La Sarre highlights

The two-day mining convention at La Sarre, Que., provided a timely update for review of exploration work taking place in this part of the Abitibi belt. As with any mining gathering, mining people love to compare notes, discuss projects and `chew the fat’. And as well-known Quebec prospector Peter Ferderber says with a chuckle, “tell each other plenty of lies.” * According to an official at Inco Ltd.’s booth at the convention, construction on the Golden Pond mill is scheduled to start this summer. The decline into the west zone is expected to be in ore by fall. * Exploration staff at Inco also commented that they feel Duration Resources has one of the best shots in the entire Casa Berardi camp. Duration controls a large ground position located more than 10 miles northeast of the Inco-Golden Knight mine site. Drilling by Duration has cut several high grade sections including 2.53 oz gold per ton across 4.6 ft. * Considerable interest was generated by the core display of Mineta Resources and Hyperion Resources. Both companies control a small claim group two miles south of the Golden Pond deposits. Drilling completed in May cut a wide 400-ft section with up to 30% sulphides. Although not economic, the entire section assayed up to 500 parts per billion gold — definitely anomalous. Consultant Robert Middleton notes that the zone has no airborne geophysical signature. The presence of ankerite with sulphides suggests, according to Mr Middleton, an Agnico-Eagle Mines analogy. * Grumblings were also heard from several junior company representatives concerning the Montreal Exchange. They complained that the exchange is needlessly delaying certain procedures required for financings and listings. The source of the problem, according to several mining people, is too many inexperienced youngsters running the show at the me. * Some of the most fascinating core on display was that at the Aunore Resources booth. The core was from an area between the 11th and 13th levels of the former producing Elder mine property. The project is a joint venture with Nova Beaucage Mines. Core of interest was a strongly altered granodiorite with appreciable fine grained pyrite. Rather drab you say? Although hosting no visible gold, Aunore geologist Pierre Gagnon said he was pleasantly surprised with assays of 2.49 oz gold per ton across 3.4 ft, 3.3 oz gold across 3.2 ft and 3.1 oz gold per ton in a 2.9-ft section. * Dennis MacLeod is landing on his feet. Upon leaving the Pamour organization this year, after masterminding a magnificent asset- building and restructuring campaign, he has established a private company which is exploring tailings recovery projects. His company has a deal with Normetal Mining Exploration which gives his company, Doelcam Inc., the right to earn a 50% stake in the Normetal mine tailings. The Normetal tailings host 9 million tons grading 0.01 oz gold, 0.6 oz silver, 0.87% zinc and 0.17% copper per ton. * The mining haunt of choice in La Sarre is La Maison des Chefs, a small restaurant offering superbly prepared steaks. On one particular night, this quaint setting was jammed with the likes of Bruce McDonald of Noramco, Peter Ferderber, consulting geologist Nelson Baker, Don Kemp, president of Ronrico R esources, Walter Curlook of Inco, and a table of Kerr Addison Mines geologists. The hosts of this pleasant retreat are Claude and Ghislain Gagnon.