The Timmins East land package consists of a series of properties in northeastern Ontario covering a 100 km strike length between Night Hawk Lake and the Quebec border, and includes a total of 62 leases, 447 patents and 2,444 staked claims.
The land package was acquired mostly through Agnico Eagle’s merger in February 2022 with Kirkland Lake Gold, which had acquired these properties from St Andrew Goldfields (SAG) in 2016.
Geologically the properties are located in the South Abitibi greenstone belt and follow the general trend of the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone (DPFZ). Key rock types underlying the properties include mafic to ultramafic volcanic rocks of the Tisdale assemblage (2,710 to 2,703 million years old or “Ma”), Kidd Munroe Assemblage (2,718- 2,710 Ma) and the Kinojevis Assemblage (2,702 to 2,703 Ma) as well as sedimentary rocks of the Porcupine Assemblage (2,696 to 2,692 Ma) and the Timiskaming Assemblage (2,687 to 2,675 Ma) along with felsic to mafic intrusive rocks of various ages.
The properties have a complex exploration history dating back to at least the 1930s, with the identification of multiple occurrences of gold mineralization and the establishment of past-producing gold mines including Holt, Holloway, Hislop, Taylor and Aquarius. Large areas of the properties remain to be explored and the highly prospective geology suggests the potential for further discoveries.
Based on location, past work history and local differences in geology, the land package is divided into six main blocks: Aquarius, Taylor, Hislop, Golden Highway North, Golden Highway South, and Holt-Holloway.
Aquarius Block
The Aquarius Block is located on the western side of the Timmins East land package in Macklem Township and includes the former producing Aquarius underground mine which was operated by Asarco in the early 1980s and produced approximately 29,670 tonnes grading 7.8 g/t gold for 7,400 ounces of gold.
Geologically, the block is situated along the Nighthawk Lake Break (a southwesterly trending branch fault from the DPFZ) and is underlain mostly by mafic to ultramafic volcanic rocks of the Tisdale Assemblage which have been locally intruded by felsic intrusive rocks. Higher grade gold mineralization is hosted mainly by narrow quartz veins within carbonated ultramafic rock surrounding a large northeasterly trending anticline centered on the historic shaft.
Exploration at the property dates back to prior to the 1930s but the most significant programs were carried out by Asarco, Echo Bay Mines, Kinross Gold and SAG from 1980 until 2016, when the properties were acquired by Kirkland Lake Gold. The exploration from 1980 to 2016 included underground drilling to support underground production while the mine was operating while most surface drilling was carried out to evaluate open pit potential above the underground workings after the mine had closed. The drilling from surface was accompanied by several studies to evaluate open pit mineral resources including feasibility studies by Asarco and Kinross Gold. Based on the latest studies, the total open pit mineral resources at the property are estimated at 23.1 million tonnes grading 1.49 g/t gold (1.1 million ounces) in the indicated category and 502,000 tonnes grading 0.87 g/t gold (14,000 ounces) in the inferred category as at December 31, 2022.
Although no exploration work is planned for this block in 2023, there is potential to expand current open pit mineral resources and make additional discoveries.
Taylor Block
The Taylor Block is located east of the Nighthawk Block near the town of Matheson and includes the historic Taylor mine, which was operated by SAG between 2012 and 2016, and then by Kirkland Lake Gold after its acquisition of SAG until 2020 when it was placed on care and maintenance. Production for the final five years totalled 1.5 million tonnes grading 4.8 g/t gold (250,000 ounces) and the remaining mineral resources are estimated at 1.2 million tonnes grading 5.4 g/t gold (250,000 ounces) in the indicated category and 870,000 tonnes grading 5.5 g/t gold (153,000 ounces) in the inferred category, as at December 31, 2021.
Geologically, the Taylor Block is located along the eastward extension of the DPFZ from Night Hawk Lake and follows an east-west trending, shallow, southward-dipping contact between mafic to ultramafic rocks of the Tisdale Assemblage and sedimentary rocks of the Porcupine Assemblage. Gold mineralization has been identified in multiple locations across the property, but most are within three main zones: Shaft, Shoot and West Porphyry. Higher grades within the zones are typically contained within discrete quartz veins or quartz-vein arrays, which frequently contain visible gold within altered ultramafic rocks near the sediment-volcanic contact.
Exploration at the property dates back prior to the 1930s, but the most significant programs were conducted after 1988 when SAG acquired the property from Esso Minerals and developed the underground mining operation. Most of the past exploration was focused in areas surrounding the Shoot, West Porphyry and Shaft zones, but more recent work is also examining new areas with limited exploration further from these historic zones.
Planned work for 2022 included geophysical surveying and diamond drilling with a budget of C$1.0 million.
