EXPLORATION ROUNDUP — Juniors benefitting from Ashton find

A host of exploration companies has joined the land rush triggered by Ashton Mining of Canada’s (ACA-T) discovery of diamond-bearing kimberlites in the Buffalo Hills area of northern Alberta.

* Victory Ventures (VIP-V) acquired a 100% interest in seven blocks of exploration permits within and along the boundaries of the Buffalo Head craton totalling 892,400 acres. An airborne geophysical survey is being conducted on the Syd 1, 2 and 3 properties, north of Lesser Slave Lake in the central region of the craton.

* Big I Developments (BID-V) holds a 100% interest in a 46,000-acre mineral block in the Peace River area, near the village of Manning. A low-level aeromagnetic survey revealed 25 potential anomalies. A follow-up ground magnetometer survey has so far confirmed that four of the anomalies have a magnetic signature and are of a shallow elliptical nature.

* Cambridge Minerals (CBM-A) has staked eight permits totalling 183,000 acres, 25 km west of Grande Prairie, and can earn a 90% interest in a 67,000-acre claim block, 50 km south of Buffalo Hill’s discovery and 70 km west of Utikuma Lake, within the Buffalo Head craton.

Cambridge has also acquired an option to earn a half interest from Sanfred Resources (SND-V) in 300,000 acres of exploration permits, east of Utikuma Lake. An airborne magnetic survey is planned. Sanfred also holds two claim blocks totalling 35,000 acres near Hinton.

* Ecstall Mining (EAM-V) acquired a 25% interest in three separate claim blocks totalling 300,000 acres, east of Utikuma Lake, with an option to acquire a further 25% interest. Troymin Resources (TYR-A) owns the remaining half. Aeromagnetic survey data from the properties reveal 12 potential anomalies. Possible pyrope garnets recovered from stream-sediment samples are being analyzed by electron microprobe.

Ecstall also owns a 100% interest in the 1.8-million-acre Vulcan property, south of Calgary, within the Hearne craton. Heavy mineral sampling in the Porcupine Hills area returned numerous indicator minerals. Electron microprobe analysis revealed several garnets of the G3, G9 and G11 varieties.

Ecstall recently acquired data from an aeromagnetic survey that was flown over the southeastern portion of the property. Twelve magnetic anomalies were picked out. Further soil sampling and detailed magnetic surveying are planned.

Ecstall recently acquired a 760,000-acre mineral block, northeast of Calgary between Drumheller and Wainwright.

* Golden Kootenay Resources (GKK-A) holds a 100% interest in 23,000 acres of mineral permits in the Peace River area. Airborne and follow-up ground geophysics were completed on the property.

* International Butec Industries (IB-V) has optioned a half interest in its 250,000-acre property block, near the town of Peace River, within the Buffalo Head craton, to Columbia Yukon Resources (CYR-A). International Butec acquired the property based on favorable structure and government indicator mineral sample results. Columbia Yukon is committed to funding an airborne geophysical survey by year-end.

* Teuton Resources (TUP-V) and Minvita Enterprises (MVE-V) together hold 390,000 acres of ground in the Swan Hills area within the Buffalo Head craton. Recent sampling yielded some chrome diopsides. The companies have optioned to Blackrun Ventures (BKV-V) a half interest in their jointly owned 1.1-million-acre parcel of ground in the Meander River area of northwestern Alberta. An ecologitic garnet was recently pulled from the drainage of the Meander River.

* Primo Resources (PRL-V) has acquired an option to buy a 118,600-acre permit block, near Peace River, 36 miles southwest of Ashton’s discovery.

* Sidon International Resources (SD-V) holds 68,000 acres near Peace River.

The company recently completed an airborne geophysical survey over the property.

* Ground geophysical surveys have commenced on the 46,000-acre Robob property of Stirrup Creek Gold (SGU-V), 95 km northwest of Ashton’s find.

The survey will follow up on anomalies identified from a low-level aeromagnetic survey.

* Mount Hope Resources (MH-A) has acquired three blocks of claims in the northern part of the province. Two of the claim blocks are situated in northeastern Alberta, near Lake Athabasca, and total 1.2 million acres, while the third block comprises about 2 million acres in the northwest.

A high-resolution aeromagnetic survey of approximately 500,000 acres indicates a cluster of 20 anomalies on the northwestern block.

* Micrex Development (MIX-A) has identified 14 high-priority targets from the first-stage interpretation of an aeromagnetic survey flown over a portion of its 500,000-acre package of claims in the northwestern corner of Alberta in the Clear and Chinchaga Hills

* Marum Resources (MMU-A) holds a 100% interest in 400,000 acres of permits in the Chinchaga craton in the northwestern part of the province, and recently acquired an option to earn a half interest in a further 100,000 acres adjacent to its property block. Marum is currently evaluating a number of anomalies interpreted from aeromagnetic data.

* Baron Gold (BXG-V) and Levelland Energy & Resources (LVL-V) each own half of the 138,000-acre Fox Creek property in north-central Alberta. Nineteen random till samples were collected from the property, and these are being analyzed for potential indicator minerals.

* DRC Resources (DRC-V) holds a 100% interest in two separate mineral blocks totalling 1.1 million aces. The blocks lie in the northern and southern end of the province.

* Vulcan Minerals (VUL-A) staked three claim blocks along major structural features: the 205,000-acre Hay River block, in the northwestern part of the province: the 455,000-acre Peace River block, along the west-central border; and the 1.5-million-acre Lac la Biche block, in east-central Alberta.