EXPLORATION ’94 — Drills turning throughout Ontario’s

Drills can be spotted in just about every corner of the Porcupine camp, but at this stage results are sparse.

All eyes are on Finnish giant Outokumpu Mines and its exploration program under way in Montcalm Twp.

In 1993, Outokumpu entered into an option agreement with a syndicate that includes Teck (TSE), Metall Mining (TSE), C.S. Exploration and Dowa Mining of Japan.

Outokumpu has an option to earn a 100% interest in the property. It has spent about $2.5 million on drilling and geophysical work.

“We have drilled a total of 28,000 metres and we were quite successful in that we managed to increase reserves,” says Ingmar Haga, vice-president, exploration and development. “We found a new lens below the previously known mineralization.

“We have a mineral resource estimate in the neighborhood of 7.5 million tons grading around 1.5% nickel and 0.7% copper. To move that into the proven category, we need to have underground work and much more information. This is based on surface drilling only.”

Outokumpu is completing a pre-feasibility study and preparing to do more drilling this winter.

Haga confirmed that Outokumpu and the syndicate are starting a joint venture program on ground outside the optioned area in Montcalm Twp. Outokumpu also has its own early-stage nickel exploration program just south of Timmins, and has staked more than 350 claims in Langmuir, Adams, Eldorado, Deloro, Bartlett and Carmen twps.

Teck has also staked a large number of claims in the Montcalm intrusive complex and hopes to explore next year. The ground is close to where Outokumpu is working.

“Outokumpu has an option to come in with us but at the moment that option hasn’t been exercised and we don’t have a program in place,” said Gerry O’Connell, Teck’s district manager. “But we hope to do something next year, with or without Outokumpu.”

Teck also has an IP survey under way in Bristol Twp. and plans to drill in the new year.

Haddington Resources (VSE) has four groups of claims under two agreements in Montcalm Twp., west of Outokumpu. It is a 50/50 joint venture with Consolidated Gold Hawk Resources (ASE). Geophysics and drilling are planned for the winter months.

Haddington also has ground in Munro Twp. and the Horwood Peninsula area. Further exploration work is pending (awaiting regulatory approval of the option agreements).

Moneta Porcupine Mines (TSE) has commenced an exploration program on its Timmins area properties. Plans are under way to drill six holes on the Kayorum property near Timmins and on its Burrows-Benedict property which extends from North Tisdale through to Murphy Twp., north of Timmins. Moneta’s partner is American Barrick Resources (TSE) in Michaud Twp.; 36,000 ft. of drilling is planned for the winter months.

There is also activity on Moneta’s Godfrey-Jamieson property, which abuts its Loveland-Macdiarmid-Jamieson property, currently under agreement with WMC International. Drilling is expected to begin in January.

Glimmer Resources (VSE) President George Kent is waiting for Hemlo Gold Mines (TSE) to release results and recommendations from phase eight of drilling a Hislop Twp. property.

“In total, we’ve drilled 36 holes, over 5,000 metres of drilling,” Kent said. “Out of 36 holes, 22 holes had positive intersections — 22 holes had 40 ore-grade intersections.

“That means more than 3.5 grams over 1.5 metres so several holes had more than one intersection. That’s quite a significant thing, in view of the fact that we were doing delineation drilling because we expected to find the limit to the orebody, and instead we opened it up in several places.” Hemlo is the operator on the property with a 60% interest.

Pangea Goldfields (TSE) has added a second rig to its Fenn-Gib project, 19 km east of Matheson. Pangea completed 20,000 metres of drilling earlier this year. The current program is about 10,000 metres, and focuses on extending the known zones to deeper levels.

“We hope to have a rough reserve estimate by late December or early January, down to whatever level we’ve drilled,” President J.C. Potvin said. “We’ll have some idea probably in the first 500 metres, but that’s going to be very widespaced drilling because we’re drilling over a distance of about 1,200 metres.”

Pangea has also begun the process of acquiring a mining permit by awarding a contract for the collection of environmental data.

Closer to Timmins, Kinross Gold (TSE) is performing in-fill drilling on the 1060 zone at its Hoyle Pond property, down to the 300-metre level. “We haven’t had any surprises,” Vice-president Garry Hughes said. “It’s pretty well backing up the original work we’d done. In the first go-round, we didn’t have the A zone included as far as 1060. The A zone is between the main mine and the 1060 zone.

“We were talking a million ounces of gold in the B zone of the 1060 down to 550 metres and we have no numbers to add to that at the moment. In the new year, we will be adding to the reserves in the main zone and publishing something on the A zone of the 1060.”

Kinross plans to start shaft-sinking in the new year.

Placer Dome Canada, a unit of Placer Dome (TSE), has completed exploration programs on both the Dome and Paymaster minesites. Results are currently being compiled. At the Paymaster, 3,800 metres of drilling were conducted in 38 holes to test for near-surface mineralization which could be mined by open-pit methods.

At the Dome mine, the exploration team is currently drill-testing for extensions of previously identified mineralization from the underground operation. Up to 4,000 metres of drilling is proposed in this phase, with some holes reaching depths of 1,200 metres.

This year, Placer has eval-uated numerous properties throughout the Porcupine camp, and completed a detailed airborne magnetometer survey over the area. Falconbridge (TSE) recently announced that a drill program at Kidd Creek’s No. 3 mine confirmed the copper-zinc massive sulphide deposit and the closely associated copper stringer zone extends to at least the 3,000-metre level. Exploration drifting is in progress on the 2,070-metre level and will provide a better base from which to conduct exploration drilling during the next 18 months.

Royal Oak Mines (TSE) has a 4,500-ft., 4-hole drill program under way east of Kirkland Lake and is also performing gridding and ground geophysics on the Lac McVittie property, along strike from the Victoria Creek discovery of Sudbury Contact (TSE).

Royal Oak is also drilling at Matachewan: three holes between 3,000 ft. and 4,000 ft. each. Phase one of underground drilling has just been completed at Hallnor — slightly more than 20,000 ft. — and those results are being compiled.

Gridding has been completed on the Micwam property north of Iroquois Falls. Drilling will begin before year-end at Pamour No. 1 and Royal Oak also has a drill program planned in the Nighthawk Lake area for early 1995. The Timmins office of Noranda Exploration, a unit of Noranda (TSE), is also drilling, but the company would only say it is active north of Timmins and north of Iroquois Falls.

— The author is a freelance writer from South Porcupine, Ont.