Wesdome Intersects 7.8 g/t Gold over 57.2 Metres at Kiena Deep, Confirming the Norbenite Footwall Zone; Discovers a New Zone Near Infrastructure
High‑grade intercepts at Kiena Deep expand the Norbenite Footwall and VZ targets near existing infrastructure, with mineralization still open for further drilling.
Rhea-AI Summary
Wesdome Gold Mines (WDOFF) reported new high-grade drill results at the Kiena mine’s Kiena Deep area, confirming the Norbenite Footwall Zone and discovering additional zones.
Hole N134-7207 intersected 7.7 g/t Au (7.3 g/t capped) over 57.2 m core length in the Norbenite Footwall Zone, supporting mineralization traced over about 150 vertical metres that remains open laterally, up-plunge and at depth. At level 109, six holes confirmed the new VZ Zone, including intercepts such as 6.4 g/t Au over 7.0 m and 4.6 g/t Au over 8.0 m, located less than 100 m from existing infrastructure. A separate VZ Parallel Vein delivered 23.8 g/t Au over 4.0 m, about 50 m from the drill bay, and also remains open.
Positive
- N134-7207 intersected 7.7 g/t Au (7.3 g/t capped) over 57.2 m in the Norbenite Footwall Zone
- Norbenite Footwall Zone mineralization now traced over about 150 vertical metres and remains open in multiple directions
- New VZ Zone confirmed by six holes with up to 6.4 g/t Au over 7.0 m, less than 100 m from existing infrastructure
- VZ Parallel Vein discovery returned 23.8 g/t Au over 4.0 m approximately 50 m from the level 109 drill bay
Negative
- True widths of all reported intercepts are not yet determined; only core lengths are disclosed
- Company states the full geometry and extent of both Norbenite Footwall and VZ zones remain undefined and require additional drilling
News Explained
The September 10 update keeps the new zones in an exploration-and-definition phase: the company says the Norbenite Footwall Zone lies beyond mineralized zones currently in its resource model, and further drilling will inform the next mineral resource update.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 10, 2026) - Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: WDO) (OTCQX: WDOFF) ("Wesdome" or the "Company") today provides an update on its exploration drilling activities at its wholly-owned Kiena mine ("Kiena") near Val-d'Or, Quebec (Figure 1).
HIGHLIGHTS (Figures 2 and 3)
Norbenite Footwall Zone Confirmed (Figures 4 and 5, Table 1)1
A third broad intercept solidifies the recently announced discovery of the Norbenite Footwall Zone.
N134-7207: 7.8 g/t Au uncapped over 57.2 m core length, (7.4 g/t Au capped, 57.2 m core length).
Together with two prior holes - hole N134-7152W1 that intersected 6.9 g/t Au uncapped over 42.1 metres and historic hole 6752W10 that intersected 9.9 g/t Au over 83.2 metres - the Norbenite Footwall Zone now traces over 150 metres vertically with significant thickness and grade.
Drilling at depth continues to delineate the new Norbenite Footwall Zone beyond the Norbenite Fault where mineralization has been traced over at least 150 vertical metres in basaltic rock and remains open up-plunge, laterally, and at depth, highlighting significant growth potential.
VZ Zone and VZ Parallel Vein Discovery (Figure 6, Table 1)1
The new VZ Zone opens a previously untested parallel trend less than 100 metres from existing infrastructure, with six holes confirming continuity.
One exploration hole intersected a new parallel mineralized vein adjacent to the VZ Zone and less than 50 metres from existing infrastructure.
N109-7213: 23.8 g/t Au uncapped over 4.0 m core length (23.8 g/t Au capped, 4.0 m core length)
- Six exploration holes confirm discovery of the new VZ Zone.
- N109-7017 (2025 hole): 4.9 g/t Au uncapped over 6.0 m core length (4.9 g/t Au capped, 6.0 m core length)
- N109-7204: 6.4 g/t Au uncapped over 7.0 m core length (6.4 g/t Au capped, 7.0 m core length)
- N109-7205A: 4.3 g/t Au uncapped over 4.0 m core length (4.3 g/t Au capped, 4.0 m core length)
- N109-7206: 4.6 g/t Au uncapped over 8.0 m core length (4.6 g/t Au capped, 8.0 m core length)
- N109-7213: 2.9 g/t Au uncapped over 3.7 m core length (2.9 g/t Au capped, 3.7 m core length)
- N109-7214: 3.4 g/t Au uncapped over 4.0 m core length (3.4 g/t Au capped, 4.0 m core length)
1Assays capped at 90 g/t for Kiena Deep zones (assays capped).
