Estrades reserves increased by Teck

Drilling by Teck Explorations on the Estrades polymetallic deposit shared with partners Golden Hope Resources and Golden Group Explorations, has elevated reserves above the minimum tonnage required for economic production.

Drilling by four rigs on the Casa Berardi area property in Quebec has outlined a mineable reserve of 1,362,745 tons grading 0.15 oz gold, 4.15 oz silver, 0.76% copper and 9.58% zinc per ton. “This tonnage, according to internal capital cost calculations, is well over that necessary as a production threshold,” says Gordon A. Keevil, a director of Golden Group and Golden Hope The threshold limits also include a minimum 7-ft mining width. Both Golden Group and Golden Hope are controlled by Noramco Mining Corp.

The mineable reserves are part of a larger geological mineral inventory which stands at 2.9 million tons grading 0.11 oz gold, 3.73 oz silver, 0.93% copper and 9.16% zinc per ton, the partners say. Golden Hope and Golden Group share a 40% and 60% interest in the property respectively. Teck, the project manager, holds the option to back in for a 50% interest.

A majority of the reserves are located above the 300-m level, Golden Hope says. Also, the main zone deposit, which occurs as a tabular sheet 200 m long and 10 m wide, could be amenable to low cost mining methods as a result of its compact geometry.

Another drill program consisting of 40 holes is in progress. The drilling is designed to upgrade sections of reserves classified as geological mineral inventory into the mineable drill-indicated category. Drilling is also testing for additional reserves along strike and at depth.

This program, Golden Hope says, has already extended known mineralization beyond the boundaries of the mineable reserves. Of the 40 holes planned results from 15 holes are listed below. Hole Section Grade

(ft) oz au/t oz ag/t cu (%) zn(%) 72 20.0 0.04 3.55 0.49 8.3 197 6.5 0.039 1.21 0.19 7.1 188 20.6 0.047 1.07 1.81 0.85 189 4.9 0.137 0.72 0.82 5.78 191 8.5 0.488 2.1 0.57 10.91 192 2.9 0.465 8.73 1.10 18.91 193 5.2 0.027 4.11 0.44 4.91 194 11.8 0.255 0.45 0.02 0.28

7.5 0.02 0.83 0.62 1.88 196 9.2 0.01 1.06 2.17 1.37 197 12.5 0.013 1.37 2.73 0.33 198 16.0 0.016 1.05 2.34 1.44 199 8.5 0.078 0.78 1.11 2.17 200 29.5 0.02 1.88 0.09 6.03 201 1.5 0.083 3.79 1.91 16.80 202 7.9 0.186 1.39 0.60 1.32

Keevil notes that hole 194 was spotted outside of the main sulphide zone and represents a new type of gold mineralization associated with an altered mafic to intermediate schist.