LaFleur Minerals Swanson Gold Project Hits Large-Scale Gold Discovery In Val d’Or, Québec; Expands Gold Asset Portfolio and Executive Team
By Peter Kennedy
LaFleur Minerals Inc. [CSE: LFLR, OTCQB: LFLRF, FSE: 3WK0] recently released news confirming a large-scale gold discovery at the Company’s 100%-owned Swanson Gold Deposit near Val-d’Or, Quebec, highlighting the presence of broad, continuous zones of gold mineralization that extend well below the limits of the current resource model, expanding and confirming the potential for a large-scale gold system. This news reinforces other recent momentum including the acquisition of the McKenzie East Gold Project in Québec’s Val-d’Or district, contiguous with the McKenzie Break Gold Deposit, currently owned by Fresnillo plc, expanding the Company’s gold asset base and supporting its nearby Beacon Gold Mill production strategy. At the same time, the company is advancing aggressive drilling at its Swanson Gold Project to grow resources and strengthen its integrated mine-to-mill production plan, which will be spearheaded by two new key executive appointments; Former Probe Gold and Probe Mines Executives. (News Release Link)
LaFleur presents a vertically-integrated, three-pronged gold production strategy anchored by 100% ownership of its key assets, including the fully permitted Beacon Gold Mill, tailings pond and the adjacent Swanson Gold Project in the prolific Val-d’Or mining district. With the mill refurbished in 2022 with over $20 million in upgrades, and restart funding secured in December 2025, the company is positioned to restart gold production in the near-term in a strong pricing environment over US$4,700/oz gold, leveraging existing infrastructure with replacement valued over $70 million, significantly reducing capital intensity and permitting risk associated with a new build and the transition from exploration to production as most juniors aim to achieve.
At the core of its growth is the Swanson Gold Deposit, where ongoing drilling continues to demonstrate strong mineral continuity and expansion potential, alongside bulk sampling plans intended to feed the mill with mineralized material. The project benefits from Val-d’Or’s established infrastructure, skilled workforce, and low operating costs, dramatically reducing drilling expenses compared to remote projects, enhancing overall project economics. This combination of near-term production, scalable resources, and strategic location positions LaFleur as a compelling emerging gold producer with strong leverage to current high gold prices.
Gold Discovery Drilling Highlights
- 2.29 g/t Au over 68.30 metres (SW-25-079)
- 1.18 g/t Au over 255.04 metres (SW-25-080)
- 1.65 g/t Au over 136.1 metres (SW-25-081)
The drilling has successfully intersected significant widths of gold mineralization, including 1.18 g/t Au over 255.04 metres (SW-25-080) and 1.65 g/t Au over 136.01 metres (SW-25-081), demonstrating the presence of broad mineralized halos at depth. Notably with a higher grade, drill hole SW-25-079 returned 2.29 g/t Au over 68.30 metres, further supporting the continuity and strength of the system. In addition to these wide intervals, isolated high-grade zones were encountered, including assays of up to 86.8 g/t Au over 1.0 metre, occurring outside of the currently defined mineralized envelopes and suggesting potential for additional high-grade shoots.
These drill holes follow on LaFleur’s most recent assays results (refer to press release dated February 4, 2026), which included:
- 2.05 g/t Au over 158.25 metres (SW-25-066)
- 1.15 g/t Au over 80.3 metres (SW-25-073)
- 1.37 g/t Au over 80.8 metres (SW-25-074)
- 2.97 g/t Au over 66.0 metres, including 91.1 g/t Au over 1.5 metres (SW-25-075)
- 3.15 g/t Au over 51.4 metres, including 92.9 g/t Au over 0.75 metres (SW-25-077)
“LaFleur has intersected some of the strongest and widest gold mineralization to date at its Swanson Gold Project, indicating the presence of broad zones of gold mineralization extending beyond the limits of the current open pit resource at the Swanson Gold Deposit and highlighting the emergence of a potentially much larger, high-growth gold system with compelling expansion potential,’’ said LaFleur Chairman, Kal Malhi.
Trafigura Partnership Provided Institutional Backing
LaFleur Minerals has strengthened its financial and strategic position through a proposed C$30 million prepayment facility and gold doré offtake agreement with Trafigura Canada, providing critical capital to accelerate the restart and expansion of the Beacon Gold Mill and advance development at the Swanson Gold Deposit. This funding supports near-term production growth, including increasing mill throughput from 750 to 1,250 tonnes per day.
Beyond immediate financing, the partnership introduces strong institutional backing and long-term growth potential, with Trafigura holding a right of first refusal on future funding tied to a potential expansion of the mill to 3,000–4,000 tonnes per day. As one of the world’s largest commodity trading firms generating over $230 billion in annual revenues, Trafigura’s involvement enhances LaFleur’s credibility, market access, and execution capability, key factors for investors evaluating scalable gold production opportunities.
Positive PEA Results with Low-Capex Restart and Robust Economics
LaFleur Minerals has outlined a highly attractive, low-capex pathway to near-term gold production through a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the restart of its Beacon Gold Mill. The study highlights a scalable and capital-efficient operation anchored by feed from the nearby Swanson Gold Deposit, delivering strong base-case economics at US$2,750/oz gold, including a 65% after-tax IRR, C$101 million NPV (5%), and competitive all-in sustaining costs of US$1,569/oz, while maintaining substantial upside leverage to current gold prices near US$4,700/oz.
The PEA reinforces a streamlined, low-complexity development strategy leveraging existing, fully permitted infrastructure and a staged expansion to 1,250 tonnes per day, driving improved margins through economies of scale. Supported by a growing resource base underpinning a projected seven-year mine life, the project offers rapid payback, strong free cash flow generation, and long-term optionality through a rail-linked mine-to-mill model, positioning LaFleur as a high-return, near-term gold producer with meaningful scalability.
Resource World Magazine Inc. has prepared this editorial for general information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell securities in the companies discussed herein. The information provided has been derived from sources believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. This editorial does not take into account the readers investment criteria, investment expertise, financial condition, or financial goals of individual recipients and other concerns such as jurisdictional and/or legal restrictions that may exist for certain persons. Recipients should rely on their own due diligence and seek their own professional advice before investing.
Cautionary Statement
The Preliminary Economic Assessment referenced herein is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized.
This press release includes references to visual observations of mineralization encountered in drill core. Such observations are preliminary in nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for laboratory analytical results. The presence, nature, and extent of mineralization, including the content of gold or other metals, cannot be determined solely by visual inspection.
Visible mineralization, including sulphides or visible gold, does not necessarily indicate the grade or continuity of mineralization and may not be representative of the overall mineralized interval. Assay results are required to determine the actual grade and thickness of mineralization and may differ materially from visual estimates.
Accordingly, the Company cautions investors that any references to visible mineralization should not be interpreted as an indication of mineral grade or economic viability until such time as assay results have been received and verified.
This press release may also reference historical mineral resource estimates. These estimates are considered relevant as they provide an indication of the exploration potential of the property; however, they were prepared by previous operators and have not been verified by the Company’s Qualified Person. The historical estimates were not prepared in accordance with current standards as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and should not be relied upon.
A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Additional work, including verification drilling, sampling, and data validation, would be required to upgrade or verify these historical estimates as current mineral resources.
Qualified Person Statement
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the Company and considered a Qualified Person (QP) for the purposes of NI 43-101.