Barker on Hunt for VMS Deposits at Frank Creek

Vancouver — In its hunt for massive sulphide deposits, junior explorer Barker Minerals (BML-V, BKMNF-O) is anxiously awaiting results from a couple of recently completed drill holes at its Frank Creek polymetallic project, located 77 km northeast of Williams Lake, B.C.

Aware of the area’s volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) potential, Barker has built up its land position in the area since its formation in the mid-1990s. Situated on the edge of the Cariboo alluvial goldfields, the project area saw some placer activity during the mid-1980s that turned up several massive sulphide boulders. The discovery prompted evaluation of the property’s hard rock potential, leading to soil-sampling programs and geophysical programs resulting in a number of coincident anomalies.

Subsequent trenching by Barker in 1999 discovered a significant zone of massive sulphide boulders, the first to return “economic-grade” mineralization. Assays of up to 15% lead, 3.5% zinc, 1.3% copper, 685 grams silver per tonne and 0.6 gram gold were returned from the program, prompting optimism a hard rock source could be nearby.

Follow-up trenching exposed a weathered boulder zone containing a stratiform massive sulphide layer about 1.5 metres thick and across 10 metres of strike length. The zone exhibited a sub parallel trend to a major foliation in surrounding bedrock, indicating it could represent possible sub-crop.

Massive sulphide mineralization at Frank Creek is situated near the stratigraphic top of a fragmental felsic volcanic suite or a possible feldspathic arkose. The felsic units overlie sequences of black argillites, siltstones and an intermediate-to-mafic volcanic sequence of flows and fine fragmentals.

Barker says metamorphism of the entire sequence has inhibited interpretation, but the discovery of pillow structures in the mafic volcanics indicates a seafloor environment, which is positive for additional VMS potential.

Limited drilling by the company at Frank Creek has focused on areas of coincident geochemistry and geophysical anomalies. Several holes drilled in 2004 intersected “Besshi-type” mineralization. An altered feeder zone, up to about 70 metres wide and containing lower-grade copper-lead-zinc values, was encountered.

Within the feeder zone, a number of narrow sulphide mineralized bands were sampled returning grades of up to 5.7% copper, 1% lead, 6.7% zinc, 73 grams silver and 1.7 grams gold.

In addition to the VMS targets on Barker’s 1,193-sq. km claim package, it has also modelled intrusion-related gold potential in the Ace project area.

With 47.5 million shares outstanding, Barker posts an $11-million market capitalization based on its recent 23-per-share trading level. The company’s stock has traded in a 52-week range of 21.5-48.