Wesdome expands Kiena Footwall zone, possible mining restart by year-end

Underground drilling by Wesdome Gold Mines (TSX: WDO) at the Kiena mine complex in Val d'Or, Quebec has expanded the high grade Footwall zone over 300 metres down plunge.

Drilling in the footwall returned highlights of 41.2 grams gold per tonne over 51.2 metres (capped at 25.7 grams gold per tonne); 27.7 grams gold per tonne over 12.3 metres (capped at 27.7 grams gold per tonne); and 16.7 grams gold per tonne over 9.0 metres (capped at 14.9 grams gold per tonne). All assays were cut to 90.0 grams gold per tonne, but true lengths have not been estimated.

"This new discovery could have major positive impacts on the project, in particular on the next updated mineral resource estimate, the number of ounces per vertical meter, and on global economic characteristics of the project," Duncan Middlemiss, the company's president and CEO, noted in a press release.

The Kiena mine complex in Val D'Or, Quebec. Credit: Wesdome Gold Mines.

Wesdome is drilling the Deep A zone, and those results will be included in a future resource upgrade; a prefeasibility study is underway.

"The recent A zone high-grade intercepts inside and outside of the current A zone resource block model shows the potential to expand the current resource estimate," Middlemis stated.

The A zone recently returned assays including: 122.1 grams gold over 4.7 metres true width (capped at 26.7 grams gold); 96.1 grams gold over 7.1 metres true width (capped at 47.4 grams gold); and 24.5 grams gold over 7.0 metres true width (capped at 21.1 grams). All assays were cut to 90 grams gold per tonne.

This year the company will also test exploration targets including the B zone at depth, and conduct a surface program beginning east and west of the Kiena mine.

"The PFS is progressing well, and we expect to have it completed in Q2, with a possible re-start decision shortly thereafter," Middlemiss said. "The pre-production timeframe is less than six months, potentially driving the Kiena mine into commercial production in Q4 of this year."