BASE METALS — Foran aims drills west of Flin Flon

Vancouver-based Foran Mining (FOM-V) is preparing for a July start to its diamond drilling program on the McIlvenna Bay volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit in northeastern Saskatchewan. The 13,000-ha project area is situated west of the historic Flin Flon camp.

Foran’s program is designed to expand the size of the deposit, which forms part of what Foran describes as “one of the largest undeveloped zinc resources in North America.”

Previous estimates are that the main lens of the McIlvenna Bay deposit contains a geological resource of about 13 million tonnes averaging 4.95% zinc and 1.26% copper, with significant precious metal credits. The deposit consists of one main lens, two smaller lenses and associated stringer mineralization. This mineralization is geologically similar to that of several mines in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake area. The resource calculation is based on drilling by previous operators totalling almost 30,000 metres in 67 holes. The resource spans a strike length of 2,900 metres to a maximum depth of 1,000 metres. Spacing of holes varied from 50 metres along strike and 100 metres downdip in the central part of the deposit to more than 200 metres along strike and downdip at the eastern and western extremities.

Foran believes the potential for additional resource tonnage is good, both in the vicinity of the known mineralization and in other areas on the property. The strike length of McIlvenna in the area of the deepest drilling is 400 metres, and this portion of the deposit remains open at depth. The company’s consulting geologist has recommended a minimum $3-million program consisting of exploration drilling and definition drilling, as well as environmental, metallurgical and engineering work.

The company was drawn to the mafic-to-ultramafic, primitive-arc assemblages of the Flin Flon greenstone belt because of their association with larger-tonnage massive sulphide deposits, such as the historic mines of Flin Flon, as well as Ontario’s Kidd Creek and Timmins-area mines.

East of Flin Flon, Foran has amassed nearly 9,000 ha in what is known as the Four Mile assemblage, a relatively underexplored package of primitive rocks situated 30 km west of Snow Lake.

Since January, Foran has acquired several properties in the area, including the Morton Lake and Sewell Lake properties, and has entered into agreements to gain three more, namely, Dickstone, Rail and Road. The company awaits approval of the transaction by the Vancouver Stock Exchange.

In the coming summer, work at Morton Lake and Sewell Lake will entail extensive field mapping and the employment of a proprietary geophysical method developed by Hudson Bay Exploration & Development that can define electromagnetic targets to a depth of 300 metres.

The company plans to drill any identified targets once winter sets in.

Further to the west, Foran is working on the Thompson Bay project, which covers one of a group of claim blocks that cover a total of 10,000 ha in the western part of the Flin Flon greenstone belt; the other blocks are Kisseynew, Nek, Weldon and Big Island.

Foran had difficulty drilling at Thompson Bay last winter because the ice covering the lakes was not sufficiently thick to support drill equipment.

The company plans to try again to test the three known targets.

Foran also plans mapping, geophysics and drilling at Big Island, 10 km east of Flin Flon.

Big Island contains a resource of 200,000 tonnes grading 12% zinc, 0.5% copper and up to 10 grams gold per tonne. Foran hopes that exploration can expand the resource.

Mapping will continue at the Kisseynew properties, though not at the fevered pace of last year. “We spent the whole summer mapping last year,” says Foran’s vice-president of exploration, Steve Masson. “We may only map half the summer this time.”

Foran is already seeing the results of last year’s work. Drilling at Kisseynew during the winter encountered a copper-zinc horizon 0.5 to 1.3 metres wide and more than 800 metres long. Assays returned up to 1.5% copper, 12% zinc and 1 gram gold per tonne over the interval. Additional assays are pending.

The company also plans to drill the Dickstone mine and Rail properties this year.

In all, the company controls nearly 20,000 ha in the Flin Flon greenstone belt, where Masson believes there is potential to delineate a deposit of between 10 and 60 million tonnes. Foran has budgeted $1.5 million for the year’s exploration.