Major Building Blocks of Central Canada
Date/Time: Monday, November 2 | 1:30pm
Location: Carlton Room
Province of Manitoba: Geology and mineral deposits of the Thompson Nickel Belt, central Manitoba
Speaker: Chris Couëslan
The Thompson Nickel Belt forms a segment of the Superior Boundary Zone, along the northwestern margin of the Superior craton in Manitoba. The belt is host to one producing nickel mine, seven mines that are past-producing or on care and maintenance, and numerous deposits.
The nickel deposits were generated when ca. 1.88 Ga ultramafic rocks intruded sulphide-rich sedimentary rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Ospwagan Group. Intense deformation and metamorphism during the ca. 1.80 Ga Trans-Hudson Orogen resulted in the local remobilization of nickel sulphides into regional fold noses and parasitic fold hinges.
Conductors and ultramafic rocks associated with Ospwagan Group stratigraphy in regional fold hinges make prime exploration targets for nickel in the belt. A recent gold discovery in the northern portion of the belt suggests there may be a historically overlooked potential for precious metals in the Thompson Nickel Belt.
Speakers
Chris Couëslan, Manitoba Geological Survey
Chris Couëslan is a project geologist in the Precambrian section of the Manitoba Geological Survey. He obtained his PhD from the University of Calgary in 2013 where his work focused on the tectonometamorphic evolution of the Thompson Nickel Belt.
He has worked with the MGS since 2008 and specializes in the geology and mapping of high-grade metamorphic terranes, metamorphosed hydrothermal alteration systems, and alkaline igneous complexes. Chris has extensive experience working in the Thompson Nickel Belt as well as the Kisseynew and Pikwitonei domains of Manitoba.
More presenters to be announced…
Details coming soon.
Chair
Tafa Kennedy, Government of Manitoba
Dr. Tafa Kennedy is the Director of Manitoba Geological Survey, with over 20 years’ experience in the exploration and mining industry, in South Africa, Tanzania, Quebec and Ontario. Tafa obtained her B.Sc from Rhodes University, M.Sc from Pretoria University and Ph.D. from the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi.
She has worked as a Nickel and PGE deposit geologist in Raglan and Kabanga for Xstrata Nickel and as a consultant geologist in Quebec, roaming in and around the Abitibi greenstone belt dealing with gold and base metal deposits. After a time in the industry, her call to the public service began in 2017 with the Resident Geologist Program and the Mining Lands Division in Ontario.