A new nickel discovery in the Prince Albert Hills, Melville Peninsula, Nunavut: implications for Ni-Cu-(PGE) exploration in the Prince Albert Group

The Melville Peninsula Project (MPP) is one of a number of geo-mapping projects that were initiated under the Federal Government's Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) Program in 2008. The main purpose of the GEM Program is to provide updated geoscience information to support exploration in the discovery and development of new energy and mineral resources in Canada's arctic. Specifically, the MPP objectives are to renew and update the public geoscience database for the area, upgrade the knowledge and understanding of the Precambrian geology and Quaternary superficial cover, and to stimulate mineral exploration in the north-central part of the Churchill Province. Limited understanding of the overall geology and significant economic endowment in time-correlative geological units outside of the map area (e.g., Committee Bay, Piling Group), justified a closer examination of the geological setting and mineral potential of the Melville Peninsula. The present contribution highlights significant results regarding nickel mineralization obtained during geological mapping in the Prince Albert Hills within the western part of the Melville Peninsula in Nunavut.