EXPLORATION

History

Iron bearing “Black Sands” were first reported along the Churchill River by geologist A.P. Low in 1895. In 1991 the Newfoundland Geological Survey sampled sands on the Churchill as part of a regional program of the Lake Melville area under the direction of geologists M. E. Moore and J. E. Meyer. The samples reported in this initial survey did not return significant heavy mineral concentrations. In 2002 Markland geologists enroute to another project in the area observed large areas of black sands on the exposed sand bars near the mouth of the Churchill River. Subsequent surface sampling showed these sands to contain a high concentration of heavy minerals. Since that time the company has been systematically exploring this discovery.

Surface Sampling

Initially, thirty-six bar sites were tested with one kilogram from each site. Six of these sites provided both background and concentrated sand. The ripple washed shoreline for 25 kilometers showed a continuous band of heavy mineral concentration. The heavy mineral content of this 36 sample sites averaged 15%.

Sand banks up to 20 metres above the river

Sand bars with 2m maximum elevations above the river

Sand shores of Churchill River

Percussion Drilling

Markland has acquired a total of 577 claims along the Churchill River, Mud Lake and southern shore of Lake Melville. Total area of investigation equates to 144km2. 

The exploration between 2002-2005 consisted of 70 surface samples from pits, 179 percussion drill sampled locations and 10 sites were sandbanks along the Churchill River, Lake Melville and Mud Lake. A total of 1712 samples of heavy mineral concentrates were collected and were analyzed at Minerals Engineering Centre (Dalhousie University) where they have been treated with the heavy liquid separation procedure to determine heavy mineral content.

90% of holes were drilled to a 30 feet depth and terminated in mineral bearing sands. The area is characterized with constant high values (between 9-12%) throughout the river. Bar chart represent the average concentration of heavy minerals per hole or within the sandbanks. The highest value of 20.15% is recorded in bore-hole ML04 located in the Churchill River delta.

Mineralized sand bar	Percussion drill core
Location of 179 percussion core drill holes and 10 sandbanks (white dots) sampled at 2.5 feet intervals.

Average concentration of heavy minerals in Goose Bay Area. Vertical scale represents heavy mineral concentration

Spatial analyses of heavy mineral concentrations shows a narrow range of heavy mineral content.