EXPLORATION ROUNDUP — Meadowbank resource tops 1 million oz.

Based on assay results from 118 shallow diamond-drill holes, partners Cumberland Resources (CDB-T) and Comaplex Minerals (CMF-T) estimate their Meadowbank project hosts a resource exceeding 1 million oz. gold.

The property, 75 km north of Baker Lake in the Northwest Territories, is shared by Cumberland and Comaplex, with 60% and 40% interests, respectively.

The total resource now stands at 1.1 million contained ounces on a cut basis, and 1.3 million oz. uncut.

Work to date has focused on outlining the Third Portage and Goose Island deposits, as well as the less advanced North Portage zone.

Third Portage hosts 4.7 million tonnes grading 4.4 grams gold per tonne, with all assays cut to 1 oz. The estimate is based on 73 diamond drill holes and a cutoff grade of 2 grams.

Goose Island hosts about 976,834 tonnes grading 11.46 grams cut, or 19.18 grams uncut, based on 37 diamond drill holes and a cutoff of 5 grams.

North Portage contains 259,185 tonnes grading 9.31 grams gold, based on eight diamond drill holes and a 5-gram cutoff.

Third Portage is envisioned as an open-pit prospect, whereas Goose Island and North Portage are being explored for their underground potential. North Portage, the newest of the discoveries, remains open for expansion in all directions.

Cumberland and Comaplex note that the Meadowbank project hosts potential for additional tonnage, both along strike (in between the known deposits and zones) and at depth.

The companies are also partners at the Meliadine gold project, near Rankin Inlet, N.W.T. The western portion of the property is under option to WMC International, a subsidiary of Australian-based Western Mining, which can acquire up to a 60% interest by spending $12.5 million on exploration.

The juniors each hold 50% of Meliadine East, which hosts 2 million tons grading 0.196 oz. gold in the near-surface Discovery deposit.

But that target has been overshadowed by WMC’s discovery of the Tiriruniak Central shear zone on Meliadine West, from which high-grade gold values were reported earlier this year (T.N.M., Oct. 28/96). Next year’s program will outline tonnage and advance the project to the feasibility stage.