Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. said exploration activities at its properties in Ontario and Québec will remain halted until at least May 4.
The Sudbury-based exploration company originally stopped work on March 23, and had anticipated resuming operations after April 15.
Wallbridge’s new restart projections are in line with the province’s recent decision to remain in a state of emergency until April 23.
The company’s main project is the Fenelon Gold Property, located in Québec’s Nord-du-Québec region, about 75 kilometres northwest of the town of Matagami.
In 2019, Wallbridge completed a 33,500-tonne bulk sample and 75,000 metres of drilling.
The company said it was withdrawing its 2020 exploration drilling guidance of 100,000 to 200,000 metres to “assess COVID-19’s impact.”
To date, 26,000 metres of drilling have been completed, the results of which are anticipated in the next four to six weeks.
Drill operators are prepared to continue drilling once site activities can be resumed, Wallbridge noted.
No suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred at any of Wallbridge’s operations.
The company said workers impacted by COVID-19 would receive their base wages until May 4.
Staff are continuing to work from home on permitting, engineering studies, geologic interpretation and modelling, and exploration targeting.
In addition to the Fenelon property, Wallbridge has a 16.5 per cent share in Loncan Canada Inc., which has nickel, copper and PGM projects in the Sudbury area.
In early March, Wallbridge announced it would acquire Balmoral Resources in a $110-million all-stock transaction, a deal that would expand Wallbridge’s land holdings along the Detour Gold Trend from 10.5 square kilometres to 739.0 square kilometres.
