Hendrik Falck1, Garth Kirkham2 and Kelly Pierce1

Three Dimensional Computer Modeling 1NWT Geoscience Office, Yellowknife, NT. Kirkham

of a Tungsten Skarn, Cantung, NWT 2Kirkham Geosystems

Geosystems, Vancouver, B.C. Ltd.

This series of images shows the geometry of The distribution of drill holes in three dimensions with the
the layers and the intrusion looking west from projected skeletons of two standard 1:100’ exploration
an altitude of 6000m. Each unit is removed sections and a model of the open pit. The pronounced white The Cantung Mine represents one of the most important concentrations of
successively, revealing the skarn mineralization lines on the sections represent the surface topography and
the yellow lines indicate the Swiss Cheese\Ore Limestone tungsten on earth. The mine was the western world’s largest tungsten producer
in red and the granitic intrusion and dykes in
pink. The purple unit represents the Sekwi contact. Looking southwest. during its operation from 1962 to 1985. In the two years prior to its recent
Formation dolomite. closure (Dec. 2003) it was the source of nearly 10% of global tungsten
production. The total production to December, 2003 is 4.6 million tonnes of ore
Aplitic at a grade of 1.6% WO3 and the remaining indicated resources are 7.3 million
128 15’ W
Quaternary Sediments Dyke tonnes at a grade of 0.77% WO3 (approx.) (Bill Mann, Pers. Comm., 2003).
N
Circular Stock Open
Flat River Mine Stock
Pit
Improved understanding of the deposit, combined with new methods of
Circular Stock Open examining the geometry of the mineralization, are important tools for identifying
Cantung Townsite Rabbitkettle Formation Pit
exploration targets.
61 57’ N
Dolomite
Open Pit
Projection
of E-Zone
Upper Argillite
Mine Stock The Cantung deposit developed in a package of folded and overturned
The Cantung mine is located on the western border Orebody Ore Limestone limestones of the the Lower Cambrian Sekwi Formation above a Cretaceous (ca.
of the Northwest Territories near the headwaters of
the Flat River. NWT Cross
Swiss Cheese Limestone W 96.6 ± 1.2 Ma(Hart et al., 2004)) two–mica granite of the Selwyn Intrusive Suite
Yukon Section
1 Km Lower Argillite
(Gordey and Anderson, 1993). The deposit is one of several tungsten skarn
N
Adapted from Blusson, 1967

