Digger drills core at Copperhead gold project — Sister company Cepeda also drilling in Carolinas

The coastal plain of North Carolina is giving up a few of its secrets now that Digger Resources (DIG-V) has begun core drilling at the Copperhead gold project.

Since 1996, when drilling began, Digger has discovered low-grade gold mineralization in metamorphic rocks. However, the company says the samples were contaminated by as much as 30% sand and that, therefore, the amount of gold is underrepresented.

To date, three core holes have been drilled.

Assays from the first hole show a 50-ft. interval, starting at a depth of 45 ft., which ran 0.032 oz. gold per ton. The second hole hit a 95-ft. interval closer to the surface, which averaged 0.025 oz. gold. Within that interval, the bottom 15 ft. ran 0.078 oz. gold. The third hole intercepted 37 ft.

grading 0.172 oz., starting at a depth of 67 ft. The interval was composed of a 7.4-ft. interval grading 0.55 oz. gold and 30 ft. of 0.078 oz.

Grades from the second and third holes were better than previous drilling indicated.

The core holes essentially twinned three previous rotary holes; each was drilled within 100 ft. of the corresponding twin. Nevertheless, the three holes intercepted altered silicified rocks with quartz veinlets.

Digger intends to expand geophysical surveys over the property, to be followed by further drilling.

Digger is earning a half interest in the property from Placer Dome (PDG-T) by spending US$750,000 over the next three years. The junior is committed to spending US$486,000 by year-end.

Meanwhile, across the border in South Carolina, Digger’s sister company, Cepeda Minerals (CMM-V), continues to uncover encouraging results from the Buzzard gold project.

The company reports assays from seven new drill holes, three of which contained significant gold values. The best hole, 25, intercepted 129 ft.

(from 371 to 500 ft.) grading 0.26 oz. gold. The core hole was drilled at an angle of 60 and to a depth of 872 ft.

Hole 30, also drilled at an angle, hit 275 ft. (from 180 to 275 ft.) grading 0.025 oz. gold, whereas hole 31 hit 221 ft. (from 261 to 486 ft.) of 0.05 oz.