Summary:
The Fenelon Mine Property is located in the northwestern Archean Abitibi Subprovince in the southern Superior Province of the Canadian Shield.
Metamorphic belts like the Abitibi are complex regions where accretion or collision has added to, or thickened, continental crust. Gold-rich deposits can be formed at all stages of orogen evolution, so that evolving metamorphic belts contain diverse gold deposit types that may be juxtaposed or overprint each other.
Two types of gold mineralization have been recognized:
- A wide and generally auriferous sulphide-poor quartz vein stockwork formed in the hanging wall of the SLDZ. The sulphide-poor quartz vein stockworks observed in the hanging wall have subvertical north or south dips and are parallel to a series of east-west trending high-strain zones. These veins form a weak stockwork and are boudinaged and/or folded.
- Gold mineralization that overprints the early auriferous stockwork, principally in the hanging wall of the SLDZ, with a higher sulphide content. The sulphiderich gold mineralization predominantly fills structural sites in deformed quartz veins, fractures and veins crosscutting the foliation fabric, but also in pillow breccias and selvages. The distribution of sulphide-rich mineralization is strongly controlled by the geometry of kinematic orientation (i.e., pyrite and pyrrhotite concentrations have a shallow westerly plunge similar to the plunge of the main flexure zone in the SLDZ at an angle of about 40° in the area of the former open pit, shallowing to approximately 10° further to the west).
The segment is dominated by mafic volcanic rocks, followed by sedimentary and plutonic rocks. It is transected by numerous E-W trending deformation zones located either at the contacts of volcano-sedimentary units and granitoid plutons or crosscutting them. The two major northernmost faults of the Abitibi are the Sunday Lake (SLDZ) and Grasset (GDZ) deformation zones. The GDZ is the equivalent of the South Detour Deformation Zone in Ontario.
The Fenelon Mine Property is covered by 4 to 50 metres of glacial overburden consisting mainly of sandy and gravel outwash material and lesser boulder-rich tills. There are no natural rock outcrops in the area of the Discovery Zone (a.k.a. the Fenelon deposit) where glacial overburden is generally 4 to 8 metres thick. Detailed property-scale geological information is only available for this area, which has been drilled and bedrock exposures created during open pit sampling and underground development work. The correlation between geological information and geophysical maps has contributed to the recognition of certain magnetic units such as gabbroic and ultramafic rocks, low magnetic sedimentary rocks and highly conductive graphitic horizons.
Mining Methods
- Drift & Fill
- Longhole open stoping
- Uppers Retreat
Summary:
Based on the nature and geometry of the Fenelon deposit, three different mining methods should be employed: long hole, uppers, and drift and fill.
Longhole mining consists of drilling a series of vertical holes in the ore from one level to the other. The ore is then blasted in vertical slices. The ore is retrieved from the bottom drift using remote scoop trams. For every horizontal level (approximately 15 m floor to floor), a primary slot (drop raise) is excavated at the extremity of the stope. Blasting of the stope (which can vary between 5 to 30 m in length) is achieved following a longitudinal retreating fashion. All the broken ore is extracted before another blast is taken to ensure a maximum recovery of ore, should any unplanned caving occur. Once the stope is empty, waste rock is used to refill the opened excavation as non-cemented rock fill. In order to blast the second stope on the same level, once again a drop raise is pulled as a primary opening. The second stope is then blasted, mucked and backfilled. The process is repeated until the entire level is mined out.
The uppers longhole open stope mining method differs slightly from traditional longhole. Although the recovery is generally not as good, it is a preferred method in areas where the excavation of a top sill proves to be uneconomic. The longhole drilling and loading of the holes takes place at the bottom sill. Once again, a primary slot is excavated at the extremity of the stope and blasting is achieved following a longitudinal retreating fashion. The stope is then mucked out after each blast, in order to ensure maximum recovery of the ore.
Concept of the drift and fill mining method which should be used in a few locations in the mine when the geometry of the orebody does not permit the longhole or uppers method.
