Antimony mine, gold potential have Dominion Explorers busy

One of the oldest listed companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange today — formed in 1928 by the late renowned mine-finder Thayer Lindsley — Dominion Explorers is still very much alive, The Northern Miner finds. For it now has no less than six active exploration projects under its wing, as well as operating North America’s only antimony mine.

During the past two years all mining properties of the former Durham Resources Group have either been consolidated under Domex or sold. Durham’s name has subsequently been changed to Landmark Corp. (TSE). Landmark controls 76% of Dominion Explorers’ issued shares which now acts as Landmark’s mining division. Landmark, in turn, is under the wing of Oakwood Petroleums, a financially troubled Calgary-based firm.

Primary interest currently centres on the New Brunswick antimony operation where some important new developments are taking place. The mine itself, which accounts for well over 10% of the world’s antimony production, is looking better than ever. And the antimony market is strong.

The past year’s production exceeded $8 million, highest since commencement in 1972. Operating profit is currently running around $125,000 monthly with a mill rate of 500 tons daily. And there is now a 4-year mill supply developed in the new No 2 deeper mine.

This reserve does not include any of the fine new ore currently being developed on the new 1,275-ft level where drifting east has opened 600 ft of continuous ore grading 6.22% Sb (stibnite) across the drift width of 7.0 ft and still open.

“This new deep ore, the longest continuous stretch ever found in the mine, is putting a whole new complexion on the ore picture,” V. Noble Harbinson, recently appointed chairman of the board, told The Northern Miner recently. The main west block has not yet been opened on this horizon. In another brand new development of interest, the company is currently drifting on a mineralized gold- bearing skarn stockwork on the 850-ft level where it has opened a 100-ft length grading 0.093 oz gold across 8.3 ft Although paralelling the antimony vein structure, this gold vein zone is quite separate and distinct, and carries no antimony values.

“Other gold occurrences picked up in previous operations will now have to be evaluated,” Harbinson says, pointing out that no gold occurs in the antimony veins that are being mined.

Current surface drilling south of the shaft has picked up both gold and antimony values which will have to be further investigated.

The company has two other outside antimony bets. It has staked a 40-claim group in British Columbia’s Atlin district where trenching returned 11.6% Sb across 4.8 ft for a length of 200 ft and open. And in Nova Scotia it has acquired by staking and farm-in a 93-claim block on which there are three known gold-antimony structures. High hopes at Mishibishu

The company has an interest in three well-located groups of claims in Ontario’s Mishibishu area where some exciting new gold developments are taking place. Two of these are under option to Noranda Exploration as operating agent for Hemlo Gold Mines (TSE). The draft agreements currently being drawn up call for substantial payments and work commitments.

Hopes are especially high for the Macassa Creek property, a 148-claim group contiguous and on strike of the Granges-MacMillan and Muscocho-Flanagan-Windarra deposits. Initial drilling by Domex intersected significant gold values which Noranda will likely be drilling shortly.

What is known as the Missing Lake property, too, looks interesting. This is a 179-claim group on the area’s south belt adjoining east and on strike of the Noranda- Central Crude property where a major drill program is under way on what appears to be several very significant gold zones.

In the Sturgeon Lake area, with joint venture partner Minnova Inc. (TSE), Domex holds a one-third interest in a former base metal producing property on which a drill program is now under way to test the horizon that hosts the adjoining Mattabi Mines.

And another drill program is planned for Domex’s 352-claim Pelly Ridge property in the Yukon, 7.5 miles northwest of the Noranda- Golden Nevada Grew Creek gold discovery. Surface trenching here last year returned high values in silver, lead and zinc.

The company also holds a 50% undivided interest with operator Cambior Inc. (ME) in the Croinor gold property in Pershing Twp, Que. Reserves here in all categories are estimated at 926,672 tons averaging 0.175 oz gold in a complex geology. Detailed drilling is scheduled to commence shortly.

The company also continues to hold a 100% interest in the former Tex-Sol property in the Bourlamaque area adjoining the Louvicourt Goldfields-Ronrico property where an underground exploration- development program is under way. Domex hopes to make some arrangement with its neighbor to investigate underground some excellent ore grade drill intersections obtained in earlier surface drilling.

Arrangements have been made either by way of farm-out or the sale of flow-through shares to finance these various programs, Harbinson says.