Wesdome Provides Kiena Exploration Update; 2024 Program Successfully Expands High-Grade Mineralization and Supports Potential for Two-Mine Structure

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Wesdome Gold Mines
Wesdome Gold Mines

TORONTO, Nov. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO, OTCQX:WDOFF) (“Wesdome” or the “Company”) today provides an update on the underground and surface exploration programs (Figure 1) at its 100%-owned Kiena Mine (“Kiena”) in Val-d’Or, Québec.

Ms. Anthea Bath, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “This year’s exploration budget for Kiena of over $20 million covered surface and underground expansion, infill and delineation drilling totaling more than 70,000 metres. This robust program has yielded impressive results across various zones at Kiena, underscoring its prospectivity and long-term potential. These latest drill results support both our fill the mill and two-mine structure initiatives, where high-grade production from Kiena Deep leverages existing shaft infrastructure, supplemented by near-surface feed transported from the 33-level via the Presqu’île ramp.

“Drilling in the Footwall Zone of Kiena Deep has yielded promising results, supporting the conversion of resources to the indicated category at higher than expected grades. These results not only strengthen our understanding of the geology but also reinforce the potential to expand this high-grade zone. Given the proximity and continuity of this mineralization, the Footwall Zone may be integrated earlier into the life of mine plan. Drilling at depth below Kiena Deep also continues to confirm that high-grade mineralization extends to at least 1,875 metres below surface. In 2025, Wesdome is planning to establish an additional platform on 134-level to further test the structure down-plunge.

“Results from both the Presqu’île and Dubuisson zones are also highly encouraging with the success of the Dubuisson infill program expected to support a year-end initial reserve estimate. Our team’s execution during a limited seasonal barge drilling window allowed us to increase drill metres significantly across both the Dubuisson Northern and Southern zones, as well as Presqu’île. These zones hold strategic importance, leveraging existing 33-level development to potentially enhance operational flexibility, increase mill utilization and materially reduce overall mine unit costs. The extension of down-plunge growth at Presqu’île, where stope production is scheduled to commence in late 2025, is poised to establish it as an important new mining front. This progress has also enabled us to test the down-plunge extension at Dubuisson and advance infill drilling to support resource conversion at Presqu’île.”

Highlights

Kiena Deep - Footwall Zone (Figure 2, Table 1) 1
Footwall Zone continues to showcase mineralization at grades above current resource:

  • Hole N127-6894: 218.9 g/t Au over 22.1m core length (30.3 g/t Au capped, 6.0m true width) including

    • 988.0 g/t Au uncapped over 1.0m core length (90.0 g/t Au capped, 0.3m true width)

    • 1,920.0 g/t Au uncapped over 0.8m core length (90.0 g/t Au capped, 0.2m true width)