Four holes drilled this summer by Northgate Minerals (NGX-T, NXG-X) have confirmed that two gold-mineralized zones at the Young-Davidson mine west of Matachewan, Ont., continue to depth, and permits are now in place for underground exploration.
Three of the drill holes tested the Lower YD zone more or less vertically below the former producing mine’s open pit, establishing that the zone persists to about 1,200 metres below surface. Hole 21, which cut the zone about 200 metres below any previous drill holes, intersected 23.8 metres grading 5.44 grams gold per tonne; its grade-thickness product (129 gram-metres per tonne) is the second highest Northgate has encountered in the zone.
A second hole, 17B, intersected an upper zone of 6.4 grams gold per tonne over 4.9 metres and a lower zone of 2.1 grams per tonne over 75.9 metres, corresponding to a true thickness of 65.1 metres. The lower intersection included a 9.1-metre interval that ran 4.4 grams per tonne.
A third hole cut a 14.3-metre intersection grading 1.3 grams per tonne and a 7.6-metre interval grading 5.66 grams. The true thickness of the zones was about 80% of the core length.
A fourth hole on the Lower Boundary zone — adjacent to the Matachewan Consolidated property, where Northgate has an option deal with Matachewan Consolidated Mines (MCM.A-V) — intersected 59.7 metres averaging 2.36 grams gold per tonne, including a high-grade interval of 3.3 metres grading 15.53 grams per tonne. The true thickness of the zone is believed to be at least 55 metres.
The Ontario government has issued permits for Northgate’s underground exploration program at the project, to consist of a 3-km ramp to about 450 metres depth. Northgate expects to start construction on the ramp portal early this winter and will also be dewatering the old shaft.
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