Wesdome Gold Mines drills 75.6 g/t gold over 10 metres at Kiena, Quebec
Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. [WDO-TSX] reported underground exploration drilling results from the Kiena Deep A zone at the company’s 100%-owned Kiena mine complex in Val d’Or, Quebec.
Over the past several years, underground drilling has focused on testing areas proximal to the Kiena Deep A zones. As part of this exploration focus, early success discovered the footwall zones in 2021. Subsequently in 2022, exploration confirmed the presence of the South Limb at depth associated with Kiena Deep A zone, suggesting potential to increase the strike length of the high grade A zone. Later in 2022, drilling intersected two new zones in the relative high rock quality hanging wall basalt that returned 2,850 g/t gold over 1.5 metres.
Since November, drill results have extended the Kiena Deep A zone 125 metres down plunge. The A zone extends continuously from 1,100 metres to approximately 2,000 metres below surface and remains open at depth.
Hole N103-6840W5 and N103-6840W6 confirmed the extension of the north limb of the fold, with the overall geometry of the fold confirmed by hole 6840W4, the true thickness of the north limb remains unknown. The down plunge continuity, volume and grade at depth of the South limb will be tested by future drilling as access is provided by the hanging wall ramp.
Additionally, the latest drilling results have also continued to better define and expand the footwall zones. Lenses FWZ_1 to FWZ_4 were intersected by holes N112-6861, N112-6861W1, and N112-6862W2. The results obtained have extended these lenses and also increased confidence in the validity of the geological model.
Hole N103-6839W4 intersected and further defined the hangingwall basalt zone reported in the November 16, 2022 press release. More drilling is planned to better define the orientation and the thickness of this zone.
Highlights of the recent drilling are listed herein and summarized in an attached table in the original press release.
Hole N112-6861 returned 75.6 g/t gold over 10.0 metres core length (35.8 g/t gold capped, 6.4 metres true width) in the A zone.
Hole N103-6840W5 -returned 23.7 g/t gold over 5.0 metres core length (23.7 g/t gold capped, unknown true width) in the north limb zone>
Hole N103-6840W6 returned 26.8 g/t gold over 4.0 metres core length (24.8 g/t gold capped, unknown true width) in the north limb zone.
Hole N112-6861 returned 33.6 g/t gold over 21.8 metres core length (10.8 g/t gold capped, 4.3 metres true width) in the footwall zone.
Hole N103-6839W4 returned 4.1 g/t gold over 22.8 metres core length – hangingwall basalt zone.
Assays capped at 90.0 g/t gold for the A zone and capped at 35.0 g/t gold for the hangingwall basalt zones. True widths are estimated.
Warwick Morley-Jepson, Interim President and CEO commented, “We are pleased with the recent drill results that are continuing to better define and expand the recent discoveries adjacent to the Kiena Deep A zone, namely the footwall, South Limb and hangingwall basalt zones. These zones have the potential to increase the number of ounces per vertical metre and to provide additional working faces during mining using the same underground infrastructure utilized to access the A zone. This can be leveraged to mine these additional zones on a lower unit cost basis. The discovery of these zones highlights the potential to add ounces within the basalt, where the rock quality is significantly better than in the footwall of the A zone allowing for increased overall development rates.
“Additionally, recent drilling has extended the A zone a further 125 metres down plunge, illustrating the future growth potential of this zone. Obviously, testing at depth potential remains one of the focuses of current drilling.
“With the completion of the paste fill plant commissioning on November 30, 2022, commercial production at the Kiena Mine was declared effective December 1, 2022. To date, the paste fill plant has performed well, with the focus now primarily on ramp development. Currently ahead of schedule, ramp development in 2023 is designed to provide access to the much wider part of the high grade A zone in early 2024. Wesdome will continue to provide periodic progress updates throughout the year.”
Wesdome is a Canadian focused gold producer with two high grade underground assets, the Eagle River mine in Ontario and the recently re-started Kiena mine in Quebec. The Company also retains meaningful exposure to the Moss Lake gold deposit in Ontario through its equity position in Goldshore Resources Inc. [GSHR-TSXV].