The Cobalt Properties are located along the
eastern margin of the Superior structural province of the Canadian Shield
within the Cobalt Embayment.The Cobalt Embayment is an inferred basinal
area that has produced in excess of 450 million ounces of silver, 24.8
million pounds of cobalt, 3.2 million pounds of copper, 3.1 million pounds
of nickel and 1.2 million pounds of lead, throughout its 90 years of
previous mining history. This makes it one of the largest silver producing
areas in the world. The basinal area consists of three main geological
units, all of which are host to mineralization in one form or another. The
three main units within this structural province include the Proterozoic
clastic sediments of the Huronian Supergroup which unconformably overlay
Archean basement rocks of the Keewatin Formation, both of which were later
intruded by late stage Nippissing diabase dykes and sills.
For complete details, download the CobaltGeology Report (2002) in PDF format in new
window. 5MB prepared for Cabo Mining
Interest recently has been shown in the underlying rocks of the Keewatin
Formation. These rocks consist primarily of volcanics and interflow
sediments of the polymetallic Sturgeon Lake and Texas Kidd Creek genre,
comparable to host rocks which contain Falconbridge's Kidd Creek massive
sulfide deposit in Timmins, Ontario. Several senior and junior mining
companies have undertaken limited exploration work within the Cobalt and
the surrounding area looking for similar Kidd Creek styles of
mineralization. However, until recently no company has been able to
assemble a large enough mineral property portfolio to carry out a
significant regional exploration program for volcanogenic massive sulfides
in the history of the Cobalt Camp.
Previous exploration work performed on the property focused primarily on
the silver and cobalt potential of the individual properties and neglected
to address the massive sulfide potential of the area. Work performed by
several mining companies who have had varying interests in the Cobalt
Properties and adjacent ground included grid line cutting, ground
geophysics in the form of ground magnetics, and VLF-EM, trenching and
drilling. Follow-up exploration work included several adits, drifts and
crosscuts carried out by various operators in an attempt to intercept
probable and possible ore zones containing silver, cobalt and other
related minerals.
In 1997-98, Branchwater pursued the silver-cobalt potential in the area.
It undertook an Agreement with Outcrop Explorations Limited. Branchwater's program in 1998 consisted of
underground rehabilitation, surface sampling and diamond drilling. Results
of Branchwater's efforts, although limited, outlined the viability in the
area of a small silver-cobalt deposit and the possibility of finding
massive sulfides. Thereafter, Branchwater sought out a partner for the
project area and entered into and finalized negotiations with Cabo in late
1998.
