Alto expands Despinassy gold zone

Vancouver — Drilling by Alto Ventures (ATV-V) is expanding the Despinassy gold project, 75 km northeast Val d’Or, Que.

Mineralization was recently outlined in multiple zones of sub-parallel quartz veining in the DAC deposit. Infill drilling returned the following results:

– hole 79 — 1 metre (from a depth of 116 metres) grading 6.5 grams gold per tonne; 3.5 metres (from 131 metres) of 8.1 grams gold and 4 metres (from 142 metres) of 4.5 grams gold.

– hole 80 — 1 metre (from 97 metres) assaying 7.4 grams gold in a vein between zones 1 and 2, plus a deeper, 2-metre intercept (at a depth of 198 metres) of 3.8 grams gold in zone 3;

– hole 81 — 0.7 metre (from 112 metres) of 4.6 grams gold and a deeper, 3.7-metre intercept (from 335 metres) of 5.5 grams gold, including 1 metre of 12.6 grams gold.

Drilling on 25-metre centres has confirmed continuity of gold mineralization over 150 metres of strike and to a depth of 250 metres. Earlier drill results included 4 metres grading 14.6 grams gold.

The Despinassy shear zone is a large east-west structural break in the Abitibi greenstone belt, about 75 km north of the Cadillac-Larder Lake break.

Between 1998 and 2001, Cameco (CCO-T) carried out geophysics and 20,000 metres of core drilling in 63 holes. The drilling outlined mineralization over 300 metres of strike length and to depths of 600 metres.

Alto is earning a 70% interest in Despinassy from Cameco by paying cash and shares totalling $700,000 over five years. Project partner Commander Resources (CMD-V) holds a 30% interest in the project and is carried by Alto, the operator, for the first $500,000 of exploration.