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The Rouyn property was consolidated in 1997 when Yorbeau added the Augmitto and Cinderella Blocks to its existing holdings to form the Rouyn property as it exits today.

Early prospecting on the Rouyn property dates back to the mid-1920s, and exploration work was done from 1926 to 1946 at the Astoria site by Astoria Rouyn Mining Ltd.  Yorbeau acquired the Astoria property in 1984 and proceeded to conduct extensive surface and underground exploration over the next decade.  During this period, Yorbeau entered into two joint venture agreements with Les Mines Belmoral Ltd. and Deak Resources Ltd.  From 1984 to 1990, a shaft was sunk to 515 m and lateral workings developed.  Work included surface drilling, shaft sinking, and extensive underground development and diamond drilling with a total investment over the years of approximately $40 million.

In 1984, Yorbeau drilled seven shallow holes on the Lake Gamble Block.

From 1986 to 1995, a total of 163,122 tonnes averaging a recovered grade of 5.32 grams of gold per tonne was mined from the Astoria mine. Mining was intermittent and in 1995, a time of low gold prices, the operation was shut down with the surface installation demolished and the site rehabilitated.

On the Augmitto Block, extensive surface diamond drilling in the 1980s prior to the financial failure of the previous owner led to underground development and pre-production work. Extensive diamond drilling from the surface led to underground development through a ramp and the sinking of two shafts.  Augmitto Explorations invested over $45 million in surface and underground work that included the development of a 1,142-metre exploration ramp, a 250-metre shaft, a ventilation raise, and extensive drifting on several levels. Due to debt and a failed financing, Augmitto Explorations went bankrupt in 1988.  

The Augmitto project was acquired by Yorbeau in 1997. An office and maintenance complex remains in place, along with the ramp, shafts and lateral workings.

There was minimal work conducted on the Rouyn property during the late 1990s and into 2002 due to low gold prices and lack of investor interest in natural resources.

In 2003, Yorbeau excavated seven surface trenches on the Augmitto and Cinderella Blocks and in 2004 conducted random sampling of the trenches. Bulk sampling was then done to test the open-pit potential of the carbonate rocks, which indicated that additional work was required to clarify the viability of an open-pit mine. Also in 2003, Yorbeau excavated two trenches on the Astoria Block to expose some of the carbonate rocks believed to have open pit potential. Bulk sampling was then done in 2004 to test the open-pit potential of the carbonate zone. The results indicated two gold-bearing zones with economic potential.

Surface diamond drilling was done on the Cinderella Block in 2005 when a total of 11 holes were drilled.  In 2006, Yorbeau began an 11-hole, 6,985-metre surface drilling program to test the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break at a vertical depth of approximately 300 to 600 meters below surface.  Yorbeau also dewatered the Augmitto underground workings to Level 2. Subsequent drilling provided better information on gold grades and distribution.  The Company also drilled hole 409 in the Lake Gamble Block to test the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break at a vertical depth of between 600 to 700 meters below surface. The hole intersected an entirely new, well-defined quartz stockwork zone in carbonate rocks showing several specks of visible gold.

During 2007, the Company drilled more than 5,700 meters in 38 holes in the Augmitto and Cinderella blocks, many of which encountered potential ore grades and widths, and abundant visible gold such as in hole 07-S-422. Of particular note are the shallow depths at which these high grades occur. Amongst the most significant discoveries was the confirmation and delineation of a near-surface, high-grade gold zone at the eastern extension of the Augmitto deposit.  The relationship between high gold grades and low magnetic response in the host Piché Group (ultramafic rock) was also demonstrated, which provided an important exploration guide.

In 2008, the Company’s exploration strategy was shifted away from the immediate Augmitto mine area and to the five-km-long unexplored gap between the Augmitto and Astoria deposits and the six-kilometre-long portion of the property east of Astoria.  An induced polarization-resistivity survey was conducted over the entire length of the property, except within the confines of Granada Village.  Results from this survey combined with the results of a ground magnetic survey were used to identify previously-untested drill targets.

The 2008 surface core drilling program commenced on the Lake Gamble target where six holes were planned. This target was selected as the primary target due to the coincidence of a 1,500-meter-long magnetic low associated with chargeability and resistivity highs. The results from the first holes were so encouraging that additional holes were drilled, which identified a significant gold deposit. Twenty holes totalling 7,714 m were drilled.  Drilling was also done at the Cinderella target, where seven holes totalling 3,348 m were completed.  Two of them, 08-CI-464 and -467, encountered significant gold mineralization. 

The 2009 surface core drilling program commenced on the Lake Gamble target.  Seven holes totalling 3,635 m were drilled to explore the Lake Gamble mineralized zone, which resulted in extension of the gold zone to the east and the first intercept of high grade gold in the footwall zone in this area.  Drilling was also done at Cinderella to test the possible eastern extension and plunge of the 464-467 area. One of them, 09-CI-510, cut nearly 17 m of strongly silicified albitized dike, which averaged less than 1 g/t Au.  The presence of this dike is highly encouraging, geologically, as this type of dike is strongly associated with gold zones at Kerr Addison mine. More of these important albitite dikes have been identified in the 2010 core re-logging program. The other holes indicate that the high grades of gold do not continue to the east, which is interpreted to be due to a fault.  Two holes were drilled to the west, one of which (hole 09-CI-519) cut good grades of gold in the Piché Group and also hit a bonanza grade interval in the footwall meta-sediments.

Information on these exploration programs can be found in our press releases in the Media section.

 

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