Qubec: Gologie Qubec Opens Up New Frontiers

The Qubec government has long promoted exploration and mining within its boundaries. It has fiscal incentives, unambiguous regulations, firm treaties and agreements with the first nations, and the latest in electronic databases and claim staking. It is naturally blessed with a great deal of favourable geology. However, the foundation of its geological services to the minerals industry is Gologie Qubec. The provincial geological survey’s ongoing mapping programs using the latest models provide the public with fresh data every year.

The soft-spoken director of Gologie Qubec, Dr. Alain Simard, has worked for the survey for twenty-five years, four years in his current job. He spoke to CMJ about its recent history and current directions.

CMJ: When did the government begin its current program of remapping the mid- and far north of Qubec?

Simard: In the 1980s, we had mapped the northern part of the Ungava area in detail. That was a period when people would tell you, “Mines are found where mines are.” The investors didn’t want us to go outside the Abitibi mining camp. Following globalization of the mining industry, in the beginning of the ’90s explorationists started to look for under-explored frontier regions; such regions existed in Qubec. So in 1993, we launched the Near North program to bring back investors. In just a few years, over 200 showings were found by juniors and majors in the James Bay and North coast areas.

The Far North program followed in 1997 starting with a geochemical survey of lake bottom sediments. This impressive survey that covered 300,000 km2, was done for the first time in partnership with industry: five companies committed funding. The survey identified areas that had the best mineral potential. In 1998, we began mapping: over 250,000 km2 of ground have been mapped in six years. We believe this program is one of the most important mapping programs in the world; over 200 people were involved. We received an award from the PDAC for that effort.

CMJ: Are some of your people shifted to diamond programs?

Simard: We did some more thematic, orientation work by [resident geologist] James Moorhead and Marc Beaumier [geochemist], a kind of prospective map with corridors and structures and many targets. That work was very useful for exploration companies. We are now building a web page dedicated to diamond exploration and related industries in Qubec. It will be available on our website in March 2005.

CMJ: You wanted to add one last point?

Simard: Yes, I would like to say that the coming years will focus on the Abitibi belt, since new ore is needed for the Rouyn-Noranda smelter. Copper reserves are low in Qubec, and we’re trying to address that.

Lamothe’s work [see Mineral Potential Maps article] is one key element of that, because a set of new maps that will cover the Abitibi will give many new targets to explore. You know, there’s a lot of money available in the mineral exploration business; what is actually missing is new targets.

The huge database we have is under-utilized. In a situation where there’s less money available for fieldwork we’re putting a special effort into the mineral potential maps and other more evolved products like geoscience synthesis and 3D imaging.