Anthea Bath, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "These latest positive results are meaningfully shifting how we think about the potential scale of Kiena Deep. The results provide growing evidence that the area hosts multiple recurring high-grade structures beyond the mineralized zones currently included in our resource model. However, the full extent and ultimate scale of the mineralized system remain to be determined.
"Further growth of these zones has the potential to increase ounces per vertical metre, create new mining areas, and substantially change how we view the future scale and configuration of the mine."
Jono Lawrence, Senior Vice President, Exploration and Resources, added, "At the Norbenite Footwall Zone, hole N134-7207 is our third broad high-grade intercept beyond the Norbenite Fault. Together, there are three holes that now trace mineralization over 150 vertical metres. The zone remains open laterally, at depth, and most importantly up-plunge across at least 300 vertical metres of largely untested ground toward the upper Footwall Zone and potentially beyond. The new level 134 exploration drive gives us the platform to test this opportunity systematically, and if scale and continuity is established, the Norbenite Footwall Zone could become a material contributor to the future of the mine.
"Separately, drilling at level 109 has confirmed the emerging VZ Zone and identified an additional high-grade parallel vein in close proximity to existing infrastructure. These are distinct exploration opportunities that together support our interpretation of a broader system containing multiple high-grade lenses, many of which remain insufficiently tested.
"The balance of this year's program will focus on defining the geometry and continuity of these two high-grade, near-infrastructure opportunities, with results informing our next mineral resource update."
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Norbenite Footwall
Hole N134-7207, drilled from the level 134 exploration drive, returned a broad, high-grade intercept of 7.8 g/t Au over 57.2 metres core length, hosted within a quartz vein system in basaltic rock. Together, with hole N134-7152W1, which intersected 6.9 g/t Au over 42.1 metres core length and historic hole 6752W10, which intersected 9.9 g/t Au over 83.2 metres core length (refer to news release dated June 22, 2026), these results support the potential for resource growth from the newly identified Norbenite Footwall Zone, adjacent to the Norbenite Fault.
Hole N134-7207 was designed to test the area between hole N134-7152W1 and the historic 6752W10 drill hole, with the objective of evaluating the continuity of the basalt host rock and associated mineralization. The basaltic host rock offers strong ground competency that supports efficient and stable mining operations. Results from hole N134-7207 provide additional evidence of continuity, and capacity for high-grade mineralization growth.
Additional drilling will be required to fully define the geometry and extent of the zone, which is now interpreted to continue over a 150-metre vertical profile. At least 300 vertical metres of ground between hole N134-7152W1 - the uppermost intercept of the Norbenite Footwall Zone - and the upper levels of existing Footwall Zone mineralization remain largely untested. Confirming continuity of the Norbenite Footwall Zone mineralization to the Footwall Zone levels would validate the geologic model and potentially pave the way for testing further extension to the upper levels of the mine. Previous holes terminated within the Norbenite Fault structure, leaving this prospective corridor open for systematic drilling.
VZ Zone
Exploration drilling has confirmed the discovery of the VZ Zone, located less than 100 metres from the existing drill bay on level 109. An initial hole drilled in 2025, N109-7017, returned encouraging results, though at the time it was unclear whether this intercept represented an isolated occurrence or a distinct mineralized zone. Five additional holes reported in this release, including N109-7204, N109-7205A, N109-7206, N109-7213, and N109-7214, have confirmed the continuity of this mineralized lens, establishing the VZ Zone as a new near-mine zone and opening a previously untested trend at shallow depths of the mine. The proximity of these intercepts to existing mine infrastructure highlights their potential for future mine planning. With limited drilling completed along this trend, the results indicate significant potential for resource growth, and aggressive follow-up drilling is planned as initial results have exceeded expectations.
The discovery of the VZ Zone, located near the VC Zone (Figure 2), is particularly significant as both zones occur at relatively shallow levels and could be accessed through future infrastructure development. The potential to develop both zones within a common mining area could provide an opportunity to increase ounces per vertical metre and improve the overall efficiency of future mine development.
Located approximately 300 metres to the west, the VZ Zone sits within a deformation corridor that links back to the ZA lenses of Kiena Deep (Figure 3). With high-grade lenses at Kiena Deep open along strike toward VZ Zone, drilling this westward trending corridor is a priority focus, particularly as it remains untested at key mine elevations. This demonstrates the strong potential of near-mine exploration to identify new mineralized systems, expand Kiena's mineral inventory, and support future mine development.
