Falconbridge set to resume drilling at White Star property

Falconbridge will resume drilling on White Star Copper Mines’ (CDN) 160-claim B property near Timmins, Ont., by mid-July, said Vice-President of Exploration Michael Knuckey.

As part of a regional search for satellite deposits around the Kidd Creek copper-zinc mine, Falconbridge will spend about $600,000 on the White Star ground this year. Knuckey said about $250,000 has already been spent to drill eight holes or 3,500 metres.

To follow up results of a recent down-the-hole geophysical survey, Falconbridge will move its rig to the western edge of the White Star property, near claims sold to the base metal producer by Chance Mining & Exploration (CDN). Chance retains a 10% net profits royalty in the property.

At the 2,000-claim Mirage project near Sudbury, Ont., Falconbridge is spending $1.2 million to investigate the Wanapitei anomaly, a geophysical target similar in size and shape to the anomaly that defines the Sudbury mine basin.

After completing a deep hole in Sheppard Twp. last year, the nickel producer will concentrate on relatively shallow electromagnetic anomalies delineated near the centre of the 80×25-km Wanapitei magnetic and gravity anomaly, Knuckey said. The company will drill 3-4 holes to test the targets to depths of about 400 metres.

Nearby in Mackelcan Twp., Flag Resources (ASE) recently completed two holes to depths of about 1,000 metres on the Wanapitei. Albitization and enrichments of chromium, cobalt and nickel were discovered in the core, suggesting that a mafic igneous intrusion may underlie the Huronian sediment cap, Flag says.