Detour Lake bigger than expected for KL Gold

“We are increasingly confident that a large continuous deposit is situated along the Detour Mine Trend that extends from the Main Pit, through the Saddle Zone and continues beyond the West Pit location," said Tony Makuch, President and CEO of Kirkland Lake Gold.

"We are also extremely encouraged by the wide, high-grade intersections being reported at depth across the Saddle Zone, which confirm the potential for strong growth in Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in support of future open-pit and as well as underground mining. We are already introducing significant enhancements to the Detour Lake operation through re-interpretations of previous work and project improvements, with our progress to date highlighted in a new NI 43-101 technical report to be filed by the end of this month. This report will include production results consistent with our previously-released guidance of 680,000 – 720,000 ounces per year for 2021 – 2023, with production to increase to approximately 800,000 ounces in 2025. This report will not include any of the new drilling we have done since the acquisition. The exploration success we are achieving will be part of a completely new mine plan and technical report to be issued early next year, which we believe will clearly demonstrate the substantial value upside we have through our extensive commitment to exploration drilling at Detour Lake Mine.”     

Kirkland Lake Gold has announced results from 30 holes of drilling at the Detour Lake property. The new holes being reported are the fourth batch of results from the recently announced 250,000 m exploration program, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2021. The program is being completed to collect information for an updated, and potentially expanded, Mineral Reserve and to support the completion of a new production plan, expected to be released in early 2022. The new holes announced today are mainly from drilling in the Saddle Zone, located between the Main and West pit locations, which has been underexplored and has no Mineral Reserves and only limited Mineral Resources. Several new holes are also being announced from the area west of the West Pit, which also contains limited past drilling.

Central Portion of the Saddle Zone

Drilling in the central portion of the Saddle Zone included nine holes (7,672 m) and targeted the DMT approximately midway between, and 400 m below, the Main and West Mineral Reserve pit shells.

Significant results from the drilling include: 13.95 gpt over 26.9 m, including 108.94 gpt over 2.8 m, 2.43 gpt over 12.7 m, 0.83 gpt over 74.0 m, 1.26 gpt over 13.0 m, 1.53 gpt over 29.0 m, 1.02 gpt over 19.8 m and 23.19 gpt over 2.3 m from hole DLM-20-052A; 3.63 gpt over 58.0 m, including 14.19 gpt over 10.2m and 1.03 gpt over 49.5 m from hole DLM-20-057; 1.27 gpt over 80.3 m, 1.40 gpt over 64.0 m and 1.89 gpt over 19.0 m from hole DLM-20-070B; 1.67 gpt over 50.8 m, 2.68 gpt over 36.0 m and 1.78 gpt over 19.5 m from hole DLM-20-075; 1.19 gpt over 50.0 m, including 17.11 gpt over 2.4 m from hole DM-20-065; 0.99 gpt over 66.8 m, 0.92 gpt over 49.0 m, 1.06 gpt over 26.0 m and 2.21 gpt over 24.0 m from hole DLM 058C and 0.98 gpt over 73.0 m, 0.93 gpt over 67.0 m, 1.38 gpt over 18.0 m and 1.05 gpt over 23.8 m from hole DLM-20-033A which targeted the DMT between 200 and 400 m below surface. The new results from hole DLM-20-33A, DLM-20-52A and DLM-20-58C are located near the lower limit of the pit shell for current resources and  between 75 and 100 m above previously reported results from hole DLM-20-016 which included 1.10 gpt over 142.0 m (see press release dated September 9, 2020). The new result from DLM-20-057 is centered 60 m below and to the east of DLM-20-016.

Results from all new holes in this area are considered extremely encouraging as they continue to confirm the presence of a broad corridor of mineralization extending between the West and Main pits ( a distance of over 800 m) with the overall style of mineralization and gold tenor being very similar to that found in the West and Main pits. Particularly encouraging is the identification of wide, high-grade mineralization near the lower limits of the current resource pit shell, which indicates that a potential exists to expand the pit shell to depth and to add significant new open-pit resources as well as to define underground resources below the pit.

