Chase Mining Corporation Limited (ASX:CML) has been granted access to exploration areas by the local First Nation and has signed a drilling contract for a maiden program at the Lorraine project in Quebec, Canada.
The company's consultants Orix Geoscience met with The Anishinabeg of Kakinwawigak (The Long Point First Nation) to finalise an endorsement certificate to access the areas under their indigenous title and rights.
This meeting was chaired by Chief Mathias and as part of the agreement, the Long Point community will supply a team to cut access trails to the drill sites.
The endorsement certificate, together with the permit granted by the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, provides statutory access permits to undertake the planned drill program within the Lorraine project area.
READ: Chase Mining plans to Quebec drilling campaign kick-off at Lorraine
The endorsement certificate provides the Long Point First Nation’s (LPFN) consent to perform drilling activities as well as:
- To work in collaboration with LPFN;
- To respect and abstain from disrupting traditional activities of LPFN;
- To minimise environmental impacts; and
- To meet federal and provincial environmental and safety standards.
Drilling contractor Chibougamau Diamond Drilling Ltd (CDD), who drilled the Alotta project for the company in October 2018, has been awarded the contract for the Lorraine drilling program with mobilisation to site scheduled for August 6.
Logistical support for the program has also been finalised with cabins and core cutting facilities in place.
The company has planned a phase-I diamond drilling program of 1,310 metres in seven holes with an initial contingency of 1,190 metres.
READ: Chase Mining independent review confirms Lorraine VTEM plate models for drilling
As follow-up to the recent peer view of the VTEM plate models, an Orix Geoscience field crew revisited each site to mark-out drill collars and assess any access issues due to topography, resulting in a collar move for several of the holes.
None of the moves will impact on the ability to intersect the primary plate position as planned and there will be minor changes to the hole azimuths and inclination compared to the original coordinates.
This, as well as progress of physical access clearing by the LPFN team, may result in a change to the order in which the anomalies will be drilled to not further delay the start date.