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Kirkland Lake Gold has released assay results for eight drillholes, as well as one wedge hole, completed within the underexplored Saddle zone, between the Main and West pits at the Detour Lake mine site in Ontario. According to the company, the results from this area to date suggest “a broad and continuous corridor of mineralization extending between the West and Main pits and to a depth of up to 820 metres below surface.”
The drill results include intercepts from the west, central and east portions of Saddle.
Highlight intercepts from the western part of Saddle include 58.5 metres of 1.8 g/t gold starting at 532.5 metres; 29 metres of 2.39 g/t gold from 619 metres; as well as 39 metres of 1.47 g/t gold starting at 886 metres. The drilling in this area targeted the Detour Mine Trend (DMT) east of the West pit, at depths between 400 metres and 600 metres.
Exploration work at the mine site is ongoing – the latest results are the second batch of data from a 250,000-metre exploration program
The central portion of Saddle returned assays that include 142 metres of 1.1 g/t gold starting at 739 metres – this hit is from the very first hole targeting this area, and returned mineralization similar in style and grade to the West and Main pits. These results indicate an 800-metre corridor of mineralization, which would follow the DMT and extend from the Main through to the West pit and then to the west, beneath the West pit.
Results from the east section of Saddle include 78 metres of 1.42 g/t gold from 564 metres; 43 metres of 1.21 g/t gold starting at 342 metres; as well as 73 metres of 1.38 g/t gold from 923 metres. This drilling was aimed at the DMT to the west of the mineral reserves within the Main pit, at depths of 380 metres to 820 metres.
In the press release, Tony Makuch, Kirkland Lake’s president and CEO, noted the potential for a larger deposit at the Saddle zone, with underground mining possibilities.
“Results from drilling in the Saddle zone have included numerous intersections containing attractive grades over substantial widths, which highlight the potential for significant growth in open-pit mineral resources and are also supportive of a potential underground mining concept, which could add higher-grade mill feed to our production profile.”
Exploration work at the mine site is ongoing – the latest results are the second batch of data from a 250,000-metre exploration program. Kirkland Lake plans to drill at least 75,000 metres by year-end.
This year’s revised production guidance for Detour Lake (updated at the end of June) stands at 520,000 oz. to 540,000 oz. at operating cash costs of $720 to $740 per oz. sold.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
