Results from the first core sample were released Thursday. (Submitted photo/Mas Gold Corp.)

By Derek Cornet

exploration

La Ronge belt drawing attention as price of gold increases

Feb 25, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The CEO of MAS Gold Corporation believes results from a drill program underway in the La Ronge Gold Belt will lead to the development of a mine site.

Representatives from the company, including CEO Jim Engdahl, made a presentation at a regular La Ronge council meeting Tuesday to bring them up to date about the corporation’s upcoming plans. MAS Gold currently has a 15-hole drilling program underway at its Greywacke property in the gold belt with crews moving to the North Lake deposit this week for a 12-hole core program.

“Saskatchewan is a great place right now,” Engdahl told larongeNOW. “It’s ranked number one in the world for mining investment for a lot of reasons, a lot of good reasons, and the communities that are within the La Ronge area and La Ronge belt, we hope, will have a tremendous benefit that come out of this as it gets developed over the next several years.”

Engdahl expects drilling to continue at least until spring, but it could stretch into the summer depending on results. He’s anticipating the results will be encouraging.

“Right now, within MAS Gold and our properties we have in the La Ronge Gold Belt, we presently have resources of a little over half-a-million ounces,” Engdahl said. “We would like to get to one million ounces is our target on the properties that we own or some other ones we may acquire. Our target to do that could be this year if we are successful with our drill program or if we are involved in any other properties.”

Twist on a classic

Regina board game designer puts new spin on crokinole

12h ago

Spring in Saskatchewan

Calm, dry weather expected across much of Saskatchewan over Easter weekend

12h ago

Tribute projects

Progress on Humboldt Broncos memorial continues eight years after tragic crash

12h ago

Engdalh is confident another mine in the La Ronge Gold Belt is possible and used the SSR Mining underground mines as an example. He said mining there started 35 years ago with a seven-year lifespan, but its currently producing more than 100,000 ounces of gold per year with a potential lifespan stretching another three decades.

During the last 12 months, Engdalh also explained the gold market has strengthened and become bullish.

“When the price started moving up like it has over the last year, it put the La Ronge Gold Belt into a major play,” he said.

MAS Gold has been reaching out to local leadership since November 2020 to introduce the La Ronge Gold Belt Project and to learn how communities would like to be engaged on it going forward. The corporation is in the process of developing a high-level engagement strategy designed to guide engagement activities through 2021.

Once the strategy has been validated by local leaders, opportunities for community members to learn more about the project will be shared with the formats and timeline for engagement to be determined based on feedback received from leadership.

–

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno