Pardo Gold Project at the Doorsteps of Sudbury: A Global Mining Powerhouse
Inventus Mining has begun its latest 80-hole Phase 1 Drill Program just north of Sudbury, Ontario—one of the world’s most prominent mining districts. Being located near a region of mining innovation and productivity, the Pardo project strongly benefits from its proximity, with advanced infrastructure, supply chains and a legacy of global mining expertise. This strategic location allows Inventus Mining to more efficiently explore, develop and potentially bring a mine into production, placing it at the forefront of mineral exploration and development.
Sudbury: A Legacy of Mining Excellence
The Sudbury Basin, formed by a meteorite impact approximately 1.85 billion years ago, is a geological marvel. Its unique geology has yielded one of the world’s richest deposits of nickel-copper sulfide ores, along with platinum group metals, cobalt, and gold. Over 130 years of mining have made Sudbury synonymous with resource extraction, innovation, and sustainability.
The district's historical significance is rich and dates back to 1884 when iron ore was first discovered during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This discovery led to the opening of the Murray and Copper Cliff Mines, which is still operational today, and ignited a mining boom that transformed Sudbury from a remote outpost to the world’s leading nickel producer by 1910.
Today, Sudbury’s mining complex is the largest integrated industrial mining operation globally, encompassing nine operating mines, two mills, two smelters, and a nickel refinery. This infrastructure supports not just the production of critical minerals but also the global demand for materials essential to modern industries, including the electric vehicle (EV) sector.
Sudbury's Geology: A Resource Powerhouse
The Sudbury Basin hosts more than 1.6 billion tonnes of material grading approximately 1.2% nickel, 1.0% copper, and 0.8 grams per tonne of platinum group metals. The Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and its footwall contain numerous mafic intrusions (igneous rocks that form when magma rich in iron and magnesium cools slowly in large chambers deep within the Earth's crust) and volcanic formations that have fueled extensive exploration and mining success.
Mining majors such as Vale, Glencore, and KGHM operate within the Sudbury district, contributing billions to the local and provincial economy. These companies manage some of Canada’s deepest and most productive mines, reinforcing Sudbury’s role as a cornerstone of global mining.
Why Sudbury Remains a Mining Hub
Sudbury’s global reputation as a mining powerhouse is supported by six key factors:
1. Mining Expertise
Sudbury boasts North America’s highest concentration of mining expertise, including a skilled workforce and a robust supply chain. Over 27% of Canada’s mining workforce is based here, reflecting the region’s importance to the industry.
2. Innovation and Technology
Home to over 300 mining supply and service companies, Sudbury leads the world in mining technology and innovation. From automation to sustainable mining practices, the district sets benchmarks for modern mining operations.
3. Research and Education
Sudbury hosts several research institutions, including the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), which advances geoscientific knowledge and supports mineral exploration. This ecosystem of innovation ensures that Sudbury remains a hub of innovation as it concerns mining technology and practices.
4. Sustainability Leadership
Decades of environmental rehabilitation and regreening efforts have transformed Sudbury into a model for sustainable mining. These initiatives ensure the district’s long-term viability as a mining hub.
6. Global Demand for Critical Minerals
Sudbury’s ability to produce critical minerals positions it as a key player in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. The world’s growing demand for these minerals enhances the district’s relevance and appeal to international investors.
A Thriving Future in a Dynamic Region
Sudbury’s mining district remains a beacon of resilience, innovation, and opportunity. Mining and related industries already employ over 625,000 Canadians and contribute approximately $100 billion annually to Canada’s GDP. With over $10 billion in annual mineral production, the Sudbury district’s contributions to Ontario’s economy are profound. Its capacity to attract global investment, driven by demand for green and critical minerals, positions Sudbury as an essential player in the future of mining.
How Sudbury Benefits the Pardo Gold Project
The proximity of the Pardo Gold Project to Sudbury—a global mining powerhouse—presents a unique opportunity for Inventus Mining. Access to Sudbury’s world-class infrastructure, established supply chain and unparalleled expertise offer invaluable support for project development, from exploration to production. This proximity translates into significant strategic advantages for Inventus Mining, ensuring the Pardo project is well-equipped to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry with the backing of one of the world’s premier mining regions.
