Gold news

Radisson plans restart for O’Brien mill

Radisson Mining Resources of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., is making plans to restart the O’Brien mill, which once served Quebec’s richest gold mine of the same name. This time around, the mill will treat nickel ore.

Radisson has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to option the RM nickel property 30 km west of Rouyn-Noranda. Subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange, Radisson will make a cash payment of $250,000 and issue 2.0 million Class A shares.

The RM nickel deposit occurs in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in a mafic-intermediate intrusion at the base of the “Horseshoe” gabbro, near the contact with underlying andesites. The mineralization consists of lenses of massive to semi-massive sulphides, up to 4.0 m thick. Zones of disseminated sulphides occur above these mineralized lenses.

In 1980, Falconbridge Copper estimated the resources at 131,352 t grading 0.79% Cu and 0.46% Ni. This calculation was based on the results of more than 100 holes drilled by RM Nickel in the late 1950s. A high-grade zone of 6,527 t grading 2.34% Ni, 2.19% Cu, 1.58 g/t Pt and 4.63 g/t Pb may be amenable to open pit mining. Radisson also says the 1,305-ha property has a high potential for new discoveries.

This and other relevant news is posted at www.RMRadisson.ca.

The O’Brien gold mine operated from 1933 to 1956 with a head grade that averaged 16 g/t Au. The mine was reopened briefly in the late 1970s and a new 180 t/d mill was built, but was closed permanently in 1982 and allowed to flood.

Q-Gold drains Foley mine

Q-Gold Resources of Fort Francis, Ont., is dewatering the old Foley gold mine that has been flooded since the 1930s. The property, located 240 km southeast of Red Lake, Ont., will be the subject of underground exploration.

The Foley mine produced 5,267 oz of gold between 1893 and 1934. It was developed with three shafts and a winze as well as underground drifts on seven levels. Construction was begun on a mill but never completed due to the Great Depression.

Information on the Foley and Q-Gold’s other projects is available at www.QGoldResources.com.