Shawkey results mixed

A winter drill program at the Shawkey gold project near Val d’Or, Que., has returned lacklustre results for Western Quebec Mines (WQM-T).

The junior sank 10 holes to follow up erratic values obtained in the previous year’s campaign. The earlier program consisted of 11 holes, and before that, a previous operator had sunk 56 holes over a strike length of 700 metres, down to 300 metres below surface.

Mineralization is hosted by a felsic porphyry sill and is associated with quartz-tourmaline-chlorite veins. About 300 metres of the targeted structure was tested in the recent program, down to a depth of 150 metres.

The best results came from holes 141 and 137, which ran, respectively, 6.45 grams per tonne over 10.32 metres (starting at 64.85 metres) and 2.96 grams over 6.15 metres (at 108.6 metres) in hole 137. Both sections are made up of several narrow intervals less than a metre wide and carrying up to 69.57 grams.

Three holes came up barren.

Given the erratic nature of the mineralization, Western Quebec believes the mineralized structure needs to be assessed via underground development. The program will start after gold prices improve.