Furthermore, Sudbury’s culture of innovation aligns with Inventus Mining’s commitment to advancing responsible and technologically driven mining practices. This synergy fosters opportunities for collaboration and adoption of progressive technologies, enhancing the Pardo project’s prospects.
The doorsteps of Sudbury are not just a gateway to a rich mining history—they represent a pathway to an innovative, and prosperous future for Inventus Mining and its stakeholders.
Unlocking the Potential: Phase 1 Drilling at Pardo Gold Project Begins
The next chapter of exploration for Inventus Mining has officially begun, and it's a milestone worth celebrating as we launch an 80-hole Phase 1 Drill Program at the 100%-owned Pardo Gold Project, located east of Sudbury, Ontario. This program is a pivotal step in our journey toward defining a mineral resource estimate for the project, and with some success, laying the groundwork for Ontario’s next gold mine.
80-hole Phase 1 Drill Program Commences at the Pardo Gold project
Backed by methodical planning, innovative exploration, and a commitment to responsible development, the Pardo Gold Project represents a significant opportunity to unlock the value of one of North America's most advanced paleoplacer gold occurrences.
Here’s a look at the strategic effort behind this milestone and what it means for the future.
A History of Strategic Exploration
The Pardo Gold Project is no newcomer to the exploration scene. As the largest paleoplacer gold occurrence in North America, Pardo's geology mirrors the famed Witwatersrand gold fields of South Africa, which have produced over 1,500 million ounces of gold. This similarity has driven our ambition to systematically explore and define the Pardo property's true potential.
Over the years, Inventus has conducted extensive field work including geological mapping, drilling and bulk sampling to understand the characteristics of the gold-bearing conglomerate reefs. These reefs are extensive, flat-lying, and typically 1 to 4 meters thick, making them ideal candidates for cost-effective surface mining methods.
Highlights from recent exploration over the last few years include:
Obtaining a 50,000-tonne bulk sample permit and completion of a 5,000 tonne Phase 1 bulk sample.
Outlining an exploration target of over 15 million tonnes from existing exploration data
Channel sampling at Trench 2, revealing intervals such as 5.5 m of 10.2 g/t gold, including 1.0 m of 47.9 g/t gold.
Each of these achievements has brought us closer to defining a mineral resource estimate at Pardo, culminating in the launch of our Phase 1 Drill Program.
The Phase 1 Drill Program
This 80-hole drill campaign is a carefully designed step toward unlocking Pardo’s full potential. The primary objective? To start gathering the data necessary to develop a maiden mineral resource estimate. This program will focus on key zones where previous exploration has demonstrated robust gold grades testing continuity and grade of the paleoplacer reef using our recently developed methodology.
The program is bolstered by funding from the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP), which will cover 50% of exploration expenses, up to $200,000. This support not only underscores the project's promise but also reflects Inventus’s dedication to responsible exploration.
Building Momentum
Our progress at Pardo is built on a foundation of technical excellence, strategic investment, and stakeholder engagement. For example:
Technical Expertise: Advanced modeling techniques, such as 3D modeling in Leapfrog® software, have been instrumental in visualizing the extent and continuity of the gold-bearing conglomerate reefs.
Confident Investment: Bulk sampling programs have demonstrated that gold grades align with, or even exceed, predicted block model grades, providing confidence in our exploration methods.
Team Commitment: The recent granting of incentive stock options ensures that the team driving this project remains motivated and invested in its success.
These efforts have positioned the Pardo Gold Project as a standout in Ontario’s mining landscape, paving the way for its transformation from exploration to development.
Pardo’s Future: Toward a Resource Estimate
As we move forward, the Phase 1 Drill Program will serve as the backbone for additional drilling and resource modeling. Combined with historical exploration data, the drilling results will start to provide the data for a maiden mineral resource estimate, providing stakeholders with a clear picture of Pardo’s potential.
