BCGQ Mission Statement Acquire new geoscientific knowledge in Québec within a sustainable development perspective of our mineral resources.
Financial Resources Natural Resources Fund, Mining Heritage Section
Financial Resources in Nunavik Natural Resources Fund 16 14 12 12.2 11.1 14.3 13.2 14.6 10 8 6.7 6 4 2.67 4.16 4.25 3.8 2 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017* Total BCGQ budget (M$) Expenditures in Nunavik (M$)
Geoscientific surveys goals Acquire a basic understanding of Québec s overall territory Increase our surveys in the Plan Nord territory Improve our geoscientific knowledge in under-explored areas Improve our geological knowledge of areas with thick overburden sediments Highlight areas with high mineral potential Take into account the sustainable development of our mineral resources
Geoscientific data density map of Québec Raglan Mature areas Good geoscientific database Deep exploration challenges Schefferville Emerging areas Basic geoscientific database Need for refinement at the regional scale Uncharted areas Basic geoscientific knowledge needs to be acquired Isolated areas D. Lamothe Tiré de SIGÉOM
Carry out surveys within a sustainable development perspective: Minimize environmental footprint Maximize internal and external impact of surveys and new data Diversify uses for the survey results (useful not only for mineral exploration) Acquire a sufficient knowledge base in order to contribute to making the best possible decisions for land status Mining exploration Protection of wilderness areas Protecting safe drinking water
Annual geoscientific survey planning Public surveys, including stakeholders in the mineral sector Governmental requirements In-House proposals Five Year and Annual Survey Program Regional proposals Industry and other clients
2016-2017 Geoscientific Results in Nunavik Targets for mineral exploration
2016 Geoscientific Survey Program : Projects completed in 2016-2017
2017 Geoscientific Survey Program : All upcoming projects
Bedrock Surveys Team of 4 geologists and 4 students Helicopter-borne survey Base camp near a Twin Otter airstrip Description of rocks and minerals Fist-size rock sampling
Quaternary Surveys : Team by a geologist and a trainee Helicopter- borne Mapping of the sedimentary deposits Glacial movement analysis Tills et eskers sampling 10-20kg pail per sample Indicator minerals Till Sampling
Geophysical surveys Combined airborne surveys Magnetism Spectrometry Tool for mapping and prospecting Done by service companies trough open call for tenders Airport-based in Nunavik communities No ground contact 80 m altitude clearance 300 m altitude clearance in inhabited areas 200 m spacing between lines MAGNETOMETER
Nunavik Survey program budget for 2016 Project Geophysical surveys Geological surveys Quaternary surveys Investment 2,25 M $ 3,75 M $ 0,7 M $ Total investment 6,7 M $
Geological Studies with Academic Partners Support geological surveys Geochronology Geochemistry Structural geology, metamorphism, tectonics Improve our understanding of mineral deposits to support exploration Gold (Abitibi and Baie James) Rares metals (Churchill and Grenville) Nickel-copper and PGE Test new tools Indicator minerals Machine learning (artificial intelligence)
Efforts to reduce our footprint Maximize efficiency of aircrafts Take out all garbage to nearest garbage deposit Carry out monthly water tests Dispose of waste water according to Quebec environmental regulation regulation On-site oil spill restraining equipment available Use biological cleaning soaps Avoid caribou calving grounds during critical periods Clean up all camp material after surveys are completed
SIGEOM An ever evolving database User friendlly interactive maps and web services New datasets for geochronology New datasets for quaternary geology New stratigraphic lexicon Heavy mineral database under construction Upcoming electronic report
Nunavik area: 507 000 km 2 Active mining titles cover 2,28 % of Nunavik 26,2 % of Nunavik is under mining restriction 18 % Mining activity prohibited (red) or 8,2% permitted under restriction (green)
Conclusion Geoscientific surveys in Nunavik allow to: Acquire basic geophysical and geological knowledge in Nunavik 6,7 M $ will be invested in surveys in 2017 7 upcoming surveys in 2017-2018 plus 6 studies in partnership with universities Identify areas with high mineral potential Land planning for protected areas Biodiversity studies, geological heritage sites and other land uses