“Noranda-style” sulphides located at Aldermac project

The latest drill results from their Aldermac project in Beauchastel Twp., west of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., has created a flurry of excitement in the executive suites of both Nuinsco Resources and Seadrift International Exploration.

At the root of this excitement is Hole 87-17 which intersected 36 ft of massive sulphide mineralization from 1,033 ft to 1,069 ft grading 1.74% copper, 6.81% zinc, 1.1 oz silver per ton and 0.01 oz gold. “It’s by far the best hole we’ve had so far,” Nuinsco President Doug Hume told The Northern Miner. Since it is located 1,000 ft east of a 3-compartment 1,350-ft mine shaft, Mr Hume believes that a couple of similar intersections could justify a dewatering operation.

Owned 51%/49% by Nuinsco and Seadrift respectively, the project is comprised of three large claim groups. The main block is held under the joint venture agreement while two adjoining properties are being worked under options from Teck Corp. and Dickenson Mines.

“Converted to a gold equivalent, the 36-ft intersection would have the same value as 0.236 oz gold per ton,” said Mr Hume.

Within the 36 ft ore interval, grades of 2.36% copper, 10.75% zinc and 1.75 oz silver occur over 22-ft lengths. That includes a 4-ft section which ran 20.2% zinc.

Mr Hume says the ore zone appears to represent a typical Noranda area massive sulphide body with normal zonations of zinc and copper mineralization, underlain by altered disseminated and stringer type sulphides. “The cut is located about 80 ft above the deepest drift level of the old mine workings,” he said.

Earlier exploration programs failed to test the area currently being explored leaving adequate space for a sizeable concentration of economic ore.

The 87-17 massive sulphide zone occurs 350 ft north of the previously reported No 7 zone where three earlier drill holes encountered blocks of good massive sulphides. Nuinsco says it can’t yet determine if a genetic relationship exists between these two sulphide zones.

Additional follow-up holes are in progress to determine if a mineable orebody can be delineated. “With infrastructure in place including a number of mills which aren’t working at capacity, conditions are suitable for exploitation of even a modest tonnage of sulphide ore,” said Mr Hume.

Under Nuinsco’s direction, with funding provided by Seadrift, three drilling rigs are continuing exploration work on the Aldermac project in an integrated exploration program employing geophysics, rock geochemistry and up-dated geologic concepts.

Other down-hole geophysical and geochemical anomalies have been detected in other areas of the property and are being evaluated by diamond drilling.

“These results are really telling us that if we continue to fish around, we will come up with something mineable,” said Mr Hume.