The wholly owned property, 70 km southwest of Fredericton, has so far been subjected to 25 shallow holes. The drilling encountered five zones of auriferous quartz vein mineralization over a collective strike length of 2 km. Mineralization is hosted in brittle-to-ductile shear zones, healed by quartz veins and flooding, within metasedimentary and gabbroic rocks. The quartz vein system strikes northeast-southwest and is aligned roughly parallel to the contact with the St. George batholith.
The first 12 holes of the winter 2001 program tested the East zone at shallow depths over a strike length of 600 metres. With the exception of hole 12, all the holes intersected encouraging, albeit narrow, intervals of gold mineralization. Highlights included:
– 2 metres of 12.45 grams (including 1 metre of 23.4 grams) in hole 2;
– 2 metres of 3.66 grams (including half a metre of 11.58 grams) in hole 5;
– 6.5 metres of 4.45 grams in hole 6;
– 2 metres of 6.26 grams (including half a metre of 23.63 grams) in hole 7; and
– 1.65 metres of 12.66 grams in hole 10.
The East zone consists of discrete quartz-vein and replacement mineralization developed in a series of ductile shear zones hosted in biotite-cordierite hornfels. Associated mineralization includes arsenopyrite, stibnite and pyrrhotite. The East zone remains open along strike and at depth.
Along the interpreted western extension of the East zone lie the Central, N and Cox showings. Five holes tested the Central showing, which sits 700 metres west of the East zone. The best hole cut 2.2 metres of 12.28 grams (including 1.2 metres of 22.14 grams) at 36.8 metres of depth in hole 14.
Three holes were drilled into the N showing. Assay results are available for only hole 18, which intersected 7 metres averaging 4.15 grams (including intervals of 13.32 grams over half a metre, followed by another half-metre of 11.82 grams), starting at a down-hole depth of 44.1 metres.
Two holes undercut the westernmost showing, dubbed the Cox zone. Hole 22 intersected three narrow quartz veins containing abundant fine-grained visible gold that assayed 22.23 grams over 0.65 metre, 19.25 grams over 0.4 metre and 49.82 grams over 0.9 metre. Assays for the second hole are pending.
The West zone is a parallel, gold-bearing system of sheeted veins first exposed by trenching over a 100-metre strike length. It sits between the Cox and N showings. Three holes tested the West zone over a strike length of 70 metres. The holes, outlined below, cut a series of well-defined quartz veins at the contact between hornfels and sheared, altered gabbro:
– hole 19 intersected 3.7 metres of 6.15 grams at 28.5 metres down-hole;
– hole 20 hit 3 metres of 8 grams (including half a metre of 33.2 grams) at 32 metres of depth; and
– hole 21 pulled 1 metre of 6.56 grams from 47.8 metres of surface.
Freewest hopes to complete another 15 holes before spring breakup. “There is gold there,” says President Mackenzie Watson. “We essentially have to get a better handle on what we have.” He adds that the first phase has identified three of four hot spots within the 2 km of strike.
The junior will test the downdip potential of some of the better holes, as well as test the gap between the Central and East zones.
The Clarence Stream property is just 8 km west of the past-producing Mt. Pleasant tungsten mine. The property is readily accessible by a network of provincial roads from all points in southwestern New Brunswick.
Be the first to comment on "Clarence Stream results buoy Freewest Resources"