Hot spots are Flin Flon, Snow Lake

As indicated by the number of companies clustered around the Snow Lake area northwest of Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba there is only one place to be.

While government records show that eight other exploration projects are dotted around the province, Snow Lake appears to be a veritable hive of activity with six of its own.

In one of the best known of those projects, partners Granges Exploration (TSE) and Abermin Corp. (TSE) are involved in a joint venture at the Tartan Lake gold project where the partners have run into some pre-production snags.

As reported (N.M., May 16/88), an idler shaft in a rod mill cracked and will take a few weeks to repair. However, a more pressing concern to the partners appears to be the 60% recovery rates which they have experienced since February.

Despite a 9% dilution factor (which could be as high as 13%), the company says production targets of 20,000 oz this year are achievable but a press release issued by Abermin isn’t so optimistic.

“The Tartan Lake mine should be operated on a significantly reduced scale and other exploration targets in the area be assessed,” it said. Tartan Lake

Further east of Tartan Lake, partners Golden Range Resources (TSE) and a private Toronto company called Mingold Resources are getting some good results at the Hudvam polymetallic property where a $3-million exploration program is under way.

Using flow-through funds raised through Golden Range, the partners are sinking a 5,000-ft exploration decline designed to access zones No. 1 and No. 3 which contain an estimated 680,000 tons grading 0.126 oz gold per ton, 0.44 oz silver, 1.45% copper and 1.90% zinc.

But the good news at Hudvam is that operator Mingold has obtained some good results from a 6-hole program south of the known reserves. Encountered at depths of 1,400 and 1,600 ft the best intersections included 38 ft of 0.054 oz gold, 0.10 oz silver, 1.25% copper and 2.3% zinc.

Golden Range has also reported some encouraging results from drilling at another joint venture polymetallic property in the Snow Lake region. Called the Sylvia project it is held 38% by Manitoba Mineral Resources.

In two holes drilled 400 ft apart at the 1,000-ft level, Golden Range recently pulled 27 ft grading 0.055 oz gold, 1.48 oz silver, 0.12% copper and 6.5% zinc.

After completing 19,000-ft of diamond drilling at the Big Island Lake property near Flin Flon, Westfield Minerals (TSE) and Goldbrae Developments (VSE) have embarked on a summer field program. Big Island

The partners have already outlined a small geological deposit of about 200,000 tons with economic grades of copper, zinc, silver and gold but Westfield says current reserves can be increased substantially.

In a bid to increase their reserve inventory, the partners will spend $1.5 million this year on 10,000 ft of drilling and an intensive prospecting and trenching program on the west side of the property.

Other companies active in the Flin Flon area include Zenco Resources (VSE) and Prime Exploration at the Squall Lake project where 750,000 tons grading 0.1 oz was outlined in 1985. Galveston Exploration (now Prime Exploration) spent $250,000 last year on drilling, trenching and mapping.