Once considered barren ground for gold, the west end of the Timmins camp has become a hotbed of activity with major exploration breakthroughs in recent years.
Once considered barren ground for gold, the west end of the Timmins camp has become a hotbed of activity with major exploration breakthroughs in recent years.
With the mantra “There’s no gold west of the Mattagami” once considered to be common knowledge among regional exploration firms and geologists alike, Lake Shore Gold Inc.’s successes in the area have all but obliterated the idea.
This has drawn any number of companies to the west side of the camp, with some expanding their holdings and others delving into the area for the first time.
Included in the latter category is Nebu Resources Inc., a former uranium explorer who shifted gears to gold. In April 2009, Nebu snapped up a handful of properties located next to what was once West Timmins Mining Inc. and has steadily increased its land holdings in the area through the year.
This includes an additional 11 claims Nebu picked up in February which sit adjacent to Goldcorp Inc.’s past-producing Nabob Mine.
“They’re extremely well-positioned, they’re just right on the northern edge of the Destor-Porcupine Fault, so they look very good and there’s been very little exploration work done as they’ve been tied up in an estate for many years,” says Brian Murray, president and CEO of Nebu.
“So we think there’s a great opportunity with these.”
Providing additional confidence is Bruce Durham, their chief geologist, who served for years in the same role for Band-Ore Resources Ltd., the predecessor to West Timmins Mining.
That confidence helped Nebu raise $655,000 in December and fund exploration, particularly on its North and South Denton properties, where there have been some gold showings near surface.
Some historical exploration was seen on North Denton, with only the briefest of mining from an open pit, but the remainder has seen little to no work at all, leaving a great deal of potential, Murray says. Some early successes have already turned up 98.4 grams of gold per tonne over 4.7 metres.
Two rigs will turn on the properties through 2010 on up to 8,000 metres of drilling planned, though more may be conducted as results roll in.
While stock prices have edged slowly downwards off the “euphoria” seen in 2009 as investors wait on other good drill results, Murray says he fully expects it won’t be long before 2010 returns to that level of excitement.
“I think at some point, there’s going to be some pretty good results, whether it’s us or Lake Shore or Melkior or someone else exploring there, and the area will get pretty hot at some point in the next few months. This thing comes in waves, almost.”
Nebu isn’t alone in looking to the future, with many other juniors trying their luck with renewed interest in the west end of the Timmins camp.
This includes the likes of Newcastle Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: NCM), which in December picked up a 120-hectare property 21 kilometres southwest of Timmins.
The company has since started a geophysical survey of the site, with Timmins’ Vision Exploration undertaking line cutting and a 15 line-kilometre magnetometer and induced polarization survey.
Also taking a new interest in the western end of the Timmins camp is MPH Ventures Corp., (TSXV:MPS) who in May 2009 picked up the Raney Gold and Shining Gold properties 110 kilometres southwest of the city. This was followed by the purchase of an additional three properties totalling 700 acres, collectively known as the Godfrey Gold property, in September 2009.
Similarly, United Reef Limited (TSXV: URP) entered into an option agreement in late January to acquire a 70 per cent interest in the 773-acre Nixon-Bartleman property 22 kilometres southwest of Lake Shore Gold’s Timmins mine.
“Obviously, the west end is a very busy end of the camp these days,” says Brian Atkinson, regional resident geologist for Timmins region, Ontario Geological Survey. “It should be interesting to see if it keeps up through the coming year.”
www.neburesources.comwww.newcastleminerals.comwww.mphventurescorp.comwww.unitedreef.com
