SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C., 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Issuer
FOR PERIOD ENDED
February 17, 2004
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER:
01-31380
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD INC.
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Suite 300, 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada, V6C 3P1
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F | X |
| Form 40-F |
|
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes |
| No | X |
If “Yes” is marked indicate the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82 -●.
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P.O. Box 370
KIRKLAND LAKE, ON, P2N 3J7
FEBRUARY 17, 2004
Symbol – TSX: KGI
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD REACHES ITS STAFFING
AND MECHANIZATION GOALS
Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. (the “Company”) is pleased to advise it has reach its targeted staffing needs and required heavy equipment profile to support its production goals and the major exploration program described in news releases of October 8th, 2003 and January 23rd, 2004.
In the fall of 2003, the Company launched a recruiting drive for miners and mechanics creating its own workforce to replace the contract mining system that had been in place. The Company workforce currently stands at 212, of which 125 are miners and mechanics working at Shafts #2 and #3 on the Macassa property and the Lakeshore ramp, in addition to supporting the major exploration campaign detailed in the above referenced news releases.
With last week’s successful commissioning of the rock breaker on the 5100 level, all essential heavy equipment for production is on site and operational. The equipment fleet –which consists of jumbo drills, electric and diesel scoop trams, and long toms – has been expanded to support more methods of mechanized mining than were traditionally done in this camp.
“I am very pleased that after 33 years working at the Macassa Mine, how I have seen in a short period of time, Kirkland Lake Gold taking firm steps towards better mechanization, and creation of highly skilled and motivated manpower, based on teamwork principles” said Raymond Belecque, General Manager. “Now, that we have met our staffing needs, the Company’s priority, in this increasingly competitive market for miners and staff, is building employee loyalty and retention.”
In the above referenced news release of October 8th, 2003, a 3-year, $21 million exploration program was outlined by the Company with a goal of aggressively drilling the many unexplored structures in the Kirkland Lake Camp, which targets have a combined potential to host 15 million tons of ore (using a 25% historic camp drilling success ratio). The first year of this 3-year campaign will target the areas set forth in the news release of January 23rd, 2004 wherein the Company described the detail of the 575,000 feet of exploration drilling that will be done in 2004. This week, a large electric drill is mobilizing to the 4500 level, to become the second drill undertaking long holes to the South of the main ore horizon.
“Not only is this an unprecedented drilling campaign for the Kirkland Lake Camp, but it is also probably the largest drilling campaign in Canada at present” said Mike Sutton, Chief Geologist. “We have 10 drills working today on surface and underground targets and will soon have 14 machines at work, so we are pleased to advise that we now have an excellent staff to support this exciting exploration program.”
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About the Company
The Company purchased the Macassa Mine and the 1,500 tonne per day mill along with four former producing gold properties – Kirkland Lake Gold, Teck-Hughes, Lake Shore and Wright Hargreaves – in December 2001. These properties, which have historically produced some 22 million ounces of gold, extend over seven kilometers between the Macassa Mine on the east and Wright Hargreaves on the west and for the first time will be developed and explored under one owner. This camp is located in the Abitibi Southern Greenstone Belt of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada.
The results of the Company’s underground diamond drilling program have been reviewed, verified (including sampling, analytical and test data) and compiled by the Company's geological staff (which includes a ‘qualified person’, Michael Sutton P.Geo. for the purpose of NI 43-101,Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects).
The Company has implemented a quality assurance and control (QA/QC) program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with the best possible practices. The drill core is sawn in half with half of the core samples shipped to the Swastika Laboratories in Swastika, Ontario or to the Macassa mine laboratory for analysis. The other half of the core is retained for future assay verification. Other QA/QC includes the insertion of blanks, and the regular re-assaying of pulps/rejects at alternate certified labs (Polymet, Accurassay). Gold analysis is conducted by fire assay using atomic absorption or gravimetric finish. The laboratory re-assays at least 10% of all samples and additional checks may be run on anomalous values.
