PROJECTS
Shebandowan
Overview
Sky Gold’s Shebandowan Portfolio consists of two properties located 80 & 125 kilometres west of the city of Thunder Bay. Both properties can be accessed by the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 17) and a network of all-weather roads. Such transportation infrastructure provides good access to conduct mineral exploration programs on both properties, year-round.
Shebandowan Property
The nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group element (Ni-Cu-Co-PGE) Shebandowan Property comprises 5,894 hectares and is situated within the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt in northwestern Ontario. The project is located proximal and in a similar geologic setting as to that of the past-producing Shebandowan Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposit, mined by Inco Ltd., during the period of 1970 to 1998.
Historic Glacial-In-Till Samples
A cluster of strong in-glacial till geochemical anomalies were delineated by an Ontario Geological Survey investigation of the Shebandowan greenstone belt (Bajc 2000), highlighting values up to 345 ppm Ni, 44 ppm Co, 398 ppm Cr and 3.6 ppb Pt. These geochemical anomalies are closely related to mafic and ultramafic rocks on the property, with several electromagnetic conductors occurring along stratigraphic trend from these anomalies.
Exploration Targets
A 2023 VTEM airborne geophysical survey identified 8 high-priority targets selected for follow-up work and drilling. All targets are coincident with mafic and ultramafic rocks and the crustal-scale Tinto Fault and related splays, displaying similarities in geologic and structural setting with that of the adjacent Shebandowan Ni-Cu-Co-PGE mine.
Strongly anomalous values of 345, 191, 103 ppm nickel are closely associated with conductors defined by the survey.
Historic Mingold Anomaly
Geochemistry completed by Mingold in 1990 defined a strong persistent gold anomaly with values of up to 5,250 ppb Au. The anomaly is straddled by 2 ENE-trending faults in heavy mineral concentrates and in conventional glacial till sampling, and has not been drill tested.
Looking Forward
- Modelling of high-priority VTEM conductors to determine size, shape and strength
- Prospecting and geological mapping of property, in locale of coincident VTEM conductors, geochemical anomalies & mafic/ultramafic rocks
- Detailed soil/till sampling to more accurately delineate extent and strength of regional nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE anomalies
- Detailed soil sampling at site of the Mingold Au Anomaly to determine its areal extent and strength
- Follow-up trenching and diamond drilling targeting magmatic Ni-Co-Co-PGE & orogenic gold deposits
Sungold Property
The Sungold property exhibits striking similarities with the geologic setting of the past producing Shebandowan mine. At Sungold, an extensive mafic to ultramafic sill complex, forms the base of the greenstone belt. The ultramafic rocks comprising the sill complex are strongly serpentinized, characterized by the presence of magnetite and talc. These altered ultramafic bodies, are reflected by the presence of linear magnetic highs, similar to what is seen at Shebandowan. Additionally, the chemistry of the ultramafic rocks is identical to that of the host rocks at the Shebandowan mine, in terms of MgO content (komatiites).
Exploration Targets
Four priority Ni-Cu-Co-PGE target areas have been identified on the property, all characterized by the presence of ultramafic rocks proximal to the crustal-scale Knife Lake fault. Such ultramafic rocks are intimately associated with strong conductors identified by the 2023 VTEM airborne geophysical survey.
Looking Forward
- Trenching and diamond drilling of prospective VTEM conductors / magnetic highs coincident with mafic and ultramafic rocks
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