Cambior spends $22 million to confirm Mouska reserves

Cambior Inc. has given the green light to a $22.8-million underground exploration program on its wholly- owned Mouska property near Cadillac in northwestern Quebec. The property is located in Bousquet Twp., immediately west of the Doyon mine.

As a follow-up to an extensive drill program, Cambior will sink a 4-compartment shaft to a depth of 360 m, drive in four drifts on the 100, 150, 200 and 250-m levels and complete 40,000 m of drilling.

The program is designed to confirm reserves already indicated by surface drilling and to ensure the continuity of the ore zone.

By Sept 30, Cambior had completed a 43,500-m surface drilling program which has indicated reserves of 1.6 million tons averaging 0.18 oz gold per ton. As reported (N.M., Aug 3/87) much of that drilling had focused on the western extension of a volcanic horizon which hosts the former Mic Mac mine.

“If we can confirm what we think is there, we will move to production,” said Cambior’s vice- president explorations Jean Boissonnault. If the current program is successful, he says it would cost an additional $8.4 million to bring Mouska to a start-up mode.

Following confirmation on those reserves, Mr Boissonnault said Cambior will complete feasibility study with first production likely by 1990.

Since the property is within trucking distance of the company’s Yvan Vezina mine and mill complex, the 1,000 ton-per-day mill could be expanded to accommodate Mouska ore, he says.

According to Cambior, the mineral inventory at Mouska extends from surface to a vertical depth of 350 m and over a strike length of 900 m. To calculate that mineral inventory, all gold assays were cut to one oz and a minimum true width was used. The company also applied a dilution factor of 20% at zero grade.

To pursue the exploration at depth, Cambior says, a hangingwall drift will be driven on the 300-m level to drill test the downward extensions of the gold zones. The company will also extract a 20,000- ton bulk sample for metallurgical testing.

Scheduled to begin immediately, the current program is expected to be completed by December, 1989.