Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The Ni-Cu ores of the Sudbury region were first discovered in 1883. Since then, Sudbury has grown to be the largest and most profitable mining district in North America, with past production plus current inventory, using todays prices, estimated at $400 billion. Sudbury represents the site of a meteorite impact structure originally greater than 200 km in diameter and that formed 1.85 billion years ago. Despite the proven and potential economic benefits of resource development at Sudbury, there are still major outstanding questions concerning our understanding of the structure and its ore deposits, in particular the Copper (Cu)-Nickel (Ni)-Platinum Group Elements (PGE) deposits in the footwall of the Sudbury Igneous Complex. A series of research questions have been composed concerning the origin of Sudbury Breccia, host to footwall vein deposits, and Offset Dykes at Sudbury and their mineralization. Fieldwork forms the basis for this proposed research, coupled with sample investigation using a range of micro-imaging and -analytical techniques. The results of the proposed research will address significant gaps in our current knowledge of the origin and emplacement of Offset Dykes and Sudbury Breccia and will enable new exploration strategies for finding new deposits the large, relatively unexplored properties owned by Wallbridge Mining Company Limited that can better predict where economic zones of mineralization may occur.