VZ Parallel Vein
Recent exploration drilling near-mine from level 109 has identified a new high-grade vein of mineralization where drill hole N109-7213 intersected 23.8 g/t Au uncapped over 4.0 metres core length. This new vein is hosted within the same basaltic unit as the VZ Zone and is located between the current drill bay and the VZ Zone, approximately 50 metres from the drill bay. The vein remains open up-dip and laterally, and additional drilling is underway to continue defining the full extent and opportunity.
ABOUT WESDOME
Wesdome is a Canadian-focused gold producer with two high-grade underground assets, Eagle River in Northern Ontario and Kiena in Val-d'Or, Québec. The Company's primary goal is to responsibly leverage its operating platform and high-quality brownfield and greenfield exploration pipeline to build a value-driven, mid-tier gold producer.
For More Information
| Raj Gill SVP, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Phone: +1.416.360.3743 E-Mail: invest@wesdome.com | Trish Moran Vice President, Investor Relations Phone: +1.416.564.4290 E-mail: trish.moran@wesdome.com |
TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE
Exploration Kiena drilling, the drill core NQ in size, was cut in half with a diamond saw resulting in a half core sample for assay and a half core sample to be retained for reference. Delineation drilling, in defined resource areas, is BQ in size and the entire core was sent for assay analysis. Analytical work is performed by ALS Minerals of Val-d'Or (Québec), a certified commercial laboratory (Accredited Lab #689). Sample preparation was completed at ALS Minerals in Val-d'Or (Québec). Assaying comprised fire assay methods with an atomic absorption finish. Any sample assaying >3 g/t Au was re-run using the fire assay method with gravimetric finish, and for any sample assaying >10 g/t Au was re-run with the metallic sieve method. In addition to laboratory internal duplicates, standards, and blanks, the geology department inserts blind duplicates, standards, and blanks into the sample stream at a frequency of one in twenty to monitor quality control. The QP confirmed the disclosed data, including the underlying sampling, Reports from Lab Results and there was validation on the QAQC process and reports from ALS results received. A visual observation of historical core was done in person at site along with approval of the procedures for drill hole descriptions, sampling and preparation of samples prior to being shipped to the ALS Lab. Verification and validation of assay results highlighted that all QAQC sample results were within respective control limits.
QUALIFIED PERSONS
The technical content of this release has been compiled, reviewed, and approved by the following employees of Wesdome: Breanne Beh, P.Geo., (OGQ #2165) Director Surface and Greenfields Exploration; and Serge Gonthier, P.Geo., (OGQ #578) Principal Geologist, Resources and Geology. Each is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, which is based on expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations as of the date of this release. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding: the significant growth potential of the new Norbenite Footwall Zone; the discovery and potential of the new VZ Zone as a standalone, new mining zone; the potential scale of Kiena Deep; the results of the VZ Zone suggesting that the area hosts multiple recurring high-grade structures beyond the mineralized zones currently included in the Company's resource model; the potential for the Norbenite Footwall Zone be open toward the upper Footwall Zone and beyond; the possibility of the Norbenite Footwall Zone becoming a material contributor to the future of Kiena; the further growth of the Norbenite Footwall Zone and the VZ Zone having the potential to increase ounces per vertical metre, create new mining areas and substantially change how the Company thinks about the future scale and configuration of Kiena; the balance of the Company's 2026 drilling program at Kiena focusing on defining the geometry and continuity of the Norbenite Footwall Zone and VZ Zone; the drilling results from the level 134 exploration drive supporting the potential for resource growth from the Norbenite Footwall; results from hole N134-7207 suggesting continuity and capacity for high-grade mineralization growth; confirming continuity of the Norbenite Footwall mineralization to the Footwall Zone levels potentially paving the way for testing further extension to the upper levels of Kiena; the proximity of the intercepts from the drilling in respect of the VZ Zone highlighting their potential for future mine planning; the results from the drilling in respect of the VZ Zone indicating significant potential for resource growth, with aggressive follow-up drilling planned; the potential to develop both the VZ Zone and the VC Zone within a common mining area to increase ounces per vertical metre and improve the overall efficiency of future mine development; and the VZ Zone demonstrating the strong potential of near-mine exploration to identify new mineralized systems, expand Kiena's mineral inventory and support future mine development.
