An updated estimate for Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.'s past-producing Kiena property in Quebec increased resources with the addition of an initial estimate for the Kiena Deep A zone.

Kiena hosts measured and indicated gold resources containing 582,600 ounces within 3.1 million tonnes grading 5.81 g/t, with inferred resources estimated to contain another 1.0 million ounces of gold within 4.1 million tonnes of ore grading 7.57 g/t.

The Kiena Deep A zone hosts indicated resources containing 99,300 ounces and inferred resources containing 241,100 ounces.

Wesdome said Dec. 12 that the analysis incorporated data from drilling completed as of Oct. 12, with drilling since then continuing to return high grades from the up- and downplunge extensions of the Kiena Deep A zone.

In addition, an independent estimate for the Kiena Deep A zone outlined an exploration target in the range of 300,000 to 450,000 tonnes grading 8.0 to 11.0 g/t of gold for another potential 80,000 to 160,000 ounces of gold.

Recent drill highlights from Kiena Deep A included 120.6 g/t of gold over 8 meters (true width) from a depth of 129.4 meters, and 82.39 g/t over 8.5 meters from 171.1 meters.

Wesdome hopes to resume operations at the Kiena site, which was put on care and maintenance in mid-2013, with technical studies planned for 2019 along with further drilling.

In May, drilling at Kiena Deep A returned a highlight of 25.95 g/t of gold over 26 meters.