Omineca re-starts underground placer gold recovery operations at Wingdam

Omineca Mining and Metals (TSXV: OMM; OTCQB: OMMSF) announce the re-start of underground operations at the Wingdam placer gold project. Omineca’s flagship Wingdam gold exploration and placer recovery projects are located along the Barkerville Highway 45 km east of the City of Quesnel in the central interior of British Columbia. The Wingdam property includes mineral tenures totaling over 61,392 ha (613 square kms) and more than 15 linear km of placer claims.

D & L Mining – working with ground stabilization specialists BAT Construction – are currently setting up and preparing the underground workings in advance of re-entering the paleochannel containing gold bearing gravels beginning at the already established crosscut heading number three.

Following delays related to the provision of geotechnical submissions to the BC Ministry (EMLI), the company is set to begin operations under the mine plan utilizing tunnel liner plate and/or grouted fore-poling (spilings) as needed for ground support in advancing into the gold bearing gravels.

Under the mine plan, miners will use either grouted fore-poling followed by the application of shotcrete after excavation or tunnel liner plate where applicable.  Omineca officials have stated there are advantages to both types of artificial ground support depending on the characteristics and conditions encountered.

D&L has restarted operations with preparatory tasks including rehabilitating the haulage/access drift, cleanout and upgrading dewatering sumps, ventilation upgrades, bulkhead installation and evaluation/reinforcement of existing bulkheads as necessary.  The company said gold bearing gravel recovery will commence in the very near term given that all equipment, mining supplies, and manpower are well under way.

Omineca will provide further updates as D&L advances into the channel toward the central portion where the highest concentrations of placer gold are known to accumulate. The current plan is to continue tunnelling and processing gold-bearing gravels across the full width of the channel followed by excavation both up and downstream within the central portion of the old riverbed.

Earlier this month, Omineca reported on some significant findings. Two reverse circulation holes to further define the underground gold-bearing paleochannel before restarting activity are, in Omenica’s words “very exciting”. Hole 23-01 recovered 3 m³ of material that yielded 0.21 gram of gold, giving a gold grade of 3.82 g/m³ from 46 to 49 metres below surface. Hole 23-02 recovered 0.1459 m³ that yielded 3.71 grams of gold, giving the material a grade of 25.41 grams/m³ from 46 to 54 metres below surface. More information is posted on www.OminecaMiningAndMetals.com