Mazarin makes major move into Labrador trough area

The Labrador trough area of northeastern Quebec has long been the subject of mineral exploration with some notable successes, but to the west of that regional geological feature exploration has been negligible.

“No one even went fishing there,” says Jacques Bonneau, vice- president of exploration for La Societe d’Exploration Miniere Mazarin.

The lack of mineral exploration is peculiar, because although the sedimentary rocks of the Labrador trough host iron ore deposits that have been exploited by Iron Ore Co. of Canada, the geologically older area to the west is the same archean rock of the Canadian Shield that has generally been a greater source of mineral wealth.

Since the Prospectors and Developers Association’s annual convention in Toronto in 1985, however, the area is starting to open up.

It was at that convention that samples from the area taken by the Quebec government’s geologists first went on display. Mr Bonneau was so impressed by the samples and the assays that accompanied them he convinced his company to take a position in the area about 60 km northwest of Schefferville, Que.

Now the company holds about 659 sq km under a joint venture with its sister company, Societe d’Exploration Miniere Vior. Altogether Mazarin holds nine exploration permits and two options in the area covering a total of about 100,000 sq km. Although Mr Bonneau says the area is virtually virgin ground in terms of mineral exploration, good roads come within five kilometres of the property.

On the ground held with Vior there have been 29 gold showings with samples as high as 0.55 oz gold per ton (a gold showing is defined as a rock sample assaying at least one gram gold per tonne.)

An airborne geophysical survey conducted by the provincial government covers the Mazarin ground and Mr Bonneau says the area is good for prospecting with about 15% being outcrop and overburden on the balance of the ground not greater than five feet.

Since June, 1986, Mazarin has spent about $500,000 on the property and plans to spend at least $1 million in 1987 with drilling to begin in May or June.

The first drill target will be the Lac Lilois showing where several grab samples have returned values greater than 0.3 oz. The Lac Lilois area has also given coincidental INPUT, VLF and Mag anomalies.

The Lac Lilois showing outcrops over a length of about 1.2 km and a width of about 200 m. A main rusted lens of 500 m by 150 m is bordered by other similar but smaller lenses.

As well as its own ground, Mazarin has optioned property in the area from Northern Dynasty Explorations, and Rambo Explorations making it by far the largest player in the area.

Mazarin has a number of other exploration programs under way on properties in other areas.

On the Wilco property, one mile east of Rouyn in northeastern Quebec, Mazarin can earn a 30% interest from Cambior and Noranda by spending $2 million on exploration by the end of February, 1989. There are now three drills working on the property and Mazarin expects to have spent $700,000 by the end of February when about 25,000 ft of drilling will have been completed. Noranda is the operator. Casa Berardi property

Mazarin has an option to earn a 50% interest in a property in the Casa Berardi area from BP-Selco and Toho-Zinc by doing $200,000 worth of exploration over the next two years. About $100,000 has already been projected to be spent this year. Although the company says little exploration has been done here, one of three drill holes completed on the property returned 0.07 oz over a 15-ft thickness.

The company also optioned a property in the Chibougamau area from Noranda. Mazarin can earn a 25% interest by spending $300,000 and can acquire another 25% interest by spending another $300,000 within two years.

Mazarin has also optioned a property in Mazarin Twp., also in northwestern Quebec, to Inco which can earn a 50% interest by the end of 1987. Inco plans to start drilling this year. Also in this area Mazarin has a 100% interest in another property east of the Inco option.

In the Souart Twp. area, Mazarin also has a 100%-owned property.

Mazarin has also set up a wholly- owned subsidiary, Virginia Gold Mines, to conduct work in the United States. With two properties in the state of Virginia, Mazarin plans to obtain Vancouver and Montreal stock exchange listings for the new company and raise about $750,000 for exploration.