VANCOUVER - West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. has officially launched a comprehensive 3,000-meter drilling initiative at its fully owned Fork Deposit, marking a significant step toward potential resource expansion in Northwestern Ontario's prolific Red Lake Gold District.
Strategic Near-Mine Expansion
The Vancouver-based mining company announced the fully funded infill drilling program on November 26, 2025, targeting the Fork Deposit located approximately 250 meters southwest of its established Madsen Mine operations. This strategic move represents the company's focused effort to transform what was previously considered a diffuse, intermediate-grade satellite resource into a high-priority expansion target.
According to Shane Williams, President and CEO of West Red Lake Gold, the Fork Deposit has undergone a complete re-evaluation that revealed its potential as a high-grade near-mine resource. "The core of Fork has been re-envisioned as a high-grade near-mine resource expansion target that is a priority for immediate advancement," Williams stated in the company's announcement.
Drilling Program Details
The drilling campaign will consist of approximately 3,000 meters of NQ diameter diamond drilling conducted entirely from surface locations. This approach leverages the deposit's shallow nature, with holes averaging about 170 meters in depth, allowing for efficient and systematic definition of the mineralized zone.
The infill drilling will concentrate on a specific shallow, high-grade, low-plunging zone of gold mineralization that company geologists identified during their 2024 re-evaluation of the Fork Deposit. This mineralized trend extends north-south across an area measuring 400 meters by 250 meters and demonstrates potential for further expansion down plunge toward the southern direction.
Current estimates based on existing core length intercepts suggest the zone maintains an average thickness of approximately 2 meters, presenting a substantial target for resource definition and potential future extraction.
Production Integration Potential
The proximity of Fork to existing Madsen Mine infrastructure represents a significant operational advantage. Williams emphasized that with its high grades and proximity to existing underground development, the core zone of Fork could potentially integrate into the Madsen production pipeline following successful infill drilling results.
"The shallow nature of the deposit will allow for efficient definition drilling from surface and, with its high grades and proximity to existing underground development, it is easy to envision this core zone of Fork becoming part of the production pipeline at Madsen," Williams explained.
The company's conceptual mine design illustrates how Fork could be accessed from Level 3 of the McVeigh area within the Madsen Mine, significantly reducing development time and costs compared to establishing entirely new mining infrastructure.
West Red Lake Gold is positioning the Madsen Mine to become a substantial, long-term operation, noting the presence of multiple satellite deposits not yet incorporated into current mine plans, numerous untested exploration targets, and a 1.5-million-ounce indicated resource that remains open for expansion at depth.
With Madsen Mine approaching commercial production expected in Q1 of 2026, the company is actively pursuing a hub-and-spoke growth model, simultaneously conducting surface drilling programs at both Fork and Rowan deposits while continuing to evaluate additional high-grade gold opportunities throughout the Red Lake district.
