Back in 1973 when the price of gold was a trifling $80(us) an ounce, Goldex Mines was driving a decline at its Dubuisson property, near Val d’Or, Que. There was even talk of putting the property into production. However, unexpectedly poor mill grades from a small bulk sample put the kibosh on that idea. So Goldex mothballed the operation and played a waiting game until rising gold prices could justify production. Today, apparently, the price is right, for Dubuisson should be churning out gold by late this summer.
Few gold properties have been so extensively drill-tested. The stumbling block had always been the price of gold. Before Goldex came on the scene, Malartic Goldfields had been drilling the property as far back as 1971. The price of gold at the time was $35(us) an ounce.
As might be expected with a property that has been edging towards production for so long, the underground and surface workings are extensive. Fully 1,200 ft of vertical workings have been completed. The shaft will bottom at 1,500 ft.
Ore occurs within a granodiorite sill in quartz-tourmaline vein clusters. It is similar in structure and geology to that of the nearby Sigma and Lamaque mines. (Goldex sits at about the midway point between those two producers.) The geology is complex. The vein swarms consist of numerous, predominantly flat-dipping veins, closely spaced and interlinked by irregular “horsetails,” or steeply dipping veins. Goldex Notebook Location: ……. Dubuisson Twp., Que. Major owner: ……. Goldex Mines Commodity: ……. gold Discovery: ……. early 1970s Production decision: ……. August, 1988 Start-up: ……. probably mid-1988 Capital costs: ……. unknown Operating costs: ……. unknown Reserves: ……. unknown Means of access: ……. 1,500-ft shaft Extent of vertical workings: ……. 1,200 ft Mining method: ……. not established Mining equipment: ……. track Production rate: ……. 500 tons per day Milling plans: ……. off-site Major contractors: ……. Goldex personnel Status: ……. pre-production
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