Probe Metals Inc. [PRB-TSXV; PROBF-OTCQB] has provided results from its winter drill program on the 100%-owned Val-d’Or East Monique property near Val d’Or, Quebec.
Results from the first nine drill holes, totalling 2,178 metres, were received, and indicate that the A, B, I and M gold zones are all expanding along strike and at depth. A new zone was also discovered during drilling parallel to the I Zone, returning 18.4 g/t gold over 2.3 metres at shallow depths. All of these zones are located within the Monique mining lease situated 5 km east of Probe’s main gold resource at the New Beliveau deposit.
The 2020 drill program is focusing on expansion drilling around the former Monique open-pit mine and other gold zones on the property. Selected highlights of the drill results are presented in the associated table.
Dr. David Palmer, President and CEO, stated: “The first results from the Monique drilling have exceeded our expectations and represent some of the best intersections to date from this property. Results show higher gold grades over significant widths, and include a new high-grade discovery south of the former open pit. In its first resource estimate the Monique deposits grew to 660,000 ounces of gold and we believe that the current results indicate excellent potential to continue expanding these resources within the current permitted and active mining lease. These types of results are becoming the hallmark of this property, and the Val-d’Or East project in general, and confirm our belief in the strong potential for new discoveries and large-scale growth along the eastern half of this prolific mining camp.”
The first nine holes of the program were designed to test for expansion of mineralized zones along strike and at depth, and all were successful in further delineating the gold zones. Hole MO-33 was designed to test the A and B gold zones at depth. This hole intersected the zones where predicted and represents some of the best assay results from the A Zone to date, with a wide interval of 5.2 g/t gold over 14 metres. The zone, which was intersected at approximately 550 metres vertical depth, continues to show strong mineralization and is still open along strike and at depth. Hole MO-41 was designed to test the western extension of the I Zone and intersected 4.5 g/t gold over 14 metres at 80 metres depth. This hole is located 150 metres west of a historical hole returning 14.1 g/t gold over 9.1 metres. A new high-grade gold discovery parallel to the I zone was made in hole MO-39, which returned 18.4 g/t gold over 2.3 metres. The zone was intersected less than 25 vertical metres from surface. Based on these results, additional drilling has been planned to test the A and B zones at depth, the I Zone west along strike, and the new discovery zone in hole MO-39.
The Monique property is located 25 km east of Val d’Or covering 5.5 km2 in Louvicourt Township. The property hosts a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 9,126,500 tonnes grading 2.25 g/t for 661,400 ounces of gold. The property is part of the company’s Val-d’Or East Project and the consolidated land package stands at 334 km2.
The Monique open-pit mine began commercial production in 2013 and ceased production at the end of January 2015. A total of 580,000 tonne of mineralized material were extracted at a grade of 2.53 g/t gold, from the surface to 100 metres depth for a total of 45,694 ounces of gold.
Probe controls a strategic land package of approximately 1,000 km2 of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec.