Deposits of Canada, A Synthesis of Major Deposit-Types, District Metallogeny, the Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods, Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 5, p113-140.