1911 Gold Corp (TSX-V:AUMB, OTCQB:AUMBF, FRA:2KY) earlier this week provided an operational update outlining progress on underground mine development activities as the company advances toward a planned production restart in 2027.
Speaking with Proactive, president and CEO Shaun Heinrichs said the company has begun development work on Level 16 at its Manitoba gold project, describing the milestone as a significant step forward in executing its long-term mine plan.
Proactive: Very welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is Shaun Heinrichs, president and CEO of 1911 Gold Corp. Shaun, it’s good to see you again. How are you?
Shaun Heinrichs: I’m pretty good. I’m actually down in Florida, so it can’t be any better. There’s a conference down here, so it’s nice.
Well, you’ve got some good
news to tell everyone at the conference, and that is you’ve been able to get development underway on Level 16. I know this has been something you’ve been working toward. Talk to us a bit about this milestone.
It’s a big deal for us. We actually blasted the first round a few weeks ago, but we wanted to make sure we ironed out the kinks before we put out the news release. This is part of our ongoing commitment to shareholders regarding progress toward the restart in 2027.
Late last year we indicated that we had a couple of targets within reach of Level 16, which is around 720 metres down in the shaft mine. We’ve now put the first three rounds in there and are likely close to putting the fourth. This is the initial phase of development into what we call the L10 target, which is an area extending down at depth.
We also recently announced that this area may connect to a lower part of the mine. We intend to complete about 150 to 200 metres of development initially and finish drilling out that target before moving to the Hinge target, also off Level 16.
When you say development, what sort of activities happen underground at the L10 area?
We’re talking blasting and advancing a ramp to gain access to the stopes that need to be mined. Initially we’ll complete an infill drill program from the first 200 metres of ramp development.
The same activity will happen at the Hinge zone. Drilling there has already been completed and we’re now updating the resource based on the new drilling. That will guide our advancement into the area. We’ll complete a quasi-reserve and use that as the basis for our bulk sample activities before returning to L10 once the drill program is complete.
We’re basically mining. We call it test mining right now because we’re not in full production. We’ve got one mine crew operating and are about to bring in a second crew.
Last year you talked about preparing to reach this stage. Where is the company now compared to those earlier plans?
We’re making the progress we hoped to make. In the PEA we envisioned starting this activity in May, and here we are in May doing exactly that.
We’re also continuing work to access Level 26. De-watering activities are ongoing to open additional areas there. Progress is slower than I’d like but still aligned with expectations.
The company is moving ahead on the mine plan side and drilling continues. We now have three underground rigs focused mainly on delineation drilling in planned production areas for the first several years of mining, alongside some exploration drilling.
The test mining is important because while production ounces are a nice side benefit, the real goal is testing the mining methods we intend to use throughout the mine. We’re evaluating dilution factors, mining performance and mill recoveries. It’s encouraging to see things progressing on track.
Great to hear. Shaun, thanks very much. Enjoy the rest of the conference.
Likewise, appreciate it.