If proven economically viable, the property could transition into a low-cost, open-cut and underground mining operation, capitalizing on its near-surface flat lying gold mineralization and proximity to Sudbury.
Why Pardo Matters
Beyond the numbers and technical details, Pardo represents an opportunity to contribute to Ontario’s mining sector and the global gold market. Its location within the Huronian Supergroup, a 2.4-billion-year-old sedimentary basin, adds academic and economic significance, opening the stage for additional discoveries of paleoplacer gold.
Exploration targets suggest significant upside potential, with modelled scenarios (based on limited data) indicating a wide range of tonnage and grade possibilities. As exploration continues, we’re confident that Pardo may one day become a world-class deposit.
Join Us on the Journey
The Phase 1 Drill Program marks a pivotal chapter for the Pardo Gold Project and for Inventus Mining. With strong exploration results, government support, and a dedicated team, we’re confident in our ability to unlock Pardo’s full potential.
Stay tuned for updates as drilling progresses and join us as we work toward shaping Pardo into Ontario’s Next gold mine.
For more details about our progress, read our recent press release here.
Together, let’s pave the way for a golden future at Pardo.
Flotation Concentrate Shipped
Loading concentrate into trucks at the mill.
The final phase of work on the Pardo bulk sample is underway. The remaining concentrates have been sampled and shipped to the Horne Smelter (Glencore). Assays should be available in a couple of weeks that will enables us to complete the 007 Zone grade reconciliation.
Second Concentrate Shipment Confirmed
We now have a contract with Glencore to process our Pardo flotation concentrates. The material should soon be on its way to the smelter. Step-by-step we are making progress towards our goal, as Confucius once said: “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop”.
Source: Glencore Canada
First Concentrate Sale Complete
The gravity concentrates have been sold and shipped. This is an important first step for Inventus (we’ve experienced many firsts recently). Now the focus is on shipping the flotation concentrates as soon as we can.
007 Bulk Sample Update
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to let you know why we don’t have final numbers from the 007 bulk sample yet. I expected that by the end of March we would have enough data to release a preliminary estimate, but we are not there quite yet.
Let me explain:
The mill is set up to produce two types of concentrates. The first method uses gravity separation (basically a centrifuge) to concentrate heavy particles (ie. gold and other metallics).
The second method is flotation, which causes very small metallic particles in a slurry with water to “float” to the surface where they are collected. Some of the water is removed and then the concentrate is filtered to produce a wet “cake”.
Gravity concentrates are typically very high grade and small quantity. The process is very selective because the equipment is only designed to separate 1 to 2 tonnes of concentrates per day of milling. Gravity concentrates initially have high moisture, they need to dry out some before they can be weighed and sampled, which we have now done.
Flotation concentrates are lower grade and much higher quantity. One of the main reasons we don’t have a firm result from the bulk sample yet is that we don’t have an accurate weight or assay for the flotation concentrate. The only method available to accurately weigh the product is to load it into trucks and put them on a scale (ie when we sell it). Sure, we have a ballpark number, but that’s not even close to good enough for a reportable figure.
So we have a good handle on the gold in gravity concentrates. We also have a good handle on the grade in the tailing (the gold that was lost in the process), and this indicated the mill was highly efficient at separating the gold in the bulk sample (great news).
More good news, we are close to shipping the gravity concentrates to the end-buyer, and once a few more assay results are in, we expect to do the same with the flotation concentrates. This will enable us to properly weigh and sample the flotation concentrates. It’s just taken us a little longer than expected to get to this point.
The concentrates we produced are nearly free of penalty elements (such as arsenic and bismuth), which makes them marketable anywhere in North America, Europe and Asia.
Planning is already occurring for the next phase of bulk sampling this summer.
I hope that helps everyone understand where we are.
All the best,
Stefan Spears
Milling Complete
The milling of the bulk sample was complete on February 25th and the circuit is now being cleaned out. Assays have been sent to a third-party lab so the reconciliation process can begin. Final assays will take a little while - yes, we understand waiting for assays is a real drag. Below is a photo taken by Stefan on Feb 18th of a splash of colour panned from the gravity concentrate.