The mine will be operated by contractors as a 24/7 two-shift operation. This should be maintained during the life of mine.
Processing
- Leaching plant / circuit
- Carbon in leach (CIL)
- Merrill–Crowe
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
The results from the testwork done to date in laboratory and during the processing of two bulk samples in commercial plant propose that the preferential way to process the Fenelon ore should be the conventional gold leaching process. For the custom milling processing of this ore, different alternatives exist. The Merrill Crowe, CIL or CIP should normally provide relative equivalent gold recovery. However, no CIL or CIP testwork has been done to date. In the current situation in the Abitibi area, there exist some possibilities for competitive quotations from different processing facilities. The ore is also amenable to flotation, but it could be anticipated that the final gold recovery may be a bit lower than with the cyanide leach. However, this avenue was not optimized at that time. No copper assay in the resources seems to exist so it could be difficult to justify this alternative. For the purpose of this study, it is considered that the ore will be processed at the same facility as t ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Gold
|
Recovery Rate, %
| ......  |
Gold
|
Head Grade, g/t
| 4.7 |
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Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | LOM |
Gold
|
oz
| 28,054 |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Daily mining rate
| 400 t * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 96,721 dmt * |
* According to 2017 study.
Reserves at July 5, 2016:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal | Recoverable Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
96,721 t
|
Gold
|
9.3 g/t
|
oz
|
28,922 oz
|
Measured
|
30,100 t
|
Gold
|
12.9 g/t
|
12,700 oz
|
|
Indicated
|
61,000 t
|
Gold
|
12.89 g/t
|
25,300 oz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
91,100 t
|
Gold
|
12.97 g/t
|
38,000 oz
|
|
Inferred
|
6,500 t
|
Gold
|
9.15 g/t
|
1,900 oz
|
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Units | Average |
All-in costs
|
Gold
|
CAD
|
1,106 / oz *
|
Assumed price
|
Gold
|
CAD
|
1,689 / oz *
|
* According to 2017 study / presentation.
Operating Costs:
| Units | 2017 |
Total operating costs ($/t milled)
|
CAD
| 247 * |
* According to 2017 study.
2017 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
Pre-Production capital costs
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Sustaining CapEx
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
G&A costs
|
$M CAD
|
2.9
|
Total OpEx
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Total Taxes
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Royalty payments
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Gross revenue (LOM)
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Pre-tax NPV @ 5%
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
After-tax NPV @ 5%
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
Pre-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
After-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
Pre-tax payback period, years
|
|
......
|
After-tax payback period, years
|
|
......
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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News:
News | Date |
Wallbridge Extends Fenelon Mineralization by 400 metres to Depth with 17.23 g/t Au over 4.00 metres in Initial Deep Exploration Hole
|
March 25, 2021
|
Wallbridge Mining Company Limited Announces C$17 Million Bought Deal Financing
|
March 25, 2021
|
Wallbridge Extends Eastern Domain of Tabasco-Cayenne Zones at Depth with New Wide Intersection
|
March 22, 2021
|
Wallbridge Continues to Report Wide Intersections from Definition Drilling at Fenelon
|
March 8, 2021
|
Wallbridge Reports on its Fenelon Expansion Drilling in the East and at Depth
|
February 17, 2021
|
Wallbridge Reports Strong Intersections from its Fenelon Definition and Expansion Drilling
|
January 20, 2021
|
