Aur discovery is unrelated to former Louvem zinc mine

Having produced one million tons of 2% copper from 1970 to 1975 and about 640,000 tons of 7% zinc before closing down in 1981, Louvem was a much smaller operation than the East Sullivan and Manitou mines.

Records show that East Sullivan churned out 14.9 million tons of grade 1% copper and 4% zinc from 1949 to 1966.

Louvem Mines’ Manitou operation produced more than 11 million tons of grade 4.5% zinc and 1% copper in the years between 1942 and 1972. As reported (N.M., Aug 9/79) Louvem was able to mine the Louvicourt Twp. deposit profitably before metal prices forced its closure. In 1975, the company aimed to produce four million lb of zinc concentrates a month at a cost of $5.50 per ton. Recoveries were expected to be 93.95% for zinc and 40-45% for gold.

In 1977, the most important source of income for a then new company called Brominco Inc. was royalty payments received from Louvem Mining on ore mined at Louvicourt Twp.

The $310,600 profit recorded by Brominco in 1977 was based largely on a $5 per ton royalty negotiated by President Leo Broussard six years earlier. Aur later acquired control of Brominco and most of the company’s northwestern Quebec holdings.

But according to Aur President Jim Gill, there is almost no relation between the old Louvem mine which was predicated on six zones, and the latest discovery.

“It is a completely different deposit which is not related to any other areas of the old mine,” he said.

After agreeing in 1987 to earn a 50% stake in the Louvicourt Twp. property, Gill realized he had his teeth in something significant when a deep hole beneath the Zone 6 returned 100 ft of semi-massive pyrite containing up to 6.5% zinc over 2.3 ft and 2.8% copper over 1.4 ft.

What Aur refers to as a major copper-rich stringer zone containing 0.83% copper over 386 ft followed the massive sulphides and included intervals of 2.6% copper over 23.5 ft, 3% copper over 10 ft and 1.2% copper over 55 ft.

The recent 7-hole program (see accompanying story) was designed to follow up on those earlier intersections.

If they want to, Aur and Louvem could rehabilitate a 1,000-ft shaft on the Louvicourt property, but no decision on that will be made until the dimensions of the new deposit are known.

“There is a lot more drilling to be done,” said Gill.

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