Bulk Sample Milling to Start Up Tomorrow (Feb 15th)
Redstone Mill, Timmins (older photo)
Pleased to announce that processing of the 007 bulk sample is expected to start up on schedule tomorrow. The run is anticipated to take <10 days.
Half Way There
3,000 t of the total 6,000 t of mineralized material have now been delivered from Pardo to the Redstone Mill in Timmins.
Pardo Bulk Sample On The Move
40 tonne truck offloading mineralized material from Pardo 007 Zone at the Redstone Mill in Timmins.
Cobalt Hill Drilling Update
Drilling at the Cobalt Hill Au-Co-Ni prospect is going well. Two holes of the 4,000 m program have been complete with both intersecting the target sulphide breccia.
CH-22-03 Drill setup
Sulphide Breccia in CH-22-02
Sulphide Breccia in CH-22-02
Sulphide Breccia in CH-22-02
Cobalt Hill - IP Anomaly Visualization
January 2022 drill target at Cobalt Hill. 500m x 600m IP chargeability anomaly open at depth. Hole CH-21-02 (from Spring 2021) just skimmed the edge and return a decent intercept.
Presentation on Inventus' Rathbun Property
VP Exploration Wesley Whymark gives a talk for the Sudbury Prospectors and Developers Association on Inventus’ high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE Rathbun Property.
Mini Bulk Sampling Phase 2 Update
The 2nd phase of mini bulk sampling, consisting of 22 one cubic metre pits from Eastern Reef, Trench 1 and Trench 2 is well underway. The pits have been drilled, blasted and excavated into bulk bags. Assays from the mini bulk samples will provide more accurate grade estimation of the larger scale 50,000 tonne bulk sampling program.
Excavator beside mini bulk sample pit at Eastern Reef
Geologist Renan beside pit muck at Eastern Reef
Mini bulk samples southeast of Trench 1
Excavated 1 cubic metre mini bulk sample pit
Geologist Renan and VP Exploration Wesley excavating a mini bulk sample pit
Geologists, Renan and Nick with VP Exploration Wesley excavating a mini bulk sample pit
Inventus Board of Directors Tour
Inventus board of directors visiting a trenched outcrop at the Rathbun Prospect.
During the tour the board visited Pardo, Rathbun and Cobalt Hill to see the advancement of the projects and discuss how best to advance the projects.
From left to right Wesley Whymark, VP Exploration, Winston Whymark, Operations Manager, Gary Nassif, Director, Stefan Spears, CEO & Chairman, Scott Heatherington, Director
Exploration Underway at Inventus’ High-Grade Palladium Property
In 2019 it was identified that the high-grade mineralization at the Rathbun Property is related to the same geology that formed the world-class Ni-Cu-PGE ore deposits around Sudbury. Since this discovery the property has lain dormant until it was acquired by Inventus in January of 2021. The Rathbun Property was mined in the 1890’s where a historic shaft and rusty sulfide mineralization is located on the shore of Rathbun Lake. Sampling of the semi-massive sulfide mineralization around the shaft by Inventus returned values up to 22% copper, 62 g/t palladium, 18 g/t platinum, 7 g/t gold and 0.5% nickel.
A review of the historic exploration on the property has provided clues as to where the Sudbury offset structure many continue. Inventus is currently conducting surface trenching in these key areas in preparation for drilling.
Bedrock trenching and washing at the Rathbun Property
Excavator trenching bedrock at the Rathbun Property
Mini Bulk Sample Crushing
Our 3 tonne mini bulk samples from the 007 zone are being crushed and split today. Results are expected in July.
First bag of material being put into the crusher.
3/4 inch crush ready to be split and reduced for assay.
Pardo Mini Bulk Sampling Update
Inventus' mini bulk sampling program is well underway with the first batch of test sampling being delivered for crushing and assay.
Drilled 1x1 cubic metre test pit.
Mini excavator extracting and loading the sample.
Samples being loaded on truck for shipment to crushing facility.
Samples being offloaded at crushing facility.