Wallbridge’s Infill Wedge Drilling Results Average 9.26 g Au/t over 31.34 metres in Tabasco Shear Zone
|
January 13, 2021
|
Wallbridge Intersects 5.07 g/t Au over 100.6 metres, including 29.03 g/t Au over 7.30 metres in the Tabasco-Cayenne Zones
|
November 19, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects 9.06 g/t Gold Over 40.05 Metres, including 16.33 g/t Gold Over 19.85 Metres in High-Grade Core of Lower Tabasco Zone
|
October 19, 2020
|
Wallbridge Continues to Define and Expand Area 51 Mineralization in the Fenelon Gold System
|
October 14, 2020
|
Wallbridge Mining Company Limited Announces Closing of C$63.8 Million Bought Deal Financing and Exercise of Over-Allotment Option
|
October 2, 2020
|
Wallbridge Mining Company Limited Announces C$56 Million Bought Deal Financing
|
September 16, 2020
|
Wallbridge Reports Strong Gold Intersections from Area 51 at Fenelon, Highlighting Significant Underground Resource Potential
|
August 13, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects 24.61 g/t Gold over 15.00 Metres in the Lower Cayenne Zone, Opening Up New High-Grade Growth Potential
|
August 11, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects 4.06 g/t gold over 51.70 metres in Tabasco, 4.88 g/t gold over 18.95 metres in the Main Gabbro and 15.73 g/t gold over 3.00 metres in Area 51
|
July 13, 2020
|
Wallbridge Expands Tabasco-Cayenne Shear Zone Gold Mineralization at Fenelon
|
May 20, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects 70.84 g/t Au over 5.35 metres and 32.26 g/t Au over 7.05 metres Within the Fenelon Main Gabbro
|
May 19, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects 19.47 g/t Au over 10.15 metres Continuing Successful Definition Within the Main Gabbro
|
March 23, 2020
|
Wallbridge Temporarily Suspends Operations in Quebec and Ontario due to COVID-19
|
March 23, 2020
|
Wallbridge Expands the Tabasco and Cayenne Zones along Strike
|
March 4, 2020
|
Wallbridge Continues to Intersect High-Grade Gold Over Significant Widths In Lower Tabasco Zone
|
January 28, 2020
|
Wallbridge Intersects High-Grade Gold Veins up to 800 Metres Northwest of Fenelon's Known Footprint
|
January 27, 2020
|
Wallbridge Extends the Lower Tabasco Zone by 230 Metres Down-Dip and Receives First High-Grade Assays from Orion Veins
|
December 3, 2019
|
Wallbridge Exploration Drilling Intersects 27.00 g/t Au over 38.39 metres in the Tabasco Zone
|
October 21, 2019
|
Wallbridge Drills Significant, Wide Intersections of the Tabasco Zone at Depth and Continues to Successfully Delineate Gold Zones in Area 51
|
October 9, 2019
|
Wallbridge Expands the Mineralized Footprint and Intersects Significant Gold Mineralization in Newly Tested Portion of Area 51 at Fenelon
|
September 9, 2019
|
Wallbridge Proves Excellent Continuity at Area 51 and Intersects 5.50 g/t Gold Over 10.96 Metres in Tabasco at Fenelon
|
August 7, 2019
|
Wallbridge Intersects 17.58 g/t Gold over 11.04 metres at 600 metres depth in Deep Extension of the Main Gabbro at Fenelon
|
July 9, 2019
|
Wallbridge Resource Drilling Continues to Intersect High-Grade Gold at Fenelon Property
|
June 24, 2019
|
Wallbridge Exploration Drilling Intersects 3.93 g/t Gold over 20.72 metres, including 55.95 g/t Gold over 1.24 metres at Fenelon Gold Property
|
June 24, 2019
|
Wallbridge Continues to Expand Footprint of New Area 51 Gold Discovery at Fenelon Gold Property
|
May 21, 2019
|
Wallbridge Assays 2.81 g/t Gold over 98.91 metres including 15.93 g/t Gold over 11.22 metres Confirming Significance of Area 51 Zone Discovery
|
April 23, 2019
|
Wallbridge Intersects Multiple Structures with Gold Mineralization in New Area 51 Discovery and Extends the Main Zone to 650 metre depth at Fenelon Gold Property
|
March 25, 2019
|
Wallbridge Intersects 12.70 g/t gold over 2.71 metres within Newly Discovered Broad Gold Mineralization 300 metres Southwest of the Fenelon Deposit
|
February 21, 2019
|
Balmoral Discovers New Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGE Zones 7 Kilometres Along Strike From Grasset Deposit, Quebec
|
January 17, 2019
|
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