The Toronto-based company has received assays for six of eight holes drilled over the summer, reporting high gold grades over significant intervals. Among the highlights were 6.7 grams per tonne gold over 39m; 5.6g/t over 30m, including 9.1g/t over 13m; 5.6g/t over 29.1m, including 15g/t over 5.1m; and 3.2g/t gold over 17.5m, including 4.3g/t over 9.5m.

"Results from our first drill holes suggest the potential to define a significant new zone of mineralisation at Stock West," said VP for exploration Sylvain Guerard.

The company said all drill holes to date had intersected a coarse-grained, magnesite-fuchsite-dolomite carbonated altered ultramafic unit.

Three holes also intersected a pyrite-rich felsic dyke. McEwen says the dyke occurs next to the ultramafic intrusive and has visible gold throughout.

The economic importance of the new zone was enhanced by being next to the mill and the underground workings of the historic Stock mine, it said.

The summer drill programme at Stock also returned multiple intercepts of high-grade gold along a 3km-long segment of the Porcupine-Destor fault as well as at Stock East and Stock Deep.

The company had recently also reported strong exploration results from the Stock East and Stock Deep deposits. 

Chief owner Rob McEwen recently told Mining Journal in Colorado he would ideally have wanted to take more time to drill out Black Fox without the demands of ongoing mining at the property.

Production at Black Fox has been negatively impacted by slower-than-planned underground development, incidents including a crusher fire, and by slower-than-planned rehabilitation of remnant stopes. The Black Fox complex is expected to produce 36,000-40,000oz gold-equivalent in 2019.