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As Maple Gold completes its fall drill program at the Douay gold project in northern Quebec, the company’s regional exploration efforts have defined a pipeline of targets areas for follow up. The explorer has identified over 10 new target areas outside of current resources.
The regional exploration work included an artificial intelligence (AI) study for gold prospectivity, in addition to mapping and an airborne geophysical survey over the eastern portion of the Douay property. The AI study covered 128 sq. km and was centred on the resource area.
As a result, Maple now has additional targets along the northern and southern flanks of the resource, as well as further to the northwest and southeast. These targets are now under review and are being ranked for geophysical testing and drilling.
A total of around 3,000 metres is expected to be drilled by the end of December
The explorer is also halfway through the fall drill program – results are expected in the next few weeks. Two holes have been completed at the Northeast IP area, 4 km northeast of the current resource. The company has requested additional permits along this area, for drill testing along its entire 2-km length.
Two additional holes were drilled to extend higher-grade mineralization within the Douay resource area. A fifth hole is now being drilled on the south side of the 531 zone. Additional drilling is anticipated at the P8 target.
A total of around 3,000 metres is expected to be drilled by the end of December; this work is expected to restart in mid-January. The winter program will include approximately 10,000 metres of drilling.
“While Maple Gold already holds one of the largest undeveloped gold resources in Quebec, there remains tremendous potential for new discoveries to be made across the greater Douay property package,” Matthew Hornor, president and CEO of Maple Gold, said in a release. “It is why we kicked off our fall drill campaign by testing a high-priority target located 4 km away from our current resource. This potential is further underscored by the results of our most recently completed regional exploration work which has delivered over 10 additional target areas for further work and future drilling.”
In October, Agnico Eagle Mines invested $6.2 million into Maple Gold as the two companies signed an agreement to consolidate two adjacent land packages in Quebec into a 50-50 joint venture. The agreement, a binding term sheet, combines Maple’s 357-sq.-km Douay gold project in northern Quebec with Agnico’s adjacent 39-sq.-km past-producing Joutel project into a consolidated property package covering approximately 400 sq. km.
Last year, Maple released an updated resource for Douay with total pit-constrained indicated resources of 8.6 million tonnes grading 1.52 g/t gold for a total of 422,000 oz. and a further 65.8 million inferred tonnes at 0.97 g/t gold totalling 2 million pit-constrained oz. The underground component includes 5.4 million inferred tonnes grading 1.75 g/t gold for a total of 307,000 oz.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
