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West Red Lake Gold Reports High-Grade Intercepts at Starratt-Olsen Mine, Supporting Expansion of Madsen-Based Operations
West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV:WRLG, OTCQX:WRLGF) announced on September 10 2026 that its first surface drilling at the historic Starratt‑Olsen Mine has yielded high‑grade gold intercepts, reinforcing the company’s plan to feed its Madsen mill from nearby deposits.
The 12‑hole program, which spanned 4,100 m of oriented diamond core, targeted extensions of panels that were once mined at Starratt, just 1.1 km southwest of the company’s 100 % owned Madsen Mine in Northwestern Ontario’s Red Lake Mining District. The first five holes produced a 1.5‑metre intercept at 16.16 g/t Au (Hole WRL26‑054) and a 4.5‑metre intercept at 5.16 g/t Au (Hole WRL26‑055), confirming that Madsen‑style mineralization persists near the former mining footprint.
Hole WRL26‑054 intersected 1.5 m at 16.16 g/t Au from 121.15 m to 122.65 m, including a 0.85 m section at 24.60 g/t Au from 121.15 m to 122.00 m. Hole WRL26‑055 intersected 4.5 m at 5.16 g/t Au from 114.0 m to 118.5 m, including a 1.5 m section at 10.94 g/t Au from 116.5 m to 118.0 m. These intercepts represent the first focused drilling of the main historic mining areas at Starratt since operations ceased in the 1950s.
“We are very encouraged by these results,” said Vice President of Exploration Will Robinson. “They confirm the persistence of high‑grade mineralization near the Madsen Mine and reinforce our strategy of evaluating and advancing multiple known gold deposits around the Madsen mill. We are building a pipeline of operations and near‑term deposits that will feed the mill.” Robinson added that historic underground drilling and chip samples at Starratt indicate that the main ore shoot continues down‑plunge, citing a 2016 drillhole (PG16‑198) that returned 2 m at 27.3 g/t Au and 3 m at 104.1 g/t Au at depths of 561–570 m. The high‑grade panel, estimated at 300 m by 400 m, is being considered for future underground drilling from the Madsen 16 Level exploration drive, which reaches within 200 m of the down‑plunge extension.
Starratt produced roughly 164,000 oz of gold between 1948 and 1956 at an average grade of 6.17 g/t Au. The new surface results suggest the deposit remains open at depth and could provide additional feed to the Madsen mill, which began commercial production on January 1 2026. West Red Lake Gold’s flagship Madsen Mine occupies a 47 km² land package that has delivered over 20 million ounces of gold from high‑grade systems in the Red Lake district. The company also owns the 31 km² Rowan Property, which includes three past‑producing mines and is a key source of future production growth.
The drilling program adhered to strict quality‑assurance procedures. Core was logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine core facility. Samples were processed at AGAT Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario, an ISO/IEC 17025:2017‑accredited laboratory. The technical information was reviewed and approved by Will Robinson, P.Geo., the company’s Qualified Person for exploration.
These results are part of West Red Lake Gold’s broader exploration strategy, which includes the Rowan and Fork projects. The company intends to continue drilling at Starratt, from both surface and underground, to better define the extent of the high‑grade panel and assess its economic potential. No resource estimate has yet been released for the new intercepts, and no immediate plans for production expansion have been announced.
In summary, West Red Lake Gold’s first surface drilling at Starratt‑Olsen has produced high‑grade gold intercepts that confirm the persistence of Madsen‑style mineralization near the historic mine. The company is evaluating a 300 m × 400 m high‑grade panel at depth and plans to pursue underground drilling from the Madsen 16 Level drive. The findings support West Red Lake Gold’s strategy of expanding its hub‑and‑spoke network around the Madsen mill and feeding the mill with additional ore from nearby deposits.
The 12‑hole program, which spanned 4,100 m of oriented diamond core, targeted extensions of panels that were once mined at Starratt, just 1.1 km southwest of the company’s 100 % owned Madsen Mine in Northwestern Ontario’s Red Lake Mining District. The first five holes produced a 1.5‑metre intercept at 16.16 g/t Au (Hole WRL26‑054) and a 4.5‑metre intercept at 5.16 g/t Au (Hole WRL26‑055), confirming that Madsen‑style mineralization persists near the former mining footprint.
Hole WRL26‑054 intersected 1.5 m at 16.16 g/t Au from 121.15 m to 122.65 m, including a 0.85 m section at 24.60 g/t Au from 121.15 m to 122.00 m. Hole WRL26‑055 intersected 4.5 m at 5.16 g/t Au from 114.0 m to 118.5 m, including a 1.5 m section at 10.94 g/t Au from 116.5 m to 118.0 m. These intercepts represent the first focused drilling of the main historic mining areas at Starratt since operations ceased in the 1950s.
“We are very encouraged by these results,” said Vice President of Exploration Will Robinson. “They confirm the persistence of high‑grade mineralization near the Madsen Mine and reinforce our strategy of evaluating and advancing multiple known gold deposits around the Madsen mill. We are building a pipeline of operations and near‑term deposits that will feed the mill.” Robinson added that historic underground drilling and chip samples at Starratt indicate that the main ore shoot continues down‑plunge, citing a 2016 drillhole (PG16‑198) that returned 2 m at 27.3 g/t Au and 3 m at 104.1 g/t Au at depths of 561–570 m. The high‑grade panel, estimated at 300 m by 400 m, is being considered for future underground drilling from the Madsen 16 Level exploration drive, which reaches within 200 m of the down‑plunge extension.
Starratt produced roughly 164,000 oz of gold between 1948 and 1956 at an average grade of 6.17 g/t Au. The new surface results suggest the deposit remains open at depth and could provide additional feed to the Madsen mill, which began commercial production on January 1 2026. West Red Lake Gold’s flagship Madsen Mine occupies a 47 km² land package that has delivered over 20 million ounces of gold from high‑grade systems in the Red Lake district. The company also owns the 31 km² Rowan Property, which includes three past‑producing mines and is a key source of future production growth.
The drilling program adhered to strict quality‑assurance procedures. Core was logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine core facility. Samples were processed at AGAT Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario, an ISO/IEC 17025:2017‑accredited laboratory. The technical information was reviewed and approved by Will Robinson, P.Geo., the company’s Qualified Person for exploration.
These results are part of West Red Lake Gold’s broader exploration strategy, which includes the Rowan and Fork projects. The company intends to continue drilling at Starratt, from both surface and underground, to better define the extent of the high‑grade panel and assess its economic potential. No resource estimate has yet been released for the new intercepts, and no immediate plans for production expansion have been announced.
In summary, West Red Lake Gold’s first surface drilling at Starratt‑Olsen has produced high‑grade gold intercepts that confirm the persistence of Madsen‑style mineralization near the historic mine. The company is evaluating a 300 m × 400 m high‑grade panel at depth and plans to pursue underground drilling from the Madsen 16 Level drive. The findings support West Red Lake Gold’s strategy of expanding its hub‑and‑spoke network around the Madsen mill and feeding the mill with additional ore from nearby deposits.
