Having completed a due diligence review and obtained regulatory approval,
Westview has the right to earn a 50% interest in the project, which consists of the Dubenski, Flint Lake and East Cedartree properties, by paying Avalon $50,000, issuing 25,000 of its shares and spending $2.5 million on exploration over five years. This interest can be increased to 60% by spending an additional $1.5 million on exploration by 2006, and issuing another 25,000 shares to Avalon.
The current drill program is expected to total 2,200 metres in 10-12 holes. The first four holes will test a series of new gold showings on the East Cedartree property, where grab samples have assayed up to 117 and 79 grams per tonne. These showings were found in altered volcanic rocks and coincide with a 300-metre-long, combined induced-polarization and soil geochemical survey that has yet to be drill-tested.
Five holes will test the depth potential of the Shaft gold deposit at Dubenski, which, at last report, hosted a geological resource of 355,286 tonnes grading 6.36 grams gold (to a depth of 150 metres.) The Shaft zone has a high-grade core, as evidenced by drill intersections of up to 32.6 grams gold over 10.15 metres. The remaining holes will test other targets on the property.
Elsewhere in the Kenora region, Avalon continues to advance its Separation Rapids tantalum-lithium-cesium-rubidium property. Work to date has focused on the Big Whopper pegmatite, which is at the prefeasibility stage.
Metallurgical tests by Lakefield Research have produced 6 kg of high-purity petalite (lithium mineral) concentrate grading 4.6% lithium oxide and 0.035% iron oxide. This material will be used for a crucible melt test (of glass and pyroceramic applications), to be carried out shortly by Corning Engineering on a contract basis. The testwork is expected to result in a report on product specifications that can be used for marketing.
Lithium minerals such as petalite and spodumene (another lithium aluminosilicate) are used by glass manufacturers to produce high-value, zero-expansion glassware such as Corning’s heat-resistant Pyrex line. Because of its purity, lower iron content and higher silica content, petalite is the preferred feedstock over spodumene in the glass-making industry. However, petalite’s rarity often forces glass makers to settle for spodumene or lithium carbonate compounds.
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