Industrial Minerals, Limestone (carbonate) resources, Southampton Island
Shunxin Zhang, Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office
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Project Location: Southampton Island
Timeframe: 2 weeks in July, 2013, depending on the available helicopter
Project Description
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Southampton Island covers an area of as 41,214 square kilometers; more than
2/3 of the island is covered by carbonate rocks, a portion of which may be pure
limestone and have use as an industrial mineral. Industrial-grade limestones have
a diversity of uses including acid-water treatment around mines, for the
manufacture of lime and cement, aggregate (crushed limestone), and rock dust
for explosion abatement. With a planned expansion of mining operations in the
region, the potential to locally source and manufacture industrial lime products is
feasible. Coral Harbour is the only settlement on Southampton Island. In 2009 the
Canada – Nunavut Geoscience Office (CNGO) conducted a geoscience project –
“Industrial Minerals, Limestone (carbonate) resources, Southampton Island” to
test the carbonates of Upper Ordovician Bad Cache Rapids and Churchill River
groups around Coral Harbour. Although the high-grade limestone potential
around Coral Harbour has proven limited, it continues to represent an accessible
conventional aggregate resource. In Ontario (James Bay), the Lower Silurian
Attawapiskat Formation contains high purity limestone (98-100% calcite in reef
units). Similar coeval and correlative units occur on Southampton Island, but are
undermapped and underexplored. Therefore, the CNGO proposes further
research in the prospective area on Southampton Island in 2013 to test the reefal
unit of the Attawapiskat Formation.
The primary objective of the project is to provide the detailed information about
the location, stratigraphy, petrography, geochemistry and rough dimensions
(tonnage) of selected limestone resources. The intended outcome is an
assessment of the industrial mineral (carbonate) potential in the area north-west
of Coral Harbour.
o The field work will include areas along the cost west of Coral Harbour and west of
W84°45’ (NTS map sheet 45M, 45N (excluding bird sanctuary in 12, 13, part of 9
and 16), 46C, 46D/1, 8, 9, 16, 46F/1-8, 11-14). The field activities included
geologic mapping and sample collection. The helicopter will be used to transport
research team from Coral Harbour to the filed localities.
o No any permanent / temporary structures will be erected.
o No any restoration / abandonment are planned.
Methodology
o Collect samples from outcrops of reefal unit of the Attawapiskat Formation in the
area above mentioned.
o Chip samples of limestones will be collect from the outcrops within every 1-1.5 m
intervals using the hammers.
o The Southampton Island, where the community Coral Harbour settles, is in the
region with a planned expansion of mining operations, and has the potential to
locally source and manufacture industrial lime products.
Data
o The data will be available to the public; any organizations and individuals can use
them for free after they are published.
Reporting
o The research result will be published as Open File of Geological Survey of
Canada. Prior to formal release the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office will
make the findings available to the community of Coral Harbour.