Model Number A-13: Banded Iron Formation

Concise Description: Bedded, iron-rich (15% Fe), chemical sedimentary rock that consists of interlayered iron-rich beds and chert, quartz, or carbonate. Most iron formation is well laminated to bedded and is referred to as banded iron formation (BIF). The two main subtypes are the Lake Superior type and the Algoma type. Geological Environment Host Rock Types: Iron formation is a chemical sedimentary rock that consists of oxide, silicate, carbonate, and sulphide-facies iron-rich minerals interlayered with chert, quartz, carbonate, or fine-grained clastic or chemical sediments. Associated rock types, dependent on the depositional environment, may include mafic-(ultramafic) volcanic rocks, intermediate to felsic tuffs, quartz-rich sedimentary rocks, shale, greywacke, carbonaceous sedimentary rocks, and dolostone. In Saskatchewan these rocks have been metamorphosed to greenschist facies or higher grades. Rock Textures: Iron formations are sedimentary rocks that are laminated or bedded on a scale of millimetres to metres with alternating layers of iron-rich and iron-poor minerals. The mineralogy is usually recrystallized and coarsened by medium to high-grade metamorphism. Age of Host Rocks and Mineralization: On a world scale the significant iron formation deposits range from Archean to Mesoproterozoic in age. In Saskatchewan most iron formations are Paleoproterozoic in age, although not all have been definitively dated, including the large iron formations in the sub-Phanerozoic in central Saskatchewan near Choiceland. Depositional Environment: Iron formation deposition results from the syngenetic precipitation of iron-rich minerals in a marine setting due to hydrothermal exhalative activity on the ocean floor. There are two main types of banded iron formation; Lake Superior type and Algoma type. The Lake Superior type formed in platformforedeep settings on the margins of Archean cratons. Associated rock types include dolostone, arkose, quartzite, black shale, conglomerate, and minor volcanic rocks. The Algoma type formed in Archean to Proterozoic volcanic arcs and related settings. Associated rocks include turbidites, greywacke, shale, volcanic rocks, and metalliferous sedimentary rocks. Tectonic Setting: The Lake Superior type was deposited in a stable continental platform - foredeep within a relatively shallow-water to transitional deep-basin environment. The Algoma type formed in tectonically unstable marine environments (greenstone belts). Iron formations have a common spatial association with syndepositional fault and rift zones and related volcanism. The Lake Superior type has an association on a regional, distal scale and the Algoma type on a more local, proximal scale. Associated Deposit Types: Sedimentary-hosted manganese may occur near to, or interbedded with iron formation in some settings. Some iron formation may occur as distal lateral facies to volcanic-associated and sedimentaryexhalative massive sulphide deposit types. There is a spatial, but likely not a genetic relationship, with ironformation hosted lode gold deposits. Deposit Description Mineralogy: Oxide facies: magnetite and hematite (taconite); silicate facies: cummingtonite, grunerite, greenalite, minnesotaite, stilpnomelane, Fe chlorites, and Fe amphiboles; carbonate facies: ankerite and siderite; and sulphide facies: pyrite and pyrrhotite. The classic facies zonation from shallow to deeper water deposition is: oxide to silicate to carbonate to sulphide. For the Algoma type there may also be a zonation relative to the volcanic vents from proximal sulphide facies to more widespread distal oxide and carbonate facies. Textures and Styles of Mineralization: Stratigraphically-controlled chemical sedimentary units which are lenticular to tabular in shape and laterally extensive unless deformed. The Lake Superior type is typically much thicker and more laterally extensive than the Algoma type. There is a common structural thickening by folding and thrusting. Economic deposits are units with thicknesses of >30 m, strike lengths of several kilometres, and grades of >30% Fe. They are typically banded at a millimetre to metre scale and originally fine grained, but there is common recrystallization and grain coarsening with metamorphism. Alteration: Post-depositional, protracted supergene alteration can be an important economic factor in upgrading the primary iron formation. This results in the conversion of primary magnetite to martite (hematite pseudomorphs), goethite and other hydrous iron oxides and the leaching of soluble gangue minerals. In the three sub-Phanerozoic deposits in the Choiceland area (Kelsey Lake, Irex-Choiceland, Ipsco) supergene hematite alteration has occurred in the upper portions of the bodies, especially in association with fault-fracture zones.

Geological Ore Controls: 1) syngenetic chemical precipitation of iron- and silica-rich minerals in marine sedimentary volcanic environments; 2) Archean to Paleoproterozoic ages in Saskatchewan; 3) two main types: Lake Superior and Algoma with distinct depositional environments, associated rocks types, tectonic settings, and other characteristics; 4) hydrothermal/volcanic effusive centres; 5) associated syndepositional fault and/or rift zones; 6) hiatus in clastic sedimentation; and 7) faulting, folding, fracturing, and irregularities in paleo-erosion surfaces to enhance groundwater circulation to produce supergene ores. Geochemical Signature: Fe-rich stratigraphy. Geophysical Signature: 1) magnetite facies, and to a lesser degree the pyrrhotite facies, produce strong, linear (unless deformed) magnetic anomalies that may be on the order of tens of kilometres in length; and 2) sulphide facies, together with associated graphite, should produce linear electromagnetic anomalies. Examples (with grades and tonnages) World examples include the Labrador Trough, Quebec and Newfoundland; Mesabi Range, Minnesota; Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Brazil; and Mount Gibson, Western Australia. Most of the significant locations in the province are interpreted as the Lake Superior banded iron formation type. The Ithingo Lake, Fish Hook Bay, and Nyberg Lakes deposits may be either Lake Superior or Algoma types. The deposits consist of magnetite hematite-quartz (taconite) oxide facies. None are economic at present. Harper (1983) assessed those in northern Saskatchewan as well as iron occurrences of other types. The Kelsey Lake, IrexChoiceland, and Ipsco deposits subcrop under about 600 m of Phanerozoic cover rocks east of Prince Albert in central Saskatchewan. The more significant and numerous deposits in northern Saskatchewan generally occur in the Virgin River and Mudjatik domains. All of the resources stated are historical in nature and are not NI 43-101 compliant. Lake Superior Type: 1) Kelsey Lake (NTS 73H): indicated resource of 390 million tons grading 24.6% Fe (Assessment File 73H-9-0006); 2) Irex-Choiceland (NTS 73H): indicated resource of 155 million tons grading 28% Fe (Assessment File 73H-7-0003); and Ipsco (NTS 73H): indicated resource of 150 million tons grading 29% Fe (Assessment File 73H-7-0001) are both portions of the same iron formation; 3) Triana (NTS 74P): indicated resource of 17 million tons grading 30 to 35% Fe (Tantato Domain); 4) Nyberg Lakes (NTS 74G): indicated resource of 115.4 million tons grading 35% Fe (Virgin River Domain); 5) Ithingo Lake (NTS 74B): indicated resource of 8 million tons grading 18.5% Fe (Mudjatik Domain); and 6) Fish Hook Bay (NTS 74N): indicated resource of 16 million tons grading <20% Fe (Beaverlodge Domain). Resource figures from Saskatchewan assessment files, SMDI files, and Harper (1983). Algoma Type: There are a number of oxide-silicate-sulphide facies iron formations in the La Ronge Domain. None are economically significant. Other examples include oxide-silicate-sulphide facies units in the Archean Ennadai Gp. in northeastern Saskatchewan and the Ennis Lake location hosted by the Glennie Domain in sub-Phanerozoic rocks south of La Ronge. Selected Bibliography Cheesman, R.L. (1964): The geology of the Choiceland iron deposit, Saskatchewan; Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bulletin, Volume 57, p715-718. Clout, J.M.F. and Simonson, B.M. (2005): Precambrian iron formations and iron formation-hosted iron ore 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, p643-679. Gross, G.A. (1993): Industrial and genetic models for iron ore in iron-formations; in Kirkham, R.V., Sinclair, W.D., Thorpe, R.I. and Duke, J.M. (eds.), Mineral Deposit Modeling, Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 40, p151-170. Harper, C.T. (1983): Iron ores of northern Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan Energy and Mines, Report 220, 102p. Thurston, P.C. and Rogers, M.C. (1995): Iron formation: Algoma and Lake Superior types; in Rogers, M.C., Thurston, P.C., Fyon, J.A., Kelly, R.I., and Breaks, F.W. (comps.), Descriptive Mineral Deposit Models of Metallic and Industrial Deposit Types and Related Mineral Potential Assessment Criteria, Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 5916, p76-81.