Hislop Block
The Hislop Block is located immediately east of Matheson in the eastern part of Hislop and western part of Guibord townships. The block includes the former operating Hislop mine, which had underground and open pit production, with all mining being operated by SAG. Production from underground occurred in the early 1990s, producing approximately 200,000 tonnes grading 5.4 g/t gold for 35,200 ounces of gold and production from open pits occurred intermittently between 1999 and 2007 and produced approximately 250,000 tonnes grading 3.0 g/t gold for 24,000 ounces of gold.
Geologically, the Hislop Block is located along a southeasterly trending portion of the DPFZ east of Matheson where it is intersected by the Arrow, Hislop and Ross faults. Key rock types underlying the property include northwesterly trending tholeiitic to komatiitic volcanic flows as well as cross-cutting dikes and intrusions of syenite, feldspar porphyry and intrusive breccia. Gold mineralization has been identified in several areas of the property with the most significant occurrences located along a 1,200 metre long northwesterly trend line passing through the historic underground shaft and coinciding with a contact between mafic and ultramafic flows that has been intruded by felsic dikes. Higher grade mineralization typically occurs along the margins of the felsic dikes and is closely associated with quartz veining, brecciation and increased pyrite.
While exploration at the property was carried out by several companies dating back prior to 1930s, most of the work was performed by SAG after 1990 and it resulted in continued identification of new mineralization along the 1,200 metre trend plus other parts of the property, with large areas of high mineral potential still remaining to be explored.
Planned exploration at Hislop in 2022 included geophysical surveying and diamond drilling with a budget of C$1.0 million.
Golden Highway Blocks (North and South)
The Golden Highway North and Golden Highway South blocks are located immediately east of Matheson in Guibord, Michaud, Garrison, Cook, Thackeray and Barnet townships. Together, the two blocks consist of a series of high potential exploration properties spanning a 30 km strike length between the Hislop and Holt-Holloway blocks.
Geologically, the Golden Highway blocks cover a broad area encompassing the north and south branches of the DPFZ and areas to the south. Key rock types underlying the block include mafic to ultramafic volcanic rock from the Tisdale and Kenojevis groups and three large felsic intrusions within Guibord, Michaud and Garrison townships. Gold mineralization has been identified in several areas of the property including the Ludgate and Garrison occurrences (North and South). The Ludgate occurrence is immediately north of the DPFZ in southeastern Guibord Township and is hosted by felsic intrusive rocks, while the Garrison occurrence is directly along the DPFZ in northern Garrison Township. Gold mineralization at both occurrences is closely associated with strong shearing, alteration and quartz veining.
Past exploration on the property predates the 1930s but was limited compared to other parts of the Timmins East land package. The most significant programs at Golden Highway began in the 1990s and were carried out by Pentland Firth and SAG, and focused on areas surrounding the Ludgate and the Garrison occurrences. Although work on these occurrences has indicated mainly low grades to date, there is potential for new discoveries along strike of these occurrences and in other parts of the property.
Holt-Holloway Block
The Holt-Holloway Block covers a 15 km long strike length within Harker and Holloway townships, and lies between the Golden Highway blocks and the Quebec border. The Holt-Holloway Block includes the former operating Holt and Holloway mines, which were discovered and put into production by Battle Mountain Gold and Barrick Gold in the late 1980s, and later sold to and operated intermittently by SAG and then Kirkland Lake Gold until final closure in 2019. Total remaining mineral resources at the site are estimated at 11.7 million tonnes grading 4.52 g/t gold (1.7 million ounces) in the measured and indicated categories and 9.1 million tonnes grading 4.48 g/t gold (1.3 million ounces) in the inferred category, as at December 31, 2022.
Geologically, the Holt-Holloway Block covers the eastern extension of the DPFZ, where the north and south branches converge east of Garrison Township, and then intersect the Ghostmount and McDermot fault zones. Key rock types underlying the property include sedimentary rocks of the Porcupine Assemblage which occur within a narrow band adjacent to the DPFZ as well as mafic volcanic rock from the Kidd Munroe and Kinojevis Assemblage, which lie to the north and south. Gold mineralization has been identified in several parts of the property but most occurs along or near to the DPFZ and Ghostmount faults which are the key structures controlling mineralization at the Holt and Holloway mines.
Past exploration has been carried out since the 1930s by multiple operators but the most significant work was by Battle Mountain and Barrick in the 1980s as well as by SAG and Kirkland Lake Gold after 2006. Most of the past exploration focused on areas along strike of the historic mines, the DPFZ, and the Ghostmount and McDermot fault zones, and the work identified several occurrences up to several kilometres from the past producing mines. Large areas of the property with potential for mineral discoveries remain untested.
Planned exploration in 2022 included geophysical surveying over the area west of the Holt and Holloway mines.