EXPLORATION ROUNDUP — Virginia sizes up La Grande Sud Drilling under way at two other Quebec properties

Northern Quebec is certainly no stranger to mineral exploration, but, unlike many companies active there, Virginia Gold Mines (VIA-M) has chosen to focus on previously unworked territory.

The junior holds interests in 30 properties, comprising a total of 4,000 sq. km and representing a range of geological environments with potential for economic deposits of gold and base metals. Most of these are still at the grassroots stage, though one — La Grande Sud near James Bay — has been sufficiently drilled to support a resource calculation.

Since its discovery earlier this year, the near-surface deposit, dubbed Zone 32, has been tested along its 400-metre east-west strike length by 30 drill holes in an 8,000-metre program. Holes were collared along fences spaced 50 metres apart and drilled to depths of 200 metres below surface.

In calculating the resource, Virginia considered five cutoff grades: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 grams gold per tonne. At the lowest cutoff, the resource is estimated at 4.9 million tonnes grading 1.57 grams gold, equivalent to 246,948 contained ounces. Using the 3-gram cutoff value, the figure fell to 952,688 tonnes of 4.43 grams gold, equivalent to 135,725 contained ounces.

The remaining calculations range between these two extremes.

Included in the calculations are results from four holes recently drilled on section lines 13+00E and 13+50E. The best results were received from hole 101, which yielded 1.09 grams gold over 53.9 metres (from 16 to 71.9 metres), the first 10 metres of which graded 3.25 grams.

Other results are as follows:

* 2.43 grams over 33 metres (from 112 to 145 metres), including 8.4 metres (from 120 to 128.4 metres) grading 4.33 grams and 6 metres (from 139 to 145 metres) of 3.16 grams, in hole 89;

* 2.75 grams over 22 metres (from 177.5 to 200 metres), including 12.5 metres (from 180.5 to 193 metres) of 4.23 grams, in hole 97-7; and * 2.15 grams over 16 metres (from 69 to 85 metres) in hole 102.

Mineralization remains open to the north and may extend at depth, though no deep holes have been drilled.

In addition, two holes drilled downdip suggest continuity as well as north-south-trending shoots of high-grade mineralization. Hole 98 intersected 80 metres (from 123 to 203 metres) averaging 8.24 grams, including 22.5 metres (from 177.5 to 200 metres) of 17.93 grams, whereas hole 99 returned 75 metres (from 176 to 251 metres) averaging 2.36 grams, including 3.62 grams over 30 metres (from 176 to 206 metres) and 2.92 grams over 20 metres (from 231 to 251 metres).

Results from both holes were excluded from the resource calculations.

Zone 32 is situated in the Grande volcanic belt and is hosted by a sub-vertical shear structure formed at the southern contact of a large tonalitic intrusion and volcanics of basaltic composition. The resources are contained in three parallel lenses that, where joined, reach widths of 50 metres.

Mineralization is described as simple, consisting of less than 5% sulphides in the form of pyrite and chalcopyrite, with the latter mineral accounting for assays, in some drill intersections, of between 0.05% and 0.5%. Although minor native gold occurs, insufficient quantities have been observed, dispelling Virginia’s concern about the potential for nugget effect.

North-south structures

Of perhaps greater significance are results from stepout hole 103, which was drilled 30 metres to the north, at the zone’s eastern limit. Drilled to test a 400-metre-long, north-south-trending induced-polarization (IP) anomaly, the hole intersected 36 metres (from 137.5 to 173.5 metres) of tonalite grading 3.37 grams.

Although the anomaly’s relationship to Zone 32 is unclear, Virginia believes it may represent an earlier mineralizing event. Based on the IP data, the company believes regional faulting caused north-south-oriented fracturing in the tonalite, providing conduits for initial gold-bearing fluids that were subsequently remobilized by shearing at contact zones.

“Our original IP survey was oriented north-south, so we only detected east-west anomalies,” explains Virginia’s president, Andr Gaumond. “The newer data, however, add tremendous potential not only for the discovery of additional shoots in Zone 32 [and subsequently higher grade] but also for high-grade zones elsewhere.”

He adds that a second, 400-metre anomaly (associated with the Pari zone and situated 1 km west of Zone 32) is also untested by drilling. Previous surface sampling and drilling were limited to where the intrusion abuts the volcanics.

While drilling continues, reconnaissance programs have identified four new high-grade showings. Two of these, Milan and Mico, lie 250 and 350 metres, respectively, north of Zone 32, whereas the others, Breccia and Ugo, lie 1.5 and 2 km farther east.

Of these, Mico yielded the highest value: 6,524 grams gold per tonne. A second sample returned a similarly high value of 1,811 grams gold, whereas a third and fourth yielded 612 and 92.13 grams, respectively. Results from seven other samples ranged from 8.2 to 16.13 grams.

At the Milan target, channel sampling returned 20.43 grams gold over 5 metres, while similar sampling at Ugo yielded 1.75 grams over 16 metres.

Three of several grab samples taken within a 25-metre radius of the Milan showing returned 14.56, 22.15 and 477.02 grams gold. At Ugo, several samples of outcrop within a 25-metre radius of the sampled area assayed between 10.83 and 31.86 grams.

>From the Breccia showing, only 7.54 grams gold over 1 metre were reported.

Visible gold was observed at the Ugo and Mico showings.

Geologically, the Breccia showing is characterized by finely disseminated pyrite in a breccia consisting of tonalitic fragments. Ugo lies in the volcanics and is associated with a shear zone.

Each of the zones is being followed up by drilling.

Grande Nord

Meanwhile, at the nearby Grande Nord polymetallic property, joint-venture partner Noranda (NOR-T) has started a 2,000-metre drill program to test an area containing high values of gold, platinum, palladium and silver.

Results from five grab samples ranged from 18.57 to 41.92 grams gold, 2,122.8 to 11,515.6 grams silver, 2.7 to 14.37 grams platinum, and 1.24 to 13.78 grams palladium. As well, three of the five samples returned copper values of 0.50%, 0.69% and 0.75%

Samples were taken from a narrow zone of breccia mineralized with pyrite and malachite. The structure lies 60 metres south of the Sommet 4 showing, characterized by silver, copper, cobalt and nickel mineralization (T.N.M., Sept.22/97).

Noranda is earning a half interest in the property.

Another property that has caught Virginia’s eye is Chute-des-Passes, which lies 150 km north of Lac St-Jean in a portion of a troctolitic intrusion exceeding 1,000 sq. km. The company holds 1,200 claims there and is earning a 100% interest in 18 other, contiguous claims.

Soil and geophysical surveys have enabled Virginia to outline five separate electromagnetic anomalies and coincident soil anomalies rich in nickel, copper and cobalt.

Limited outcroppings overlying the anomalies returned grab samples of 0.2-1.3% nickel, 0.1-4.3% copper and 0.02-0.25% cobalt.

A 2,000-metre drill program is testing the conductors.

This year alone, Virginia and its joint-venture partners have spent more than $6 million exploring properties in the region. The company is debt-free and has $14 million in working capital.