East Portion of Saddle Zone 

Drilling in the east portion of the Saddle Zone included eight holes (8,105 m) and targeted areas along the Detour Mine Trend (“DMT”) directly below and to the west of the Main Pit Mineral Reserve shell.

Significant results from the drilling including: 1.21 gpt over 105.9 m, 1.10 gpt over 120.3 m, 2.17 gpt over 39.0 m, 1.61 gpt over 29.0 m, 1.61 gpt over 29.6 m and 0.80 gpt over 51.0 m, from hole DLM-21-089B; 1.01 gpt over 118.0 m and 0.83 gpt over 26.0 m, from hole DLM-20-47W2, 1.09 gpt over 57.0 m, including 14.38 gpt over 2.0 m and 0.78 gpt over 26.8 m from hole DLM-20-062. All of these new holes were designed to intersect the DMT between 400 and 600 m below surface and strongly confirmed the continuation of the DMT to the west and below the current Main pit reserve and resource pit shells. 

The new results from hole DLM-20-089B and DLM-20-47W2 are centered approximately 475 meters below surface and 75 to 125 meters below previously reported results from hole DLM-20-014A which included 1.42 gpt over 78.0 m, 1.08 gpt over 51.0 m, 1.21 gpt over 43.0 m and 0.90 gpt over 51.0 m (see press release dated September 9, 2020). Results from hole DLM-20-062 are centered near the 575 m level.

Below West Pit

Drilling below the west pit included five holes (4,059 m) which targeted the DMT directly east of the West pit between 350 and 500 m below surface. 

Significant results from the drilling include: 1.47 gpt over 119.0 m, 0.71 gpt over 57.0 m and 1.64 gpt over 19.7 m from DLM-20-024A; 0.92 gpt over 128.0 m, 1.09 gpt over 35.0 and 9.14 gpt over 4.0 m from hole DLM-20-050B; 0.95 gpt over 100.1 m from hole DLM-20-056B and 0.99 gpt over 48.0 m, 1.73 gpt over 13.4 m and 13.92 gpt over 2.0 m from hole DLM-20-064. The new intercepts in DLM-20-24A, DLM-20-20-50B and DLM-20-56B are located approximately 180 m west of previously reported DLM-20-004 which included results of 1.41 gpt over 121.0 m and 1.03 gpt over 14.08 m(see press release dated June 29, 2020). The results for holes DLM-20-64 are 375 meters west of DLM-20-04. 

Results from all four holes are considered very positive and continue to confirm the continuation of   mineralization through the west portion of the Saddle Zone and into the area under the West Pit.

West Pit Extension

Drilling in the east portion of the Saddle Zone included seven new holes (2,092 m) which targeted areas of the DMT west of the West Pit Mineral Reserve up to 125 m below surface.  

Significant results from the drilling include: 2.34 gpt over 11.3 m, including 11.5 gpt over 2.0 m from hole DLM-20-071;1.76 gpt over 11.0 m in hole DLM-20-083 and 7.31 gpt over 5.0 m from hole DLM-20-045. All of the new holes intersected the DMT approximately 300 m west of the current Mineral Reserve between 25 and 125 m below surface and appear to have passed through the top of the main structure within this area.

Based on assay results and other observations obtained from the program to date, the outlook for the project continues to look encouraging with there being evidence of a broad and continuous corridor of mineralization extending between the West and Main pits and to a depth of at least 800 m below surface. The work also suggests that mineralization within the corridor is very similar to that found in the West and Main pits and  hosted within broad zones containing variable amounts of quartz and pyrite, which are controlled mainly by east-west trending, moderately north dipping folds and shear structures which plunge at a shallow angle to the west. Given results to date, the potential to identify further extensions to mineralization as well as additions to Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves between the Main and West pits through additional drilling is considered excellent.

Exploration work at Detour Lake is ongoing with twelve drills current working, and on track to complete approximately 270,000 m by the end of 2021.

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