Northern Star bright at Midway

Northern Star Mining (NSM-V) continues to hit significant gold at its Midway-Malartic Goldfields project 16 km west of Val d’Or, Que.

Results from the last four holes are highlighted by one hole in the Upper Halet zone that cut 13.5 metres grading 8.75 grams gold per tonne.

There are ten known gold zones to date. The Upper Halet has a strike-length of at least 210 metres and is open in both directions along strike.

Another hole hit 5.2 metres grading 5.2 grams gold per tonne at 97 metres downhole and 50 metres further downhole cut another zone that grades 6.7 grams gold over 3 metres.

Two holes deviated from their proposed targets; one failed to intersect significant mineralization, while the other hit 1.4 metres that graded 5.6 grams gold.

In general gold is associated with, and directly proportional to, pyrite. Gold zones are found within ovoid-shaped gabbroic and mafic lenses within ultramafic rock. Porphyry-type intrusions appear to be a factor in gold enrichment. Locally porphyry intrusions contain lower grade gold.

The past-producing Malartic Goldfields mine is on the property; it mined 23 gabbroic and mafic lenses similar to the zones that are being drilled.

Two 800-metre-deep shafts stand idle however Northern Star intends to de-water the three-compartment shaft. Northern Star’s drilling has been focusing on an area that is between the 2 shafts.

Over 2 million oz. of gold were produced from 1939-1960. Northern Star intends to explore the property from underground. The mineralized zones appear to be stacked en echelon and the company hopes to find more gold zones at depth.

The company has entered into a purchase agreement with Aur Resources (AUR-T), (Novicourt (NOV-T) and Teck Cominco (TEK-T) to purchase Louvicourt mine’s (no. 2 shaft) 35-metre steel headframe, drum hoist, compressors, transformer, motor and miscellaneous hardware. This equipment-combination is rated to a depth capacity of 1,525 metres. The company plans to move the infrastructure (a distance of about 35 km) and reassemble it at the shaft #1 site. A consulting mining engineering firm has been given the contract to help design and install the headframe foundation.

The 1.2-sq.-km property comprises 53 contiguous claims, 2 mining concessions and 2 surface leases. The property is just one km south of the Trans Canada highway and is connected to it by a dirt road.