Montreal Exchange Audrey boosts output

Starting and finishing the week in positive fashion, the Montreal Exchange is beginning to show more (though still relatively moderate) trading activity compared with recent weeks. The larger “senior” mining firms appear to be the current favorites of investors, although the “juniors,” including Abitibi Metals Mines, which traded almost 1.5 million shares by the end of the week, continue to attract attention.

Audrey Resources, which went into production (starting with an open-pit operation) at its polymetallic Mobrun mine only a few months ago, reports a jump in gold output now that the underground portion of the deposit is producing. The company, which is also mining copper, zinc and silver at Mobrun, jumped 45 cents to $3.70 on 179,900 shares.

Reporting free gold from a drilling program at its Dubuisson Twp. property in northwestern Quebec is Cache d’Or Resources, which slipped 1 cents to 29 cents on a volume of 97,800. Drilling continues to extend the zone strike length in both directions, the company says. More high gold values have been announced by Chesbar Resources from a raise being driven from the 200-ft level on the No 3 vein at the Chester Twp. project in northeastern Ontario. Chesbar, which moved up 5 cents to $1.60 with 5,300 shares changing hands, is earning a 60% interest in the property from vse- listed Murgold Resources.

Announcing encouraging drilling results from its Bourlamque Twp. property near Val d’Or, Que., where three surface and two underground drills are working, is Wrightbar Mines, which traded 15,800 shares and gained 1 cents to $1.

Undertaking an exploration program on property in Vauquelin Twp., southeast of Val d’Or, are Norwood Exploration and Oz Exploration; the companies are earning a combined 50% interest in the project from Exxeter Resources. Norwood jumped 7 cents to 40 cents on 69,300 shares, while Oz slipped 1 cents to 28 cents on a volume of 79,200.

Cambior Inc. and Maufort Resources have completed the first phase of an exploration program on the Siscoe property near Val d’Or and report they are now turning their attention to the second phase, which will cost another $6 million and involve full dewatering of the former mine. Cambior, which traded 132,900 shares, closed unchanged at $20.50, while Maufort was down 8 cents to $1.15 on 53,200 shares.