NXL plans major program for Sandy K

The 1989 program is budgeted at $3 million and will include re-entering the decline ramp and extending it to the 300-ft level, Dr William Pearson, a consulting geologist with Derry, Michener, Booth and Wahl, explained to The Northern Miner.

Pending the arrangement of financing, the underground work will include drifting and raising on veins with the objective of outlining ore grade shoots. Priority targets include the No 7 vein, the Millerett vein and the Cobalt vein.

Underground work completed last year intersected the northern extension of the Millerett No 1 vein. From 1910-1912, more than 500,000 oz of silver was mined from a stope on a section of the Millerett vein located 300 ft south of the northern extension. NXL plans to drill several holes underneath the stope which will test the underlying Nipissing diabase for silver mineralization.

Results from drifting completed in 1988 include 58.39 oz silver per ton across 0.9 ft in a section where the Millerett and Cobalt veins intersect. The entire structure assayed 29 oz silver across 2.7 ft. Current drill results include several narrow high grading sections which assayed 291 oz silver per ton across 1 ft and 305 oz silver across 1 ft.

The former producer also hosts 1.8 million tons of tailings which average 1.4 oz silver per ton. This includes a higher grading 600,000 tons averaging 2 oz silver. According to Pearson, a tailings recovery program becomes attractive at a silver price of $7(US) per oz. At current prices, the tailings are economically marginal.

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