Wallbridge completes Fenelon bulk sampling

Canadian Mining Journal Staff | May 15, 2019 | 2:02 pm Precious Metals Canada Gold 

Wallbridge Mining has released the final results from a 33,200-tonne bulk sample at its Fenelon gold project in northwestern Quebec.

Highlights from the campaign at the past-producing project follow:

  • The bulk sample established Fenelon could be mined at good grades using the relatively low cost bulk mining methods;
  • Stope grades ranged from 10.94 to 38.33 g/t gold;
  • 33,233 tonnes of ore with a reconciled average grade of 18.49 g/t gold containing 19,755 ounces of gold were processed at the Camflo Mill from the stopes in the bulk sample;
  • 2,277 tonnes of low-grade ore left-over from previous operators with a reconciled grade of 4.23 g/t gold were also processed;
  • All gold has been sold at average realized gold price of C$1,727.55 per oz.
  • The permitting process for a second bulk sample is underway; and
  • Submissions to the Quebec government for full production permits for the Fenelon Main Gabbro Zones will begin shortly.

“Completing the bulk sample provided valuable information while generating positive cash flow to fund our 50,000 to 70,000 metre exploration drill program at Fenelon,” said Marz Kord, President & CEO of Wallbridge.

Kord noted the bulk sample results met or exceeded the company’s initial projections in terms of grade and gold recovery. However, the last stope experienced more dilution than anticipated because the company tested a larger stope by skipping a sub-level and increasing the stope height.

“In addition, we applied the high-grade capping approach used in the bonanza-grade NV-03 stope to this stope, which may have been too aggressive for this specific part of the deposit. Together, these two factors resulted in a lower than planned grade for this particular stope,” Kord said. “This learning is exactly the reason for doing a bulk sample; these lessons provide valuable information for future mining practices. Selective mining methods allowing narrower zones with less dilution will be tested if a second bulk sample is granted.”

Production from six stopes as well as low grade ore left-over from previous operators were processed at the Camflo mill from September 2018 to April 19, 2019.

Including the additional 2,277 tonnes of low-grade ore stockpile, the reconciled grade of all material from the processing at Camflo facility was 17.58 grams per tonne generating a total of 19,293 ounces of gold produced.

Fenelon exploration

Fenelon is located in northwestern Quebec proximal to the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SLDZ) which hosts the Detour Gold Mine in Ontario, and Balmoral Resources’ gold deposits at Martiniere. Fenelon hosts the Discovery Zone gold deposit and surrounding 4 km strike length of a gold-hosting secondary splay of the SLDZ.

Since acquiring the property in late 2016, Wallbridge has completed an updated resource estimate and a positive pre-feasibility study on the existing resource. The 2019 drill program (50,000-70,000 metres planned) is well underway with four drill rigs. One underground drill rig is currently active on tightly spaced resource drilling, completing 15-20 metre step-outs on known mineralization within the main gabbro below the 2018/2019 bulk sample down to 250 metres vertical depth.

Additionally, One underground and two surface drill rigs are currently active on exploration drilling, doing large-spaced step-outs to define the footprint of the newly discovered Area 51 gold system which has returned significant grades including 98.91 metres grading 2.81 g/t gold.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

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