Kiena Complex
May 21, 2020
In December 2003, Western Quebec Mines Inc. purchased the Kiena Complex and subsequently put the property into Wesdome Gold Mines Inc., completing and consolidating the Wesdome land package around Lac De Montigny. The Kiena Mine Complex Project (the “Project”) is a gold property located in the Province of Québec, in the Abitibi region within the limits of the town of Val-d’Or.. As of October 29, 2019, the Kiena Mine Complex property consists of a contiguous group of 183 contiguous electronic map designated mining claims and one mining concession. From the 183 mining claims, Wesdome has 169 claims registered in their name at 100%. Six claims are held be Mines Dynacor (50%) and Wesdome (50%), which represents the Maufort property. Eight claims are held by Wesdome (75%) and 9264-7890 Québec inc. (25%), which represents the Siscoe Extension property. It covers an aggregate area of 7,047 ha.
The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted, integrated mining and milling infrastructure, which includes a 930 m production shaft and a 2,000 tpd mill. From 1981 to 2013, the mine produced 1.75 million ozs of gold from 12.5 million t at a head grade of 4.5 g/t Au. The bulk of this production came from the S-50 Zone between depths of 100 m and 1,000 m. Historic mining was characterized by a series of quartz, carbonate, albite and pyrite veins, and stockworks or breccia lenses hosted within altered tholeiitic basalt, komatiite or talc-chlorite schist. Gold mineralization is typically concentrated where there is a marked competency contrast between more competent mafic rocks and the adjacent deformed komatiite or chlorite-talc schists. In 2013, operations were suspended due to a combination of the declining gold price and lack of developed reserves. The infrastructure has been preserved on care and maintenance status and the underground workings have never been flooded. Since 2015, Wesdome has been continuously exploring the Kiena deposit and in 2016 discovered the Kiena Deep A Zone, which remains a focus of underground exploration.
All infrastructure components have the necessary permits and authorizations. The Kiena environmental department is aware of the main legal requirements and continue to perform all required monitoring studies.
The recently discovered Kiena Deep A Zone is characterized by very high grade, visible gold within quartz veins having very little associated sulfide mineralization, and may represent a new style of gold mineralization in this area. The Kiena Deep A Zone is divided into three main lenses that occur along an isoclinal fold associated with a contact between mafic volcanics and komatiite that are variably altered to chlorite, carbonate and amphibole. The zone is comprised of laminated quartz veins interpreted to be associated with second or third order connecting structures. This high grade zone may represent a transition from the previously mined, more brecciated and sulfide rich deposit near surface, to a more discreet structure with visible gold and less sulfide at depth. The gold mineralization plunges approximately 45 degrees to the southeast and now extends over 830 m and remains open up and down plunge.
Unless stated otherwise, the information in this section is based upon the NI 43-101 technical report (the “Kiena Complex Technical Report’’) entitled “Mineral Resource Estimate for the Kiena Mine Complex Project, Val-d’Or, Québec, Canada”, dated November 7, 2019. The updated block model mineral resource estimate, proximal to Kiena Mine Development, was prepared by Karine Brousseau P.Eng (OIQ #121871), Senior Engineer – Mineral Resources of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI-43-101.The mineral resource estimate has been reviewed and audited by BBA Consulting, Toronto, Ontario. Pierre-Luc Richard P.Geo (OGQ #1119) of BBA Consulting, is a "Qualified Persons" for the resource estimate as defined in NI-43-101 and is considered to be “independent” of Wesdome for purposes of NI-43-101.
Update on Activities
Since the September 2019 mineral resource update, infill and exploration drilling has continued from the 105 level to test the up and down plunge extension of the Kiena Deep A Zone. Additionally, a 79 Level drift has been completed in early 2020 to provide an optimal platform to test the up plunge extension of the A Zone and ultimately will be used for production at a later date as it connects the Upper A Zone and Lower VC Zones to the main shaft.
QUALIFIED PERSON
The contents of this page have been verified and approved by the Company’s VP Exploration, Michael Michaud, P. Geo. a “Qualified Person” for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Please refer to Company AIF available on the Company’s website and sedar.com
Source: https://www.wesdome.com/operations/kiena-complex/
