The Calumet-Sud project consists of 21 claims (12 km2). It is located in the Pontiac regional county municipality of southwestern Quebec. SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Québec and a leading player in mineral exploration in Québec has acquired an undivided 50% interest in the project and a joint venture has been created between Sphinx and SOQUEM. The project is adjacent to Sphinx’s owned 100% GPd project.
The project covers volcano-sedimentary rocks with a significant potential for various types of mineralization including:1) zinc, lead, gold and silver-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, 2) layered platinum group element-bearing reef and related nickel-copper deposits associated with the Obwondiag layered igneous complex and; 3) high-grade zinc beds hosted in carbonates. The project is adjacent to, and south of, the former New Calumet Mines Limited that produced 3.8 million tonnes at 5.8% Zn, 1.6% Pb, 65 g/t Ag and 0.4 g/t Au from 1944 to 1968 (see attached Figure 1 and Figure 2). In the 1980s, Lacana Mining Ltd. discovered significant gold mineralization immediately below the underground workings of the former mine. In the Obwondiag layered igneous complex, Sphinx discovered a platinum group elements-bearing reef on its GPd project.
An exploration program now operated by Sphinx, commenced in June 2016. The program consisted of:
- helicopter-borne magnetic, spectrometer and electromagnetic surveys;
- ground induced polarization and gravimetric surveys;
- prospecting;
- soil geochemical sampling (1,924 soil samples, B horizon); and
- stripping of two areas totaling 3,085 m2 (Sonny and Sonny West); and
- diamond drilling (24 holes, 1,524 m) over a surface area of 0.3 km2
High grade zinc intervals (Figure 1 below) were returned from dolomitic marble rocks within an interpreted horizon. This horizon is defined by strongly anomalous zinc values and the presence of massive sphalerite bands ranging from one centimeter to several centimeters in thickness, as well as both stringer and disseminated sphalerite. The results include 13.1% zinc over 1.0 m in hole CS-18-02 within a stratiform and shallow-dipping mineralized horizon that graded 3.8% zinc over a 5.0 m length beginning at a depth of 15 metres.
Beyond the areas of this drilling, the horizons can be traced over a 1.5 km strike length on the basis of strongly anomalous zinc values in soils. The drill hole results suggest that the shallow dipping mineralized horizon trends northwest-southeast and remains open in both directions of the drilled area. Sphinx and SOQUEM are planning a follow-up exploration program that will focus on drilling the mineralized horizon to further establish its continuity and mineral resource potential.