The Company’s Kirkland Lake properties are the subject of a report prepared by Roland H. Ridler, B.A.Sc.(hons.), M.A.Sc., Ph.D.(Econ.Geol.), P.D., entitledKirkland Lake Mineral Properties (Macassa Mine, Kirkland Lake Gold, Teck-Hughes, Lake Shore, Wright-Hargreaves dated November 30, 2001. The Company’s Macassa Mine Property is the subject of a reserve report prepared by David W. Rennie, P.Eng. and Richard E. Routledge, M.Sc., P.Geol. entitledReview of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves of the Macassa Mine Property, Kirkland Lake, Ontario Prepared for Kirkland Lake Gold Inc dated December 23, 2002 and a reserve report prepared by Michael Sutton P.Geo., and Stewart Carmichael, P.Geo.entitledMineral Resources and Mineral Reserves of the Macassa Mine Property, Kirkland Lake, Ontario (Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.) as at April 30, 2003 dated August 30, 2003.All of these t echnical reports have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com <http://www.sedar.com>).
For further information Brian Hinchcliffe President Phone 1 705 567 5208 Fax 1 705 568 6444 Website-www.klgold.com e-mail: bhinchcliffe@klgold.com
| Investor Relations Scott Koyich Phone 1 403 215 5979
|
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of theSecurities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD
(the Registrant)
Date: | February 18, 2004 | By: | Signed“Sandra Lee” |
Signature Sandra Lee, Secretary | |||
Name* Title |
*Print name and title under the signature of the signing officer
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
A.
Rule as to Use of Form 6-K
This form shall be used by foreign private issuers which are required to furnish reports pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 under theSecurities Exchange Act of 1934.
B.
Information and Document Required to be Furnished
Subject to General Instruction D herein, an issuer furnishing a report on this form shall furnish whatever information, not required to be furnished on Form 40-F or previously furnished, such issuer
(i) makes or is required to make public pursuant to the law of the jurisdiction of its domicile or in which it is incorporated or organized, or
(ii) files or is required to file with a stock exchange on which its securities are traded and which was made public by that exchange, or
(iii) distributes or is required to distribute to its securityholders.
The information required to be furnished pursuant to (i),(ii) or (iii) above is that which is material with respect to the issuer and its subsidiaries concerning: changes in business; changes in management or control; acquisitions or dispositions of assets; bankruptcy or receivership; changes in registrant's certifying accountants; the financial condition and results of operations; material legal proceedings; changes in securities or in the security for registered securities; defaults upon senior securities; material increases or decreases in the amount outstanding of securities or indebtedness; the results of the submission of matters to a vote of security holders; transactions with directors, officers or principal security holders; the granting of options or payment of other compensation to directors or officers; and any other information which the registrant deems of material importance to securityholders.
This report is required to be furnished promptly after the material contained in the report is made public as described above. The information and documents furnished in this report shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Act or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.
If a report furnished on this form incorporates by reference any information not previously filed with the Commission, such information must be attached as an exhibit and furnished with the form.
C.
Preparation and Filing of Report
This report shall consist of a cover page, the document or report furnished by the issuer, and a signature page. Eight complete copies of each report on this form shall be deposited with the Commission. At least one complete copy shall be filed with each United States stock exchange on which any security of the registrant is listed and registered under Section 12(b) of the Act. At least one of the copies deposited with the Commission and one filed with each such exchange shall be manually signed. Unsigned copies shall be conformed.
D.
Translations of Papers and Documents into English
Reference is made to Rule 12b-12(d). Information required to be furnished pursuant to General Instruction B in the form of press releases and all communications or materials distributed directly to securityholders of each class of securities to which any reporting obligation under Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Act relates shall be in the English language. English versions or adequate summaries in the English language of such materials may be furnished in lieu of original English translations.
Notwithstanding General Instruction B, no other documents or reports, including prospectuses or offering circulars relating to entirely foreign offerings, need be furnished unless the issuer otherwise has prepared or caused to be prepared English translations, English versions or summaries in English thereof. If no such English translations, versions or summary have been prepared, it will be sufficient to provide a brief description in English of any such documents or reports. In no event are copies of original language documents or reports required to be furnished.