Energold’s Longyear concession takes shape

Drilling has enabled Energold Mining (EGD-V) to trace mineralization over a vertical interval of about 100 metres at its Longyear gold property in the Dominican Republic.

The Vancouver-based junior recently released results from six more holes, which are part of a preliminary program consisting of 20 holes and 1,000 metres.

Energold is drill-testing the bulk-tonnage potential of near-surface oxide gold mineralization. Results from the last seven holes are expected in early April.

The drilling is focused on a prominent, greater-than-50-parts-per-billion gold-in-soil anomaly measuring 700 by 1,600 metres, with coincident silver, copper, molybdenum, lead and zinc anomalies. The company reports that 165 samples (surface pit, outcrop and float) from a northwesterly trending, 300-by-700-metre, oxidized area averaged 1.22 grams gold, with several samples in excess of 5 grams.

The multi-element soil anomaly is underlain by strong induced-polarization (indicating potential sulphides) and resistivity (indicating silicification) geophysical anomalies.

All 20 holes in the program are being drilled in a northeasterly direction in order to intersect the underlying geology perpendicular to the regional orientation of the quartz-sericite schists.

Results from the most recent batch of drill holes are as follows: n Hole 8 cut a 17-metre interval of oxidized material that assayed 1.1 grams gold and 32.3 grams silver, as well as 0.8% copper, starting from the surface. This was followed by a 4-metre intersection of 1.08 grams gold, 6.7 grams silver and 2.9% copper starting at a down-hole depth of 17 metres. At 24 metres down-hole, a 5-metre section assayed 0.31 gram gold, 48.3 grams silver and 1.25% copper. At 31 metres down-hole, a 9-metre interval returned 0.51 gram gold, 11.6 grams silver and 1.32% copper.

n Hole 9 cut 5 metres of oxidized material averaging 0.18 gram gold, 8.5 grams silver and 0.03% copper starting at 33 metres down-hole. This was followed by a 9-metre interval of 0.46 gram gold, 6.8 grams silver and 0.17% copper starting at 41 metres down-hole.

n Hole 10 intersected 17 metres averaging 0.41 gram gold, 3.4 grams silver and 0.07% copper starting from the surface.

n Hole 11 cut 23 metres averaging 1.28 grams gold, 10.03 grams silver and 0.34% copper starting from the surface. This included a 9-metre section that assayed 2.67 grams gold, 15.13 grams silver and 0.53% copper starting at 12 metres down-hole. At 31 metres down-hole, a 3-metre interval averaged 2.83 grams gold, 29.73 grams silver and 0.96% copper.

The entire hole averaged 1.24 grams gold, 12 grams silver and 0.41% copper over its 34-metre length.

n Hole 12 intersected 10 metres of oxidized material averaging 0.52 gram gold, 0.3 gram silver and 0.02% copper starting at 2 metres down-hole.

n Hole 15 cut 23 metres averaging 0.64 gram gold, 0.9 gram silver and 0.13% copper starting from the surface. This was followed by a 6-metre interval of 0.25 gram gold, 7.4 grams silver and 0.24% copper starting at 35 metres down-hole. At 47 metres down-hole, a 9 metre section averaged 0.29 gram gold, 3.03 grams silver and 0.01% copper.

Energold uses its own sample preparation lab in the Dominican Republic. It splits the core using a saw, saving half for later reference. Samples are crushed to 3/8 inch, and a representative split is taken with a riffle splitter. The samples are then shipped to Chemex Labs in Mississauga, Ont., for analysis.