Wesdome drills new bulk tonnage zone east of Kiena gold mine

Wesdome Gold Mines (TSX:WDO) says it has found a new, potentially bulk tonnage target east of its Kiena mine complex at Val d’Or, Que. Surface drilling returned 2.3 g/t gold over a 71-metre core length from the prospective Jacola formation.

Of particular interest is the Shawkey zone, which occurs along strike east of the mine. Hole S-21-931 returned 2.3 g/t gold over 72 metres within diorite. Two additional holes (823 and 852, respectively) returned 2.3 g/t gold over 29.4 metres and 3.0 g/t gold over 20.1 metres core length. All assays were capped at 35 g/t gold.

The diorite-hosted gold mineralization at Shawkey has been extended to 200 metres up dip and along strike. It remains open along strike to the northwest as well as down dip. The mineralization, which consists of disseminated pyrite with locally visible gold, is associated with a stockwork of white, narrow quartz-carbonate and tourmaline veins with associated 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.

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 located at the contact between diorite and ultramafic rocks or cross-cutting diorite. Mineralization is characterized by disseminate 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 5.0 g/t gold over 24 metres; 5.0 g/t over 9.3 metres; 9.8 g/t over 25.2 metres; and 11.4 g/t over 4.2 metres (all core lengths). All assays were capped at 50 g/t gold.

Elsewhere at the Kiena mine, the company is following up on multiple 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.

Additional information about the high-grade Kiena mine is posted on www.Wesdome.com.