A $600,000- exploration program is now in progress on the Belleterre mine in northwestern Quebec, a former producer in Guillet Twp., which turned out 700,000 oz of gold from 1936 to 1959. The program to evaluate the mine for new production potential is being carried out by Riverton Resources (VSE). The company stripped and sampled the No 11 vein, with results from seven chip samples ranging from 0.15 oz gold per ton over 8 ft, to 1.07 oz gold over 4.2 ft for the 110 ft sampled. According to Richard St. Pierre, president, this sampling “verifies the original sample results in 1935 of 0.40 oz gold per ton”. Bulk sampling and 10,000 ft of diamond drilling are planned to further assess the economic potential of the vein.
The company is also planning additional stripping and sampling of the No 2 vein, which had been developed over five levels to a vertical depth of 600 ft. The company said only limited work was carried out above the 125-ft level, where reserves (calculated in 1942) of 6,300 tons averaging 0.24 oz gold “appear to be intact to surface.”
Ten recent chip samples of 5 ft each taken from the quartz vein yielded values ranging from 0.05 oz to 0.69 oz gold, and averaging 0.15 oz gold over 5 ft for the 100 ft check sampled. The company noted that visible gold was seen in several parts of the vein, finely scattered along its strike. Drilling and bulk sampling were recommended for the No 2 vein.
The company’s second phase program will consist of dewatering the mine followed by an underground work program.
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