Sama Resources Inc created the 100% owned subsidiaries SRQ Resources Inc (“SRQ”) in September 2021. SRQ is focused on the discovery and development of high-grade deposits of nickel, copper, and platinum group elements (PGEs) in Quebec, Canada.
SRQ holds exploration properties in Quebec with the flagship project been the Lac Brulé Nickel-Copper-PGE project located six hours driving from Montreal. SRQ is committed to responsible exploration and development practices, with a focus on environmental and social sustainability.
SRQ properties in Quebec province
SRQ owns a total of 525 exploration claims in the province of Québec, Canada, related to 6 different properties.
The Lac Brûlé property is the most advanced exploration target and consists of 401 contiguous mining claims covering an area of approximately 23,165 ha. It is located approximately 148 km west-northwest of the town of Mont-Laurier (Figure 1). The Lac Brûlé claims are located in National Topographic System (NTS) map sheets 31K/13 and 31K/14 and are centered at approximately grid coordinates 314,700 mE and 5,198,400 mN (UTM Zone 18, NAD 83).
The Lac Brennan property consists of 42 contiguous mining claims covering an area of approximately 2,480 ha, located approximately 100 km north-northwest of Mont-Laurier. The Lac Brennan claims are located in NTS map sheet 31K/10 and are centered at approximately 340,000 mE, 5,165,000 mN (UTM Zone 18, NAD 83).
The Lac Jim property comprises 21 mining claims covering approximately 1,178 hectares.
The Lac Picanoc property includes 11 mining claims covering approximately 658 hectares, while the Northfield property encompasses 31 mining claims spanning approximately 1,843 hectares. These properties are all located within approximately 100 km of Gatineau, Québec.
The Lac Montmord property consists of a single contiguous block totalling 19 claims covering an area of approximately 1,025 ha. It is located 160 km north of Chibougamau, Québec.
Figure 1: SRQ properties in the province of Québec
Lac Brûlé Project
SRQ Resources Inc. a 100% owned entity of Sama Resources Inc, launched the Lac Brulé Ni-Cu project in the province of Québec, Canada by acquiring a total of 401[1] exploration claims in the Nivernais and Esgriseilles Townships. The project area is located a six-hour drive north of Montreal.
Back in the 1980’s while working for Falconbridge, Dr. Audet become aware of the geological potential in this region. Available regional magnetometry, gravity maps as well as data from provincial stream and lake sediment sampling programs were used to delineate the geological potential that led to the discovery of a Ni-Cu gossan in May 2021.
No previous exploration had been carried out on the Lac Brulé property. The closest mining activity was some 50 km away at the old Renzy nickel-copper mine, which operated until the early 1970’s. Following the 1955 discovery of Renzy mineralization, a series of prospectors and mining companies carried out field scouting trips but only in proximity to the mine site.
Using data available on GESTIM (public Province of Quebec’s Exploration & Mining database), encouraged with the excellent combination of magnetism and high gravity responses (vertical gradient of gravity anomaly) and more importantly Sama’s own base metal index. A total of 401*1 exploration claims were staked over a period of 24 months.
In May 2021, Dr. Audet made the first field visit with the intention of validating his assumptions. This led to the discovery of a mineralized ultramafic horizon to the east of the property, which can be easily spotted from the large gossan that is present at the surface (more than 400 m in length and 60 m in width).
Following the complementary visit completed in September 2021, the host of the gossan was described as mainly made up of massive pyroxenite with large crystals of pyroxene (and/or amphibole) and inclusions of serpentinized olivine. Puddles of interstitial sulfides (up to 5%) are present throughout, the latter being mainly formed of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and possibly pyrite and pentlandite. The surrounding units that were observed in the field predominantly consist of gneiss and granulites, and one may also notice the presence of massive garnets amphibolites.
In May and July 2021, SRQ collected 74 samples of black spruce bark testing an innovative methodology using biogeochemical sampling to identify metal concentration in soil as an exploration tool. Very good responses with nickel resulted up to two to three times the background at the gossan location.
In July 2021 a total of 730 line-km of drone magnetometry and radiometric surveys were flown by HELIOS UAV. The proposed survey consisted of an irregular area of 14.95 km x 7.74 km. The survey area was flown by a remotely piloted aircraft system, using a 200 m line separation for the outer perimeter of the survey area and a 100 m line separation for the inner portion.
