Lupin-style sulphides found at Aber/Highwood bet

Vancouver-based Aber Resources says it is encouraged by drilling results at its Butterfly Lake project in the Northwest Territories’ Mackenzie district.

Located 15 miles southeast of the Lupin mine where production plus reserves exceed six million tons grading 0.34 oz gold per ton, Butterfly Lake is a joint venture project involving a number of companies.

Aber says Cominco Ltd. and Cogema Canada may acquire a majority 35% interest, each, in the Butterfly property while Highwood Resources will retain a net 15.3% working interest. Aber recently increased its interest in the property to 14.7%.

According to Aber, drilling at Butterfly has intersected Lupin- style gold-bearing sulphide iron formation over a 1,300-ft strike length.

In this formation preliminary calculations show a 700-ft section hosting 140,000 tons with an average grade of 0.5 oz to a depth of 200 ft.

The company says this mineralized section is open to depth and to the east where drilling indicates significantly increased thicknesses of iron formation.

“Compared to the frequency of high grade and low grade intersections within the Lupin ore zones, the distribution of values at Butterfly Lake is remarkably similar,” Aber says.

According to the company, rapid grade variations within the ore zones at Lupin are characteristic and the potential for a viable deposit must be assessed on the average of a large number of intersections within the overall zone limits.

In recognition of this, the company says drilling will continue as long as seasonal conditions permit. In addition to drilling at the east end of the zone, two step-out holes approximately one half mile to the west, will test what Aber thinks is an extension of the same geological horizon.

So far, 12 holes have been assayed and all contain anomalous gold values. Aber says six of these have returned the following results: Hole C-87-6 intersected a 13.4-ft section assaying 0.49 oz. Hole C-87-13 cut a 12.7-ft cut assaying 2.22 oz and hole C-87-19 cut a 10.8-ft section assaying 0.21 oz.

Aber says a significant intersection was also encountered on Contwoyto Syndicate claims (39% Aber), six miles west of the Butterfly zone where an earlier drill hole on the Amwood zone, cut 7.9-ft of iron formation assaying 0.39 oz gold.

Follow-up drilling on this intersection is planned for 1988.