Seabee tops 500,000 oz.

Production at the Seabee mine in Saskatchewan’s La Ronge district has exceeded 500,000 oz., more than double that of any previous gold mine in the province. Operator Claude Resources (CRJ-T) says the milestone event is a tribute to the hard work of its 120 full-time employees.

The shear-hosted, underground mine has reserves totalling 579,000 tonnes grading 7.54 grams gold per tonne, plus an additional 1.6 million tonnes, at similar grades, as extensions to depth of current mine workings.

Underground exploration is continuing, with work focused on the 2C and 2D structures, which remain open along strike and at depth. Deep drilling is planned for later this year. Claude is also exploring other claims in the region, within a 4-km envelope of the Seabee mine.

In Ontario’s Red Lake district, Claude’s Madsen project is being explored by Placer Dome (PD-T), which is carrying all costs associated with the work program. The first-phase program, involving four stratigraphic exploration holes, is complete, and Placer has started a second phase, which will entail drilling the area that hosts the high-grade No. 8 zone.

Placer Dome can earn a 55% interest in the project by spending $8.2 million on exploration over three years and by producing a bankable feasibility study. This can be increased to 60% in return for funding of all development costs.