Kenorland Minerals Ltd (TSX-V:KLD) has announced the commencement of the company’s first-quarter 2022 winter exploration program at the Regnault gold discovery within its Frotet Project, located in northern Quebec and held a under joint venture (JV) partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Limited (SMMCL).
In a statement, Kenorland Minerals CEO Zach Flood said: "We're thrilled to have the drills turning again at Regnault. Each program including the initial discovery in 2020 has produced exceptional results.”
“We anticipate further exploration success as we continue to step-out and extend the known high-grade mineralisation to greater depths as well as target the discovery of additional gold bearing structures within the complex," he added.
READ: Kenorland Minerals intersects high-grade gold at the Frotet project in Quebec
The 1Q 2022 winter program will include up to 10,000 meters of diamond drilling at the Regnault gold discovery. This program follows the recently completed 17,792-meter (m) drill program, of which 9,824m have been reported, including a highlight of 15.40m at 17.96 grams per ton (g/t) gold (Au). The company expects assays for the remaining 7,968m to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Vancouver-based mineral exploration company said that 60% of the proposed drilling will be allocated to step-outs along the R1 structure, targeting down plunge extensions of higher-grade mineralisation along the vein corridor. “Twelve drill holes are planned to significantly expand the R1 vein system at depth to approximately 500m below surface beyond the current known extent of approximately 275m vertical depth,” said the company.
Along the R2 Trend, up to 25% of the proposed program will be allocated towards broad-spaced infill drilling to determine the structural framework linking R2 West and R2 East. The remaining 15% of the proposed drill program is designed to expand on known mineralisation and test additional gold-bearing structures north of the R1 corridor, said the company.
To date, a total of 34,206 meters have been drilled at Regnault including the initial discovery drill program in early 2020. The program will conclude the fiscal 2021 budget approved by the joint venture in May last year, said the company.
In the meantime, the upcoming fiscal 2022 budget is expected to be announced later in the first quarter. Exploration at the Frotet Project is co-funded with JV partner, Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada and Kenorland is currently the operator of the JV.
The Frotet project was first identified by Kenorland in 2017 after completing a regional prospectivity study over the Abitibi and Frotet-Evans Greenstone belts of Quebec. The initial 55,921-hectare property was acquired through map staking in March 2017 and optioned to Sumitomo Metal.
Kenorland currently holds three projects in Quebec where work is being completed under joint venture and earn-in agreement from third parties.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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