Exploration hot spot

The Raglan mine is the only nickel mine in Qubec now, but it may be pointing the way toward future mining in the province. The mine in the Cape Smith Belt of far northern Qubec (Nunavik) is in the centre of some of the hottest staking and exploration going on in the province, according to the North Shore – New Qubec regional geologist Abdelali Moukhsil.

The recent staking rush began with the November 2002 announcement of spectaular drill results from the Mesamax zone on the extension of the Expo-Ungava property (held jointly by Canadian Royalties Inc. and Ungava Minerals Corp.). The property is 15 km south of the Raglan mine. Canadian Royalties has since discovered another massive sulphide zone on the property–the Tootoo zone–enriched in Ni-Cu-Co-Pt-Pd, 25 km west of the Mesamax zone, within a 5-km-long pyroxenite unit. Tootoo is the third massive sulphide showing discovered by Canadian Royalties in the “South Ungava Trend” area since 2001. This new discovery underscores the exceptional potential for mineralization in this area of the Ungava Trough.

More than 20 companies are currently working claims in the Ungava region, with the largest landholders being Falconbridge/SMRQ, Anglo American Exploration, Novawest Resources and Goldbrook Ventures.