An exploration effort aimed at finding new sources of high-grade ore near existing mines in Ontario’s Sudbury camp has produced encouraging results for nickel giant Inco (N-T).
Two new discoveries, both of which are readily accessible from existing mine workings, were made near the Copper Cliff South mine.
The first discovery was made while drilling an extension to the Kelly Lake deposit, 2,100 metres south of the Copper Cliff South shaft. The new zone was intersected at a depth of 1,370 metres in four holes, over thicknesses of 13 to 28 metres, with grades varying from 1% to 2.8% copper and 1% to 2.2% nickel.
The holes also returned “high concentrations” of platinum group metals and gold.
Inco has drilled the new zone over 335 metres of strike length and 400 metres downdip. It is still open to the south, where geophysical work has confirmed its continuity and identified possible extensions.
The other high-grade discovery was made while drilling a new zone 1,800 metres north of the Copper Cliff South mine shaft at a depth of 900 metres.
The drilling returned thicknesses of 7.8 metres grading 4.16% copper and 5.9% nickel, and 8.4 metres of 6.76% copper and 1.73% nickel. The mineralization in this area also contained high concentrations of platinum group metals and gold.
Inco notes that the zone is still open at depth. More exploration will be carried out from a drift that is being developed from the mine shaft on the 975-metre level.
The good news from Inco’s exploration division did not stop at Copper Cliff.
A new zone of mineralization was also found near the Victor deposit, on the eastern rim of the Sudbury Basin. The discovery resulted from an underground exploration program aimed at confirming resources in the Main zone and in the deeper Footwall zone, and at finding new resources.
The zone was discovered 180 metres south of the known Main zone. It has a dip extension of 360 metres and is still open at depth. Copper grades range from 0.41% to 0.74%, and nickel grades range from 1.3% to 2.54%.
Inco notes that six drill rigs are employed at the Victor deposit. This year, the company expects to spend US$8.4 million exploring targets at its mine sites in the Sudbury camp.
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