Wesdome hits new bulk tonnage zone east of Kiena gold mine

Wesdome Gold Mines (TSX: WDO) says it has discovered a new, potentially bulk tonnage target east of its Kiena mine complex at Val d’Or, Que., with surface drills cutting 2.3 grams gold per tonne over a 71-metre interval in the Jacola formation.

Results from the Shawkey zone, along strike east of the mine, stood out. Hole S-21-931 returned 2.3 grams gold per tonne over 72 metres within diorite. Two additional holes (823 and 852) returned 2.3 grams over 29.4 metres and 3 grams over 20.1 metres. All assays were capped at 35 grams gold per tonne.

The company reports it has extended the diorite-hosted mineralization at Shawkey to 200 metres up dip and along strike. It remains open along strike to the northwest as well as down dip. The mineralization comprises disseminated pyrite with locally visible gold, associated with a stockwork of white, narrow quartz-carbonate and tourmaline veins featuring albite and sericite alteration cross-cutting the diorite. This style of mineralization and alteration hosted in diorite differs from the Kiena mine and is potentially mineable using bulk tonnage methods, the company suggests.

Wesdome has also been drilling and updating the 3D model of the Dubuisson zone where mineralization occurs along shear zones and their intersections. The shear zones are mainly at the contact between diorite and ultramafic rocks or cross-cutting diorite. Mineralization is characterized by disseminated pyrite (<7%) with visible gold occurring locally in quartz-carbonate and tourmaline veins. Albite and chlorite alteration occur in the vein selvages.

Drilling at the Dubuisson zone returned higher grades than the Shawkey zone. The Dubuisson highlights include 5 grams gold per tonne over 24 metres, 5 grams over 9.3 metres, 9.8 grams over 25.2 metres, and 11.4 grams gold over 4.2 metres. All assays were capped at 50 grams gold per tonne.

Elsewhere at the Kiena mine, the company is following up on several initial discoveries made last year. These include the south limb of the A zone and several adjacent hanging wall zones which remain outside the current mineral reserves. An exploration ramp project is slated to begin later this year (pending permits) to access the near-surface Presqui’ile zone.

“These exploration results, combined with strong execution of the ramp development to Kiena Deep, pave the way for increased production growth in 2024 and beyond,” chair and interim CEO Warwick Morley-Jepson said in a release.

Echelon Partners mining analyst Ryan Walker says the results are positive as the drilling continues to flesh out the Shawkey and Dubuisson zones, which represent potential additional satellite mill feed about 2-3 km to the southeast of the underutilized 2,000 tonne per day Kiena mill. Both zones remain open at depth and along strike and require further exploration.

Walker also suggests the results demonstrate the remaining exploration potential on the broader Kiena property. “The drilling generally returned wide zones of low-grade gold mineralization potentially amenable to bulk tonnage underground mining, similar to other operations in the region,” he said in a note to clients.