Kirkland Lake reports high grades, expands mineralization at Fosterville

Kirkland Lake Gold has released infill and step out results from the Robbin’s Hill area where expansion drilling confirmed mineralization down plunge and infill work returned high grade intercepts.

Step out highlights include 5.5 metres of 10.4 g/t gold and 4.9 metres of 9.5 g/t gold; these holes were completed an estimated 500 metres down plunge of the current Robbin’s Hill resource.

Intercepts of note from extension drilling completed immediately down plunge for mineral resource growth include:

  • 12.7 metres of 6.5 g/t gold;
  • 11 metres of 6.4 g/t gold;
  • 4 metres of 8.2 g/t gold.

Additional infill drilling was completed to assess the continuity of existing mineralization for a potential upgrade of existing inferred resources. Highlights include:

  • 8.8 metres of 11.7 g/t gold;
  • 3.7 metres of 24.5 g/t gold;
  • 11.1 metres of 11.3 g/t gold.

“Robbin’s Hill has clearly emerged as a second potential mining front to provide feed to our Fosterville Mill. Based on current drilling, we have already identified a large mineralized system at Robbin’s Hill that we expect will support substantially higher levels of mineral resources and that remains open at depth and along strike,” Tony Makuch, the company’s president and CEO, said in a press release.

Five rigs are continuing to work on the Robbin’s Hill area with planning underway on underground development and future drilling.

The drill results will be incorporated into a year end resource update.

Kirkland Lake is also working on a 3D seismic survey over an area of six sq. km in the north part of the Fosterville license where Robbin’s Hill is situated.

Current Fosterville reserves stand at 2.7 million tonnes grading 31 g/t gold for a total of 2.7 million oz. Additional measured and indicated resources stand at 14.8 million tonnes at 4.4 g/t gold for 2.1 million oz. Fosterville is host to additional inferred resources of 10.3 million tonnes at 5.5 g/t gold.

This year, Fosterville is expected to produce 570,000 oz. to 610,000 oz. of gold.

Earlier this month, the company released the results of drilling completed on other areas of Fosterville mineralization.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)