West Red Lake Gold Sets Sights on High-Grade Expansion at Fork Deposit
By Kevin Vincent
West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. has unveiled a reimagined vision for the Fork Deposit, located within its 100%-owned Madsen Property in the Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario. Recent analysis has highlighted the deposit’s potential as a shallow, high-grade, near-mine resource expansion opportunity, aligning with the company’s strategic hub-and-spoke model.
“What was once considered a somewhat broad, intermediate-grade portion of the satellite resource inventory at Madsen, Fork has now been re-envisioned as a high-grade near-mine resource expansion target that will be a top priority for the exploration team in 2025,” said Shane Williams, President and CEO. “The shallow nature of this target will allow for rapid advancement through surface definition drilling and, with its proximity to existing underground development, it’s not difficult to see a path forward for Fork making its way into the production pipeline at Madsen.”
Updated Interpretation of the Fork Deposit
The Fork Deposit hosts an Indicated mineral resource of 20,900 ounces grading 5.3 g/t gold and an Inferred resource of 49,500 ounces grading 5.2 g/t gold. WRLG’s recent evaluation has identified a shallow, low-plunging high-grade zone approximately 250 meters southwest of existing underground development.
This newly prioritized zone spans 400 meters by 250 meters and is open for further expansion along its southern strike. Preliminary interpretations estimate an average thickness of 2 meters. Systematic surface drilling, with average depths of 150-250 meters, is planned for 2025.
Key Historical Drill Results
• RUM-08-49: 13.05m @ 13.97 g/t Au, including 3.63m @ 30.79 g/t Au and 1.97m @ 32.55 g/t Au.
• PDM04-318: 9.3m @ 8.14 g/t Au, including 0.7m @ 85.70 g/t Au.
• RUM-08-68: 1.3m @ 50.48 g/t Au, including 0.2m @ 169.09 g/t Au.
• PG14-011: 3.5m @ 17.18 g/t Au, including 1.6m @ 33.80 g/t Au.
Geology and Resource Highlight
The Fork deposit lies within two shear zones spaced 100-150 meters apart. The upper lens, known as the Main Zone, hosts gold mineralization associated with contacts between ultramafic sills and iron formation units. The lower lens, referred to as the Fork Footwall Zone, lies within the Russet Lake Shear Zone and mirrors the geological characteristics of the deeper 8 Zone, located 1.8 km to the northeast.
Drilling has defined the Fork deposit over a 600-meter strike length and to a depth of 375 meters. The deposit is characterized by deformed quartz veins and hydrothermally altered rocks controlled by shear zones.
Next Steps
WRLG plans to prioritize Fork for its 2025 exploration efforts, focusing on infill and expansion drilling to refine the resource. Additionally, the sparsely drilled southwestern extension of the Fork Footwall Zone will be a key target, particularly where the Russet Lake Shear Zone intersects ultramafic and basalt contacts.
About West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd.
West Red Lake Gold Mines is focused on advancing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and a 47 km² property package in the Red Lake District, which has produced over 30 million ounces of gold. WRLG also owns the Rowan Property, encompassing 31 km² and including three past-producing mines.
Tags: Northern Ontario / Operational Updates / Gold / All Articles