TORONTO, Feb. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: WDO) (“Wesdome” or the “Company”) today announces underground exploration drilling results from the Kiena Deep A Zone at the Company’s 100% owned Kiena Mine Complex in Val d'Or, Quebec.

Recent underground definition and exploration drilling at the Kiena Deep A Zones area has:

• Confirmed the A Zone continues down plunge along the basalt – ultramafic contact with drilling returning high grade from this continuous zone of mineralization (Figure 1);
• Confirmed the Footwall Zone comprises three subparallel zones and one crosscutting zone that have now been extended over 300 metres down plunge. Mineralization remains open laterally and down plunge and additional drilling platforms are being established as the A Zone ramp progresses to provide for more optimal drilling distances and angles; and
• Confirmed the existence of lower grade stockwork veins within the hanging wall of the A Zone within brecciated and altered basalt (Figure 2). These zones have the potential to be mined as access development in the hanging wall due to their proximity to the A Zones stoping area, and thereby having potential to be added to the resource base.
  • These zones are generally located within 5 metres from the contact with the schist (A Zone) at a grade of 5 – 6 grams gold per tonne and an average thickness of 2 metres. Drilling is ongoing to better determine the extent of these zones.

Highlights of the recent drilling are listed below and summarized in Table 1.

• Hole 6796W3: 74.6 g/t Au over 30.0 m core length (24.8 g/t Au capped, 5.0 m true width) A1 Zone
• Hole 6752W9: 38.3 g/t Au over 37.3 m core length (18.2 g/t Au capped, 6.0 m true width) A Zone
• Hole 6752W8: 35.9 g/t Au over 30.3 m core length (27.0 g/t Au capped, 7.0 m true width) A Zone
  

All assays capped at 90.0 g/t Au. True widths are estimated based on 3D model construction.

Mr. Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO commented, “We are pleased with the recent underground drilling that continues to define the high grade A Zone and now confirms the extent of the subparallel Footwall Zone, which we expect to grow further with continued drilling. The Footwall Zone, and now the newly discovered Hanging Wall Basalt Zones, will positively impact project economics as the same underground infrastructure utilized to access the A Zone can be leveraged to mine these additional zones on a low unit cost basis.

We are continuing to spend aggressively on exploration at Kiena with $17.7 million to be spent in 2022 that includes approximately 50,000 m of underground drilling and 30,000 m of surface drilling. As part of the 2022 drilling program, 2 underground drills have been moved onto the 33 level to test historic zones and anomalous drill results further to the east along strike from the Kiena mine. Surface drilling is ongoing and will be accelerated once the ice has melted utilizing the two barges left at site. Planned drilling is concentrated around the Shawkey and newly discovered Bourgo zone.

We are also pleased with the progress being made ramping up production at Kiena. As planned, production will ramp up throughout the year with higher production expected in H2 2022. While we continue to expect commercial production in Q2, production this year will be back end weighted in H2 2022 as we continue to ramp up, with total production this year forecasted at 64,000 – 75,000 ounces. As per the 2021 Pre-Feasibility Study, completed prior to the Footwall Zone discovery, the life of mine average yearly production is 83,574 ounces with costs declining materially in 2024 once higher output levels are realized. However, with the discover of the Footwall Zone, and most recently with the Hanging wall Basalt Zone, we expect these new zones could extend the LOM and have the potential to increase annual production given the increase reserve ounces per vertical metre.”

TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE

The underground technical and geoscientific content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by Bruno Turcotte, P.Geo., (OGQ #453) Chief Geologist – Underground Exploration of the Company. The surface technical and geoscientific content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by Yan Ducharme, P.Geo., (OGQ #690) Exploration Manager of the Company. Both are a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Analytical work was performed by ALS Minerals of Val-d’Or (Quebec), a certified commercial laboratory (Accredited Lab #689). Sample preparation was done at ALS Minerals in Val d'Or (Quebec). Assaying was done by fire assay methods with an atomic absorption finish. Any sample assaying >3 g/t Au was rerun by fire assay method with gravimetric finish, and any sample assaying >10 g/t Au was rerun with the metallic sieve method. In addition to laboratory internal duplicates, standards and blanks, the geology department inserts blind duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream at a frequency of one in twenty to monitor quality control.

COVID-19

The health and safety of our employees, contractors, vendors, and consultants is the Company’s top priority. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Wesdome has adopted all public health guidelines regarding safety measures and protocols at all of its mine operations and corporate office. In addition, our internal COVID-19 Taskforce continues to monitor developments and implement policies and programs intended to protect those who are engaged in business with the Company.

Through care and planning, to date the Company has successfully maintained operations, however there can be no assurance that this will continue despite our best efforts with the emergence of new, highly contagious variants such as Omicron. To date the company has been impacted by this most recent variant outbreak, with employees at both operations and corporate office becoming infected. Impacts of significant numbers of employees being absent have been limited so far however future conditions may warrant reduced or suspended production activities which could negatively impact our ability to maintain projected timelines and objectives. Consequently, the Company’s actual future production and production guidance is subject to higher levels of risk than usual. We are continuing to closely monitor the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

ABOUT WESDOME
Wesdome is Canadian focused with two producing underground gold mines. The Company’s goal is to build Canada’s next intermediate gold producer, producing over 200,000 ounces from two mines in Ontario and Québec. The Eagle River Underground Mine in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold at a rate of 92,000 – 105,000 ounces per year. The recently re-started Kiena Complex in Val d’or, Quebec is a fully permitted underground mine and milling operation. Wesdome is actively exploring both underground and on surface within the mine areas and more regionally at both the Eagle River and Kiena Complex. The Company also retains meaningful exposure to the Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario through its equity position in Goldshore Resources Inc. The Company has approximately 141.6 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “WDO.”

For further information, please contact:

220 Bay St, Suite 1200
Toronto, ON, M5J 2W4
Toll Free: 1-866-4-WDO-TSX
Phone: 416-360-3743, Fax: 416-360-7620
Website: www.wesdome.com

This news release contains “forward-looking information” which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, management’s estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company has included in this news release certain non-IFRS performance measures, including, but not limited to, mine operating profit, mining and processing costs and cash costs. Cash costs per ounce reflect actual mine operating costs incurred during the fiscal period divided by the number of ounces produced. These measures are not defined under IFRS and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to or more meaningful than, net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our financial performance or liquidity. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow.

Table 1: Kiena Complex Underground Drilling Assay and Composite Results

Composites

Assays

Figures accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dfe246cf-7ff7-4fc4-9560-41731f6845af

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97a46c86-a860-4858-9ba4-ede354bd3499

PDF available: 

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/4d3e9fda-a04e-4be6-a867-a8bf78fab981
Figure 13D View of Kiena A ZoneFigure 2Kiena Basalt Zone