Canadian company Military Metals has received a CAD 100,000 grant from the Nova Scotia government for geological exploration of the West Gore antimony-gold project. The funds will cover part of the cost of a seven-hole drilling program totaling 1,750 meters. The goal is to test the continuation of the ore bodies below historical workings.
The West Gore project is located in the Meguma gold camp and includes a former underground mine, as well as the Brook Vein occurrence with a historically mined face. The company acquired the asset in 2024. Previous work recorded grades of up to 10.6 grams of gold per tonne and 3.4% antimony over a 7.1-meter interval.
Mineralization is represented by stibnite, native antimony, aurostibite, and antimony-gold alloys with oxides. Antimony is critically important for producing ammunition, explosives, infrared sensors, and fire-resistant fabrics for military uniforms.
The West Gore mine was a significant supplier of antimony during World War I. According to historical estimates, the district produced about 7,761 tonnes of antimony concentrate at 46% grade, along with 7,149 ounces of gold. Commercial mining ran from 1883 to 1917. According to the Mining Association of Nova Scotia, operations ceased after a ship carrying a shipment of concentrate bound for Wales was torpedoed. The loss of revenue bankrupted the company, and mining stopped.
Since World War I, the West Gore system has remained poorly studied. Small-scale exploration was conducted in the 1960s, 1980s, and 2010s, but no large-scale drilling had taken place. The current program aims to test the continuation of the ore bodies at depth below the old workings and to verify the continuity of the historical intersection along the Brook Vein.
Nova Scotia’s grant confirms antimony’s strategic value for the defense and high-tech industries. If drilling confirms the continuation of mineralization, West Gore could return to operation more than a century after it shut down.
Source: Military Metals
Image: AI-generated