Later in December 2021, and as a part of the ongoing exploration program, SRQ commissioned Xcalibur Multiphysics to complete a MAG-HELITEM II survey on the Lac Brulé Property. The survey took place between December 5th and 14th, 2021. The survey coverage consisted of 1,374 km of traverse lines flown with a spacing of 200 and 100 m and 119 km of tie lines with a 2000 m spacing. Figure 2 shows Xcalibur’s final compilation outlining two main sectors; the Gossan Zone and the North Zone.
The HELITEM II system is composed of a 40 m cable to which is attached the transmitter loop. The receiver platform and the receiver coil are located at the center of the 35 m diameter transmitter loop approximately 0.1 m above the center of the transmitter plane. The real time navigation GPS antenna is on the tail boom of the helicopter. The barometric altimeter, radar altimeter, laser altimeter, video camera and data recorder are all installed in the helicopter. GPS antennae are attached to the transmitter loop to give positional information and transmitter orientation.
Highest Conductivity Grade and CTP, outlined by the late off-time channel/gates, are located next to the discovered gossan.
In July and August 2022, the Company performed ground Electromagnetic and Induced Polarization surveys over the most prominent HELITEM II targets. Targets are the Gossan Zone and the Nord Zone located east of the property, where they define two discrete prospective zones that are 2.8 km apart. The Gossan Zone includes a group of EM anomalies located in the vicinity of the mineralized ultramafic outcrop mapped in May 2021, which is the first exploration target at this stage. A step forward for the validation of potential drill hole targets, ground geophysical surveys, were now completed on these two prospects.
The second sector, namely the North Zone, encompasses numerous closely spaced HELITEM II anomalies for which the local geological setting remains to be ascertained. The ground IP method was preferred for the investigation of the structurally more complex North Zone area. Several IP axes, which are regrouped within the confines of two highly conductive and polarizable bands of rocks (lithologies) striking N50º/N230º, have been identified on this prospect.
More geological detailed works are needed but already it could be interpreted that the mineralization observed in the pyroxenite horizon clearly corresponds to the roof of a structure open downwards.
Analogies with Renzi defunct mine and Nova Bollinger deposit, Australia.
There are several similarities that can be drawn between the defunct Renzi Ni-Cu mine and the Australian Nova Bollinger Ni-Cu deposit (Figure 3). According to literature the “Renzy peridotite might have been injected in a pre-existent fold structure at a late stage of folding. i.e., its actual form is essentially the same as at the time of its emplacement and therefore has not been affected by any posterior folds. If true, this statement implies that the location of all the magmatic sulphide segregations is linked to the present contour of the peridotite body and not related to the sill’s original contours, which have been folded after solidification”.
This concept is important for the exploration of magmatic sulphides at Renzi ultramafic bodies as well as for the Lac Brulé area. The Lac Brulé gossan material is associated to similar host rock as described at the Renzi mine. The Renzi’s host is composed of olivine clinopyroxenite, an intermediate product of the differentiation of a basaltic magma. The locally well-defined primary bedding, the presence of cumulate textures (cumulus olivine, poecilitic orthopyroxenes) and the presence of mineral lineation parallel to the bedding suggest that crystallization processes have been a primary factor of the intrusion (Johnson, 1972).
As for the Nova Bollinger Ni-Cu deposit recently discovered in Australia, it can be seen that the geological host is very similar to host rock at the Renzi and at the Lac Brule area: Greenville type metamorphism with sub-horizontal layering.
Figure 2: Apparent Conductivity: late off-time channel/gates showing several distinc high conductivity areas at the Lac Brûlé property. The X and Z responses of the strong conductor (Conductor Grade: 5 and 6) located 300 metres east of the surface gossan are also shown.
Figure 3: Cross-section at the Nova-Bollinger Ni-Cu sulfide deposit (Sirius Resources, 2012). The deposit is associated with a small tube-shaped intrusion emplaced at lower crustal depths into granulite facies migmatite gneisses.
[1] 401 claims under SRQ and 19 claims owned by MA Audet.