These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors including those risk factors discussed in the sections titled "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information" and "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form. Readers are urged to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form which is available on SEDAR+ and on the Company's website.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
APPENDIX
Figure 1: Kiena Plan View, Near-Mine Exploration
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Figure 2: Kiena Deep Long Section Showing Location of Kiena Deep, Norbenite Footwall Zone, VZ Zone
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Figure 3: Kiena Deep Plan View Showing Location of Kiena Deep and VZ Zone
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Figure 4: Plan View of Kiena Deep Intercepts
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Figure 5: Kiena Deep Long Section - Norbenite Footwall Intercepts
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Figure 6 - VZ Zone and Parallel VZ Vein Intercepts
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Table 1: Kiena Drill Composite Results (Previously Unreleased)
Figures in table may not add due to rounding
| Hole No. | Collar (Kiena Grid) X | Collar (Kiena Grid) Y | Collar (Kiena Grid) Z | Dip (°) | Azimuth (°) |
Kiena Deep
| N134-7207 | 13810.75 | 12537.04 | 1704.00 | -60.37 | 13.02 |
| N109-7017 | 13211.13 | 12830.34 | 1964.35 | -10.20 | 331.15 |
| N109-7204 | 13051.42 | 12952.55 | 1970.73 | -13.04 | 20.00 |
| N109-7205A | 13051.41 | 12952.55 | 1970.73 | -4.21 | 32.07 |
| N109-7206 | 13051.42 | 12952.55 | 1970.73 | -14.20 | 29.89 |
| N109-7213 | 13051.42 | 12952.55 | 1970.73 | 6.84 | 357.92 |
| N109-7214 | 13051.42 | 12952.55 | 1970.73 | -2.92 | 9.94 |
| Hole No. | From (m) | To (m) | Core Length (m) | Grade (g/t Au) | Cut Grade (g/t Au) | Target |
Kiena Deep
| N134-7207 | 620.5 | 677.7 | 57.2 | 7.7 | 7.3 | Norbenite Footwall Zone |
| N109-7017 | 192.0 | 198.0 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | VZ Zone |
| N109-7204 | 74.5 | 81.5 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 6.4 | VZ Zone |
| N109-7205A | 66.0 | 70.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | VZ Zone |
| N109-7206 | 71.7 | 79.7 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | VZ Zone |
| N109-7213 | 42.3 | 46.3 | 4.0 | 23.8 | 23.8 | VZ Parallel Vein |
| N109-7213 | 85.5 | 89.2 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | VZ Zone |
| N109-7214 | 79.5 | 83.5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | VZ Zone |
Note about length of zones: The length of holes was use for both Zones in this release, since true width need to be determined with further modelling in both sectors. The Zones extension and possible thickness are being tested with further exploratory drilling and using a wide corridor, not to limit the potential of discovery of more potential intercept.
Table 2: Kiena Drill Assay Results (Previously Unreleased)
Link to Table 2 Kiena Drill Assay Results.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/313918
FAQ
What capping grade was used for the Kiena Deep assay results?
For Kiena Deep zones, assays were capped at 90 g/t Au. Both uncapped and capped grades are reported for the key intercepts in the Norbenite Footwall, VZ Zone, and VZ Parallel Vein.
How close are the new VZ Zone and VZ Parallel Vein to existing mine infrastructure?
The VZ Zone is located less than 100 metres from the existing drill bay on level 109. The VZ Parallel Vein, intersected in hole N109-7213, is hosted in the same basaltic unit and is approximately 50 metres from the drill bay.
What drilling and assay methods were used for the Kiena exploration program?
Exploration drilling used NQ-size core, which was cut in half, with half sent for assay and half retained. Delineation drilling in defined resource areas used BQ-size core, with the entire core assayed. ALS Minerals in Val-d'Or performed fire assay with atomic absorption finish, re-running samples >3 g/t Au with gravimetric finish and >10 g/t Au with metallic sieve. Quality control included internal lab checks plus blind duplicates, standards, and blanks inserted at about one in twenty samples.
How did Wesdome verify the quality and reliability of the assay results?
The qualified person reviewed sampling, preparation, and ALS lab reports and validated that all QA/QC control samples were within control limits. Historical core was visually re-examined on site, and procedures for drill logging, sampling, and sample preparation were approved before shipment to the lab.
What are the company’s immediate exploration plans for these new zones?
The remainder of the current program will focus on better defining the geometry and continuity of the Norbenite Footwall Zone and the near-mine VZ Zone and VZ Parallel Vein. The company said these results will inform the next mineral resource update for Kiena.