Cons. Professor moves cautiously at Duport

Professor’s Duport gold project is located 50 km southwest of Kenora, Ont. The main orebody, covered entirely by the waters of Shoal Lake, is reached by a ramp extending from an island. The project is environmentally sensitive because Shoal Lake is part of the system that provides Winnipeg’s drinking water.

The recently submitted application relates to the proposed ore processing operations on Stevens Island. President Richard Cunningham-Dunlop said activities at the island will be restricted to mechanical processing of ore and no hazardous chemicals, including cyanide, will be used at the island concentrator site.

The company proposes to crush and grind ore to sand-size particles and to extract a gold concentrate which will be transported to a mainland site, outside the watershed of Shoal Lake, for further processing.

The concentrate will be shipped by barge and truck to the mainland processing plant, situated some four miles north of Clytie Bay.

According to Cunningham- Dunlop, water from Shoal Lake will be required only in the initial phases of the project. There will be no release of water to Shoal lake for a period of five years from start-up.

“Water released to the environment will meet all Ontario environmental regulations,” he said. “As a result, there will be no impact on existing water quality within Shoal Lake.”

Several mainland areas have been reviewed by the company for the final processing plant, which will handle 60 tons of concentrate per day. Pressure oxidation is to be used for treatment of arsenical refractory ore.

A series of other applications for permits will be submitted during the next few months, the company said. Public meetings with interested residents of the Shoal Lake area are also being held.

Pre-production capital costs for the Duport mine have been estimated at $52.8 million. The company said it is currently discussing financing possibilities with several international banking groups. Professor is 18% owned by Conwest Exploration Co. (TSE).

Shares of Consolidated Professor Mines have traded at 51 cents recently on The Toronto Stock Exchange, up slightly from the 12-month low of 44 cents .

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