LITERATURE REVIEW — Nebex explores for gold in Italy

Italy is known for its pasta and ancient ruins, but at least one junior company believes the country also may be prospective for “Carlin-type” epithermal gold deposits.

Nebex Resources (NBX-A) is earning a 70% interest in five exploration licences in Tuscany province, a region which has produced mercury and antimony in the past. The junior began work on the permits in May of this year, with work aimed at reassessing existing exploration data and completing a broad assessment of a geologically favorable region covering 5,000 sq. km.

The permits themselves cover about 32 sq. km.

Two targets of interest have been identified on the Pietricci permit: an area of silicification associated with a steeply dipping fault zone where previous drilling intersected 22.5 metres of 12.6 grams gold per tonne; and a second area, covering a gold-in-soil anomaly.

The San Pedro permit covers an area of silicification and antimony mineralization associated with a set of steeply dipping faults. A previous hole drilled in this area returned 4 metres of 3.15 grams gold. At Le Casacce, fine-grained gold, silver and antimony associated with silicification was observed along a zone of northwest-striking faults. Two other permits cover targets identified by past sampling.

Nebex says its regional data compilation of southern Tuscany is now complete and will be used to guide ongoing exploration. A second phase of work, to begin this autumn, will consist primarily of geophysical surveys, geological mapping and regional prospecting. The program also will further define drill targets for a third phase of work, expected to begin early next year.