Structural and lithologic controls on the nature and distribution of gold in the BIF-associated 1150 and 1250 lode series at Tiriganiaq, Meliadine district, Rankin Inlet greenstone belt, Nunavut

The Meliadine gold project is located within the Rankin Inlet greenstone belt, Nunavut; one of Canada's largest emerging gold districts. A large part of the 1000 and 1100 ore zones or 'lodes' at the Tiriganiaq mine are closely associated with the moderately to steeply north-dipping Lower fault and are characterized by decimetre to metre wide laminated, fault-fill veins and associated deformed extensional veins. Other ore zones such as the 1150 and 1250 lodes, north of the 1000 and 1100 lodes, appear to have a more complex geometry. Preliminary research indicates that the main controls on gold distribution within the 1150 lode series are Lower fault parallel, narrow north-dipping reverse shears that overprint the slightly steeper, north-dipping main foliation and associated axial planar tight folds. Shallowly south-dipping extension veins associated with the shear zones and related fault-fill veins are preferentially developed in tightly folded decimetre to metre thick BIF layers around the moderately north-dipping reverse shears.