Miramar, Hope Bay pull more gold at Naartok

Drilling has returned more mineralized intersections for partners Miramar Mining (MAE-T) and Hope Bay Gold (HGC-T) at the Naartok gold deposit, east of Bathurst Inlet in Nunavut.

Seven drill holes at Naartok (near the project’s Madrid gold deposit) have confirmed that the deposit is still open to the east at depth. They also tested a number of targets on the deposit’s western extension and in its hangingwall.

In hole M181, drilled near the east end of Naartok, drilling intersected a zone of gold mineralization grading 10.4 grams per tonne, 3.1 metres wide. At 200 metres of vertical depth, the intersection showed that the east-striking Naartok deformation zone is still mineralized at its eastern end.

Hole M178 was drilled on the western edge of the Perrin Bulge, a zone immediately east of the Naartok mineralization. It cut a 1.4-metre width of gold mineralization in quartz veins and silicified breccia containing 19.8 grams gold per tonne.

Hole M179 was drilled parallel to the structure to check for possible north-striking cross veins. It intersected the main mineralized lens of the Naartok deposit, cutting an average grade of 23.2 grams gold over a true width of 3.2 metres. It found only minor cross veins in the wall rocks.

Four other holes were drilled on the western extension of the Naartok structure. They all intersected the deformation zone and found no additional mineralization.

An additional drill program is being planned. The partners expect it to be under way by early August.