Ring Of Fire Chromite Deposits



Big Daddy 16x20x1.5", acrylics on wood panel

The Ring of Fire is the name given to a massive planned chromite mining and smelting development project in the mineral-rich James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, approximately 400 kilometres  northeast of Thunder Bay. The Ring of Fire was named when the first significant mineral finds were made in the region, by Richard Nemis, after Johnny Cash's famous country and western ballad. Nemis, the founder and president of Noront Resources, was a lifelong fan of the singer. By the fall of 2011, the Ring of Fire was considered "one of the largest potential mineral reserves in Ontario".  Various chromite-rich deposits have been identified including Eagle’s Nest, Blackbird, Big Daddy and Black Thor. (Sources: Wikipedia, Noront Resources website)




Black Thor 18x24x1.5", acrylics on wood panel

The Big Daddy chromite deposit is located 5 km northeast of Eagle’s Nest and is a joint venture between Noront (70%) and Canada Chrome Mining Corporation (30%). Discovered by Spider Resources in 2008, the deposit is known to have the highest-grade accumulations of chromite ore in the region.


The Black Thor chromite deposit was discovered by Freewest Resources in the fall of 2008 while testing a gravity anomaly. Further drilling in 2009 revealed another parallel chromite horizon 150 km to the northwest now known as Black Label.



Eagle's Nest 8x10x1", acrylics on wood panel

The Eagle’s Nest Mine, Noront’s first proposed mine, is a high-grade nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) deposit. The mine is expected to reach commercial production in 2018 with an anticipated mine life of 11 years with the potential for 9 additional years.



Blackbird 8x10x1", acrylics on wood panel

The Blackbird chromite deposit was discovered in 2008. It offers significant potential due to its size, location (less than 1 km from Eagle’s Nest) and grades.





Oil Tank Car Transformed into a Fur Trade Pipeline

There is nothing new under the sun in Canada's resource industry. Introducing the Canadian oil tanker car transformed into a fur trade pipeline. This painting depicts an oil tanker car (circa 2014), carrying inside the fur trade products (beaver pelts) and its traditional pipeline (the canoe). The oil dripping from the oil tanker car is used to highlight that this is an oil tanker car. Using a Woodland art style to depict the beaver, canoe and tank car alludes to the ongoing close involvement of Canada's Indigenous peoples in the evolution of our natural resources over time.

Digital painting 24x30 inches at 100 dpi. by John Ernsting.