Roberge Lake property, Roberge Lake, McCorkill Township, near Chibougamau, Quebec

The Roberge Lake property, in McCorkill Township near Chibougamau, Quebec, was a chrysotile prospect held by McAdam Mining Corporation.^2,3 Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, reported in December 1967 that McAdam was developing the property and that "an underground test program" would provide material "for bulk testing to assess the grade and quality of the chrysotile fiber."⁴ A month later the journal said McAdam "has completed shaft sinking" on the property.⁵

In 1970 Asbestos described an option agreement under which Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration would finance the property, reporting "projected concentrating material" of "about 156 million tons," to be "confirmed by fill in drilling"; in 1971 it said McAdam had optioned "its 61-claim asbestos prospect," which it placed "25 miles east of Chibougamau," to Rio Tinto.^1,6 In 1972 the journal reported that "a computerized ore reserve calculation of the 'C' zone indicated a geological reserve of 105 million tons of material grading 3.92% fiber to a depth of 700 feet."⁷

Asbestos followed the studies through the 1970s: in 1975 the consulting firm SNC-Geco Ltd. was retained to evaluate the project, and "a complex is envisioned that is capable of producing 100,000 tons of fiber per year."³ In 1976 Rio Tinto had "completed a drilling program," with samples undergoing milling analyses at a Quebec Department of Natural Resources pilot plant, and in 1977 the project was "in the advance feasibility stage."^8,9 The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1977 listed it among properties "either undergoing exploration or awaiting development or financing decisions."² In 1978 Asbestos reported that Riocanex had "decided to hold further development in abeyance" while paying McAdam "$60,000 annually in advance royalties," and in 1979 that a Rio Algom vice president, Doctor P. Kavanagh, reportedly said that "Rio Algom does not consider the property economically attractive to develop."^10,11

The documents report work here (mining, shafts or a mill) but no fiber sold or shipped; that is what our documents say, and the mine may still have sold some.⁵

Location

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1967

• Exploration: “An underground test program will provide sufficient fresh and uncontaminated material for bulk testing” (McAdam Mining Corporation), p. 8⁴
• Exploration: “has completed shaft sinking on its asbestos property in Northwestern Quebec's Chibougamau area” (McAdam Mining Corporation), p. 28⁵

1970

• Reserves: “projected concentrating material totals about 156 million tons” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.; Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Ltd.), p. 20⁶

1971

• Ownership: “optioned its 61-claim asbestos prospect in McCorkill Township to Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Ltd.” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.; Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Ltd.), p. 10¹

1972

• Reserves: “indicated a geological reserve of 105 million tons of material grading 3.92% fiber to a depth of 700 feet” (Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration; McAdam Mining Corporation), p. 22⁷

1975

• Exploration: “A complex is envisioned that is capable of producing 100,000 tons of fiber per year” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.), p. 34³

1976

• Exploration: “Rio Tinto Canadian Explorations Ltd. has completed a drilling program; Envisioned is a complex capable of producing 100,000 tons of fiber per year” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.; Rio Tinto Canadian Explorations Ltd.), p. 34⁸

1977

• Exploration: “The project is in the advance feasibility stage with bulk samples having been processed by the Quebec Department of Natural Resources” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.; Rio Tinto Canadian Explorations Ltd.), p. 30⁹
• Exploration: “McAdam Mining Corp. Ltd. and its own chrysotile property at Roberge Lake, McCorkill Township, near Chibougamau, Quebec” (McAdam Mining Corp. Ltd.), p. 9²
• Fiber: “its own chrysotile property at Roberge Lake” (McAdam Mining Corp. Ltd.), p. 9²

1978

• Exploration: “Although Riocanex has decided to hold further development in abeyance, it is maintaining its option ... by continuing to pay McAdam $60,000 annually in advance royalties” (McAdam Mining Corporation Ltd.; Rio Tinto Canadian Explorations Ltd.), p. 38¹⁰

1979

• Exploration: “Rio Algom does not consider the property economically attractive to develop” (Rio Algom Ltd.), p. 34¹¹

Other names

Documents call this mine “chrysotile property at Roberge Lake”, “McCorkill Township property”, “"C" zone”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1971, December 1971 (December 1, 1971), p. 10.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1977 (January 1, 1978), p. 9.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 34.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1967, December 1967 (December 1, 1967), p. 8.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1968, January 1968 (January 1, 1968), p. 28.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1970, December 1970 (December 1, 1970), p. 20.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1972, December 1972 (December 1, 1972), p. 22.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 34.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 30.
10. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 38.
11. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 34.