Falco, Opawica drill Whitestar

In Ontario’s Timmins camp, a deep hole is testing for volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits on strike with the similar-type Kidd Creek deposit.

The 2,200-metre hole is being sunk on the Whitestar South property, a 60-40 joint venture between Falconbridge (FL-T) and Opawica Explorations (OPW-T). The property rests 700 metres west of the Kidd Creek mine, which is owned and operated by Falconbridge.

Drilling of 12 shallow holes in the 1960s turned up zones anomalous in silver, lead, zinc and copper within 300 metres of surface. However, the partners do not believe that these reflect the favourable stratigraphy; it believes instead that such rocks lie deeper beneath the property. A postulated flexure at depth to an unconformity that truncates the Kidd stratigraphy near surface is behind the theory.

The hole, which will bottom at 1,700 metres vertically, is expected to be finished in mid-July.