More beeping success at Berthiaume property

Five holes are now complete at the Berthiaume property, north of Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Que., and all have intersected sulphide mineralization.

The prospect was discovered by the Berthiaume syndicate, comprising Consolidated Oasis Resources (CSI-M), Freewest Resources Canada (FWR-T), GeoNova Explorations (GNE-M) and Quebec Crown-owned Soquem — all with 22.5% interests. The project management company Ex-In has a 10% interest.

A beep mat electromagnetic survey in late 1995 detected sulphide boulders in overburden, and subsequent stripping revealed a mineralized zone 2-4 metres wide with grades of 5.7-9 grams gold per tonne. Subsequent horizontal-loop electromagnetic surveys defined the drill target.

Assay results have been released from four of the five drill holes, showing intersections of 0.9-6.8 metres, and grades from 3.3-7.3 grams gold per tonne. The intersections sometimes include higher-grade intervals, including a 3.9-metre-wide intersection grading 11.3 grams gold, and are at vertical depths of 15-30 metres.

Drilling will continue to the east and at depth in an effort to follow the mineralized zone, which is open along strike and downdip.

At GeoNova’s nearby Desjardins property, four new drill holes are complete, and there are indications of a gold zone 320-560 metres deep. The best intersection was hole 96-55, where the drill cut a 28.7-metre core length (a 17.7-metre horizontal width) grading 3.4 grams gold, including an interval of 4.2 metres grading 10.1 grams. Other intersections ranged in grade from 1.1 to 6.4 grams per tonne, over core lengths of 0.7-5.4 metres.

GeoNova is also currently drilling the adjoining Borduas-Martel property, where five mineralized zones have been intersected, including a 3.5-metre section carrying some visible gold. Assays are pending.

In the Lac Manitou area, northeast of Sept-Iles, Que., GeoNova has trenched several copper-nickel showings on its Petite-Riviere-Manitou property, about 40 km east of the Lac Manitou showing turned up by government mapping crews in August. The showings, found using the beep mat electromagnetic system, yielded grab samples with grades of 0.13-5.11% copper, 0.05-0.95% nickel and 0.02-0.17% cobalt.

The showings, on the western margin of an anorthosite body, are disseminated to semi-massive and massive pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite. They extend over a 4-km strike length.