Aurizon tallies 1.3 Moz gold at Joanna in Quebec

Vancouver-based gold mine developer Aurizon Mines (ARZ-T, AZK-X) has tabled a low-grade resource exceeding 1 million oz. gold at its Joanna project in northwestern Quebec, 20 km east of Rouyn-Noranda.

Consultant Geostat Systems International prepared the new resource estimate based on 381 drill holes completed by previous operators.

It tallied a 5.4 million tonnes in the indicated category grading 1.8 grams gold per tonne (309,000 contained oz.) plus another 21.8 million inferred tonnes at 1.6 grams gold (1.1 million oz.).

Aurizon has described Joannas gold mineralization as resembling metamorphosed, sediment-hosted, disseminated sulphide rather than the expected quartz-vein association.

Meanwhile at Aurizons flagship asset, its newly re-opened Casa Berardi underground gold mine, also in northwestern Quebec, consultants Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates has updated the reserve estimate based on the intensive definition drilling program completed in 2006 within the existing 113 Zone.

Aurizon says the updated estimate confirms the 1.2-million-oz. reserve calculated in an updated feasibility study completed in 2005.Scott Wilson RPA also updated the resource for the upper extension of Zone 113, Zones 118-120, the Northwest Zone and for the East Mine zones.

A new resulting geological block model adds 79,000 ounces (18%) of measured and indicated resources, but loses 124,000 oz. (10%) of inferred resources.

Aurizon says its confident it will achieve commercial production at Casa Berardi in the second quarter. Plans are to crank out 1 million oz. gold in its first six years of operations.

CEO David Hall commented in a release that “with gold production from Casa Berardi now a reality, the addition of a 1 million ounce mineral resource in a second gold project in the Abitibi belt at Joanna represents a successful extension of our strategy to focus on good opportunities along major gold belts, close to existing infrastructure.”