Noranda and partners encouraged at DeSantis

Encouraging gold values have been received by partners Noranda Inc., Stan West Mining Corp. and Canacord Resources from their DeSantis mine property, southwest of Timmins, Ont. A first-phase $1.5-million underground exploration program is under way, with three drill rigs in operation from the underground workings.

One of the better holes is MJD-12 which cut a 21-ft section grading 0.25 oz gold per ton. A wedge from the same hole intersected 27 ft grading 0.23 oz. Other good holes include MJD-19 which intersected 15.7 ft assaying 0.14 oz. Hole 22 graded 0.4 oz across 8.5 ft.

Noranda, the project operator, has identified three ore types in the old mine workings; the most important being an albitite zone which has geologically-inferred reserves of 503,259 tons grading 0.2 oz between the 800-ft and 1,800-ft levels. Possible reserves previously announced by Noranda for the property totalled 297,564 tons grading 0.17 oz.

Underground drilling has also discovered a gold-bearing chert zone, which Stan West says has the potential to substantially increase tonnages. Work planned for this year will include drifting on the 1,175-ft level from the No 2 shaft, now in progress, and additional drilling from the lower levels of the mine.