Feb 9 2018
Osisko Mining Inc. is pleased to provide an update on the progress of exploration at its 100% owned Windfall Lake, Urban Barry and Quévillon gold projects located in the Abitibi greenstone belt, Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Québec.
Osisko has been conducting new exploration and definition drilling at Windfall for 26 months, since late October 2015. As of the end of January 2018, Osisko has completed 518,000 metres of the planned 800,000 metres to complement the pre-existing 180,000 metres drilled at Windfall by previous operators.
The company is rapidly advancing the Windfall and Lynx deposits through a balance of resource delineation drilling and exploration drilling for extensions and new mineralized zones. Osisko has been successful in the past two years at significantly expanding the known areas of mineralization in the Windfall system and reinterpreting the geological model of the Windfall deposit. Drilling over the past 18 months has been directed by the evolving intrusion-related geological model, leading to the discovery of significant extensions of the previously known mineralized zones, and to the discovery of the new Lynx deposit, Wolf and Bobcat zones.
Exploration Budget for 2018: $100M
Osisko's 2018 exploration budget for the Windfall/Lynx deposits, Urban Barry and Quévillon project areas totals approximately $100 million. This budget includes resource estimation work, resource-oriented drilling, exploration ramp and underground bulk sampling of known mineralized zones, metallurgical work, permitting, PEA and feasibility studies, exploration drilling proximal to Windfall and Lynx, and exploration drilling on the greater Urban Barry and Quévillon properties.
Windfall/Lynx: Initial Resource Estimation Planned for May 2018, PEA Planned for June 2018
Osisko's initial resource for Windfall is scheduled to be released in early May, a delay of six weeks from the previous Q1 2018 estimated completion, due to the slower than anticipated turnaround of assay data. Osisko plans to have a Preliminary Economic Assessment completed in June 2018 for the Windfall deposit subsequent to the release of the initial resource estimate.
The main Windfall deposit and the Lynx deposit (discovered by Osisko in early 2017) remain open to the NE and at depth, and surface exploration drilling is continuing. Newly discovered extensions of the main Windfall deposit (Caribou Extension, Zone 27 Extension, Underdog Expansion), and part of the Lynx deposit and its sub zones below 350 metres depth and further northeast of section 3750E, will not be included in the May 2018 resource estimate, due to lack of adequate drill density. Infill drilling planned for the balance of 2018 will be focused on these areas, with the aim of including them in a planned Q1 2019 feasibility study.
The Corporation will continue significant exploration drilling at Windfall and Lynx through the balance of 2018 as it moves towards the feasibility study, and will continue drilling at the main Windfall and Lynx deposit to infill and extend the mineralized zones defined to date.
Windfall Exploration Ramp Progress
Dewatering of the historic exploration ramp was completed at the end of August 2017, and rehabilitation of the portal began in September. To date, 1,021 metres of rehabilitation have been completed. The remaining areas of the pre-existing exploration ramp are non-essential and will be rehabilitated as necessary.
The first underground blast was completed in late October (see October 27, 2017 press release). Underground infrastructure completed to date includes 45 metres of development for powder and cap magazines and 48 metres of slashes and safety bays. Three electrical substations have been installed as well as a water basin for future water treatment.
New advance towards the Main Zone commenced in late December, with 136 metres completed to date. The rate of advance is approximately 150 metres per month. Bulk sampling in Zone 27, Caribou and Underdog is anticipated to occur in Q2 2018, Q3 2018 and Q4 2019 respectively.
Permits for the exploration ramp towards Lynx are anticipated in Q2 2018. Approximately 1,200 metres of exploration ramp extension are planned to reach Lynx. Bulk sampling in Lynx is anticipated to occur in Q1 2019.
Property Acquisition in Lebel-sur-Quévillon
An alternatives assessment, considering environmental, technical, social and economic factors, has been completed on the location of the potential processing plant for the Windfall Project. The preferred option for the location of the potential processing plant is in the municipality of Lebel-sur-Quévillon (partially on the former Domtar site) and in the territory of Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Québec. The acquisition of approximately 560 hectares of property is expected to be finalized in Q1 2018. The proximity to a stable workforce and existing infrastructure, including power and water supply with available capacity were important components in the evaluation.
Osborne-Bell: Initial Resource Estimation Planned for April 2018
Osisko commenced new drilling at the Osborne-Bell deposit with two rigs in early December 2017. Re-evaluation of the approximately 200,000 metres of historical drilling results from previous operators and the addition of new information from Osisko's drilling will be used to produce an initial resource, anticipated to be released in early April 2018. Osborne-Bell is located approximately 20 kilometres northwest of the town of Lebel-sur-Quévillon.
Exploration Planned for Fox and Black Dog
A review of the exploration work conducted by Osisko in 2016 and 2017 at the Fox and Black Dog discoveries, within the context of the evolving geological model for the main Windfall deposit is currently under way. New exploration drilling is planned for the two areas in H2 2018.
Exploration on the Urban Barry Block
Osisko has completed base line exploration programs on the Urban Barry block including airborne geophysics, ground geophysics, geological mapping and sampling and basal till sampling, developing a significant number of targets (over 100). Osisko intends to include exploration drilling on priority targets developed by these base line programs in the course of 2018 work.
Exploration on the Quévillon Block
Osisko acquired the Quévillon Block in early 2017, and commenced the collection of base line exploration data including airborne geophysics, geological mapping and sampling, and basal till sampling. The continuing work is approximately one-third complete, with several significant exploration targets already developed from both historical drilling and the new information collected. Osisko intends to include exploration drilling on priority targets developed by these programs in the course of 2018 work.
President and CEO of Osisko John Burzynski commented: "We have been moving the Windfall project forward at a very quick pace since our first work started in late 2015. We have added significant shareholder value through our substantial drilling and exploration programs at Windfall, with the discovery of the Lynx deposit and new previously unknown extensions of the main Windfall zones. We plan to continue the fast pace of work on all of our projects in 2018 with over 20 active drills, and are eagerly anticipating the release of our first resource estimate for Windfall-Lynx in early May. We will prepare a Preliminary Economic Assessment for Windfall-Lynx for June 2018 following the anticipated resource estimate, and will continue our exploration of the deposits through surface drilling and the progression of the exploration ramp, with the goal of moving to a feasibility study for Windfall in early 2019. Property-wide exploration on our bank of existing targets will also resume in 2018, with the goal of adding new discoveries to our growing inventory of "drill bit success" at Windfall. We will have another very busy year, with an exploration budget of approximately $100 million, and will continue to be the most active explorer in Québec in what we believe is a new developing mining camp."