Definition and priority rating of exploration targets in the Coldspring Pond area, central Newfoundland

Abstract

The Coldspring Pond area is underlain by a belt of metamorphosed mafic and felsic volcanic and argillaceous sedimentary rocks of Ordovician age. The potential for discovery of massive sulphide deposits within this belt was proven by a 1967 discovery 6.5 km north of the Coldspring Pond area. The potential being thus defined, the following characteristics of exploration targets were considered to be favorable: (1) electromagnetic conductors of short strike length (100–1000 m) or distinct “thickening” of long “formational conductors”; (2) geochemical anomalies; (3) magnetic anomalies; and (4) association with volcanic rocks, preferably felsic. All targets defined by the above criteria were numbered and priority ratings were assigned on an arbitrary scale of 1 to 10. This systematic treatment in 1975 of data accumulated during 1968 and 1969 resulted in a surface discovery of copper mineralization.