The dark brown layer is the “Upper
Argillite” member of the Sekwi Formation.
Notice the fold hinge wrapped around the
Circular Stock. The lower limbs of the fold
N are truncated by the main body of the
intrusion.
N fortuitous discovery of the “E-Zone” in 1971, mining was redirected towards an
N Aplitic
Dyke
Circular Stock
The standard two dimensional approach to presenting Open
the geology of the Cantung deposit has been by an Pit
View of the Flat River and Cantung mine site looking
oversimplified NE-SW cross section.
southwest. The topography is based on a
Mine Stock
McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. orthophoto
survey. The Open Pit is marked in pink. The grey line W Fold
indicates the Townsite and road to the Open Pit. The Hinge
red outline indicates the location of the model. N Northwest
The blue unit represents the “Ore
Limestone” member of the Sekwi
N Circular Stock N Formation. The fine dark blue lines
indicate the location of underground
workings.
Aplitic
Dyke
Circular Stock
Open
Pit
“E-Zone”
Mine Stock
W
Two views of the Flat River topography draped with
1:4,800 scale geology as mapped by Cantung
geologists and compiled by B.Watson, 1985. The
orange identifies outcrops of the granite that N Looking
underlies the mine. The arrow in each image marks
The yellow unit shows the distribution of
the location of the Open Pit.
the “Swiss Cheese Limestone”. Much of
the skarn development occurs at the
upper contact with the “Ore Limestone”
near the intrusion contact or adjacent to
dykes.
N Aplitic
Dyke
Circular Stock
N Open
Pit
“E-Zone”
Mine Stock
W
N under-explored areas.
The pale brown unit represents the
“Lower Argillite”, of the Proterozoic-
Cambrian Vampire Formation. Additional
View of the Flat River (above) and Cantung mine
skarn is shown below the floor of the
site (right) from the Ikonos Satellite. The image, Open Pit at the contact between the
acquired August 7, 2003, is draped over the “Lower Argillite and the “Swiss Cheese
topography. Processing by H. Epp and N. Mair of Aplitic
Limestone”.
the NWT Geomatics Centre. The tailings pond is Dyke
apparent as a dark grey polygon on the valley floor,
adjacent to the airstrip. The location of the Open Pit Open Circular Stock
Pit
is highlighted in pale red.
Mine Stock
deposits along the eastern margin of the Selwyn Basin (Blusson, 1967). The
tungsten is found in a scheelite-bearing skarn in a contact metamorphosed and
metasomatized limestone.
“E-Zone”
The Cantung mine is composed of two ore bodies. The “Pit Zone” was
exposed at surface and seasonally mined by an open pit operation. Upon the
W underground operation. The Pit zone is hosted in the upper limb of a recumbent
anticline while the E-zone is found in the lower limb adjacent to the underlying
granitic intrusion (Cummings and Bruce, 1977).
N
The “Lower Argillite”, a dark black, fine-grained argillite forms the core of
the fold. It is part of the late Proterozoic to early Cambrian Vampire Formation
(Gordey and Anderson, 1993). The “Swiss Cheese Limestone” of the Lower
Cambrian Sekwi Formation conformably overlies the argillite. The “Swiss Cheese
Limestone” is approximately 70 metre thick and consists of interbedded
Looking calcareous and siliciclastic bands. Where these units are proximal to the intrusion
hornfelsing is common. Locally, the unit has been hardened and is referred to as
W N the “Chert”, with extensive bi-metasomatism altering the unit into garnet- and
amphibole-rich pods.
Circular Stock Overlying the “Swiss Cheese Limestone” is the “Ore Limestone”. This 70-
metre thick, relatively pure limestone is coarsely crystalline with only minor
dolomitic and pelitic layers. The most extensive skarn development occurred in
the Ore Limestone, however the ore may extend into the Swiss Cheese
Limestone. Unconformably overlying the Ore Limestone are the “Upper Argillite”
and dolomitic members the Sekwi Formation. The “Upper Argillite” is a dark
brown and fine-grained. The pinkish-grey dolomite is extensively fractured with
Three views of the Open Pit and “E-Zone” actinolite-rimmed fractures lacing the unit.
the E-Zone workings curving
around the model of the Circular
Skarn assemblages include garnet-diopside, through pyroxene-pyrrhotite,
Stock. The model is shown where it
Open amphibole-pyrrhotite, to biotite-pyrrhotite with each phase indicating a decrease
intersects an exploration section
Pit
defined by DDH 83-26. in formational temperature (Mathieson and Clark, 1984). Scheelite, the main
tungsten-bearing mineral, is present in all four phases and with the highest
Northeast
Open grades occurring with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite.
Pit
“E-Zone”
The geometry of the recumbent fold, intersecting faults and intrusions
have challenged previous exploration efforts but the re-opening of the mine
(2001-2003) offered an excellent opportunity to examine this skarn deposit
Circular Stock using current modeling techniques. Three-dimensional computer models have
become important tools for the investigation of ore deposits. The ability to view a
deposit as a three-dimensional volume on a computer screen, allows the
N geologist to discern patterns not apparent in the standard two-dimensional level
plans, cross-sections and long-sections. The objective of the project is to create
a complete, integrated model of the mine, combining geology, assays,
topography, surface features and underground workings. The compilation of
W structural and geochemical information in three dimensions, in addition to the
lithological and assay data normally recorded by a mining operation, permits
new insights into the genesis of ore concentrations. It is hoped that this new 3D
Plan View
N view of the mine and surrounding areas will improve the understanding of the
formation of these interesting deposits and act as a guide in unexplored or
W
Blusson, S.L. (1967) Geology and Tungsten Deposits near the Headwaters of the Flat River, Yukon
Circular Stock
Territory and District of Mackenzie. Geol. Surv. Can. Paper 67-22, 77 p.
Cummings, W.W. and Bruce, D.E. (1977) Canada Tungsten - Change to Underground Mining and
Description of the Mine-Mill Procedures: Can. Mining Metall. Bull., 70, 94-101. Gordey, S.P. and
Anderson, R.G. (1993) Evolution of the Northern Cordilleran Miogeocline, Nahanni map area (105I),
Yukon and Northwest Territories. Geol. Surv. Can. Memoir 428, 214 p.
“E-Zone” Hart, C.J.R., Villeneuve, M.E., Mair, J.L., Goldfarb, R.J., Selby, D., Creaser, R.A., and Wijns, C.
(2004) The Duration of Magmatic-Hydrothermal Ore Systems: Comparative U-Pb SHRIMP & TIMS,
Re-Os & Ar-Ar Geochronology of Mineralizing Plutons in Yukon and Alaska SEG Abstract, Australia.
Mathieson, G.A and Clark, A.H. (1984) The Cantung E-Zone Scheelite Skarn Orebody, Tungsten,

W “E-Zone” Open
Pit
Northwest Territories: A Revised Genetic Model. Econ. Geol., 79, 883-901.

Acknowledgements
N Funding was provided by the C. S. Lord Northern Geoscience Centre, Polar Continental Shelf Project,and the Aurora
Research Institute Research Assistant Program.
Many thanks to North American Tungsten for their generous support in the field.
And a special thanks to Kirsten Rasmussen Dave Lentz, Dan Kontak, Kevin Shelton, Dave Tenny, Bill Mann, Bill
Jackson, Shawn Horte, Matt Kochtubajda, Peter Mason, and Joe Clarke.

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