NEVADA & THE WESTERN STATES — Junior eyes PGMs in Nevada

In Nevada, Trend Mining (TRDM-O) has picked up 180 claims prospective for platinum group metals (PGMs).

The Idaho-based junior staked the claims in Clark Cty., south of Las Vegas, along a projected extension of a known platinum occurrence. Mineralization occurs along a 2-mile zone of hornblende dykes, intruded into Precambrian granites and gneiss. Platinum occurs as disseminated grains and patches of primary sulphides, associated with palladium, nickel, copper, cobalt, silver and gold.

Previous operations in the area have pulled only 3,500 tons of ore from the hornblende dyke, yielding 177 oz. palladium, 6 oz. platinum, 55 oz. gold, 1,347 oz. silver, 125,000 lbs. copper, 26,600 lbs. lead, and trace amounts of nickel and cobalt.

In 1979, state geologists outlined another 31,000 tons of material averaging 2.5% copper, 1.9% nickel and 0.14 oz. platinum per ton, plus an unknown amount of palladium.

Trend has traced this mineralized dyke on to the company’s claim block. Results from surface chip samples are pending, and further exploration is planned.

Trend, which evolved out of Silver Trend Mining last February, is committed to exploring for PGMs in Precambrian terranes across North America. With the assistance of U.S. Platinum Exploration Consultants, the company is currently evaluating properties in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska.

Platinum and palladium are widely used in catalytic converters, and demand for the metals is expected to remain strong as automakers meet stricter emissions standards. However, metal prices have fluctuated wildly over the past two years as a result of the financial crisis in Russia. That country supplies 70% of the world’s palladium.