EXPLORATION AND UNIQUENESS ARE CENTRAL
The platinum group element (PGE) deposits at Lac des Iles (LDI) are truly one-of-a-kind, due to their structurally-controlled sub-vertical orientation, unusually large thickness and atypical, selective enrichment in palladium relative to platinum.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SITES
- In their simplest form, the LDI palladium deposits can be explained as the product of a vertical “plumbing system” in which Bushveld-like noritic magmas flowed upward along pre-existing regional feeder faults. Flow sorting of dense sulfide particles appears to explain the current distribution of platinum group metals, gold and base metal sulfides within the deposits.
- Impala Canada believes at least two major feeder structures have provided the critical pathways for palladium-rich magma to form the South LDI Complex, which hosts all past and present mineral resources on the property.
- Sulfides and palladium were concentrated within and directly adjacent to these structures.
- The LDI carrier magmas have strong geochemical similarities to the noritic magmas that produced the Merensky and UG2 Reefs and the Platreef deposit in South Africa’s Bushveld platinum mining district.
UNDERGROUND EXPLORATION
LDI’s two principal ore zones are the semi-continuous Roby and Offset zones. In the central parts of both, palladium grades commonly average 4 grams per tonne over true widths of 10–30 metres with maximum mining widths in the sublevel shrinkage (SLS) mining method area, reaching 100 metres. The highest-grade parts of these zones exceed 10 grams per tonne of palladium over true widths of several metres. The Roby-Offset ore body remains open to the South and at depth, across and below the Camp Lake Fault.
There are also many satellite zones to the main deposit, including C-Zone located to the West of the Offset zone and B2, B3 and Sheriff South located to the South.
Within the underground, the primary exploration target is the Camp Lake zone. It is believed to be the extension of the Roby-Offset deposit at depth. The Camp Lake zone is separated from the Offset Zone by the Camp Lake fault, and lies roughly 1,800 metres below surface, exhibiting the same sub-vertical geometry as the Offset and Roby zones. Drilling and modeling results to date indicate the Camp Lake zone extends roughly 650 metres vertically, with a thickness of up to 100 metres. The Camp Lake zone remains open along strike and at depth. See the image below.
SURFACE EXPLORATION
Numerous near-surface exploration opportunities exist at the LDI Mine property. The greatest potential lies in the East Mine Block. All current surface exploration targets are located within two kilometres of the Lac des Iles Mill; they include the Baker Zone, Stella Zone and Creek Zone targets.
Since 2018, the following work has been conducted in this area:
- A re-assessment of the potential for near-surface palladium mineralization in the East Mine Block
- Subsequent airborne and ground geophysical surveys to study induced polarization, magnetotellurics, drone-based magnetics and gravity
- Most recently, a drilling and trenching program in 2023 to test the corridor between Stella and Creek Zones at surface.
