Inco Gold starts bulk testing at Cochenour-Willans gold bet

The test mining phase of a $4.6-million program designed to determine the viability of the Cochenour-Willans gold mine property near Red Lake, Ont., got under way recently. Inco Gold, a unit of Inco (TSE), holds a 50% stake in a syndicate that is attempting to bring the former high-grade gold producer back into production. Wilanour Resources (TSE), with 30%, Pronto Explorations (TSE) with 12.5% and Pronto President Robert Faskin with 7.5% are the other partners in the project.

Due to the nugget-like nature of the gold mineralization, manager Inco will extract 7,500 tons of material grading 0.3 oz. gold per ton between now and October to find out what the mine grade will be.

“Our hope is that we will be able to place 1.25 million tons of grade 0.25 oz. in the proven and probable category,” said Wilanour director Terry MacGibbon.

According to MacGibbon, bulk samples will consist of individual drift rounds from five separate mining locations. The drift rounds will then be crushed and sampled in a sampling tower brought on to the mine site especially for this project.

Inco has already laid the ground work for the bulk test by completing 30 boreholes (13,000 ft.) from the property’s 2,200-ft. level. Having confirmed the geological interpretation of mineralized zones that are scheduled to be sampled, Inco has installed a drill on the 2,050-ft. level.

“Once the results are in, we will know what’s there, whether it is economic and if we have a mine,” said MacGibbon. Following the completion of the underground program in October, a feasibility study will be carried out.