Pele targets Highland high grade

Prospecting by Pele Mountain Resources (GEM-V) has turned up three high-grade gold occurrences on the western portion of the Highland project, 50 km northeast of Wawa, Ont.

The Springbank and Talisker zones are both hosted by shear zones in the Porter-Premier area.

At Springbank, the best of 38 grab samples contained 39.4 grams gold per tonne (1.15 oz. per ton), with three other samples yielding just shy of 20 grams gold. The 25-to-30-metre-wide shear zone has been sampled over more than 100 metres and remains open in both directions. Gold mineralization occurs in quartz veins and altered host rocks.

About 275 metres to the northeast, 10 grab samples yielded up to 66.8 grams gold per tonne (1.9 oz. per ton) gold from the Talisker zone; three others returned 5.7-10.9 grams gold.

The Talisker zone includes a small, historic shaft sunk on a quartz vein. Samples of vein material from the shaft contained visible gold and assayed up to nearly 2 oz. gold per ton. The shaft measures less than half a metre across at surface, widening as it reaches a depth of 15 metres.

Meanwhile, 16 grab samples form the Oban zone, about 4 km to the northeast, range from 0.2 to 128.7 grams (3.75 oz.) gold. The high-grade result is associated with quartz veining and iron carbonate alteration with trace pyrite. The Oban zone is in the Banville Page area.

Drill-testing will begin immediately.

The new showings occur on Pele’s recently acquired western Highland claims. In March, Pele acquired 10 new claim groups that cover several historic gold occurrences along the Goudreau-Localsh deformation zone (GLDZ). The project now comprises more than 35 sq. km along the GLDZ, which plays host to several nearby, past-producing gold mines.

Most of the new claims lie southwest of the Island gold project; three of the new claims lie within that project’s boundaries.

Partners Patricia Mining (PAT-V) and Richmont Mines (RIC-T) hope to resume production from the Island project by the end of the second quarter of 2006. Richmont is earning a 55% interest in the property from Patricia.

Previous drilling and bulk sampling on the original Highland claim group, northeast of the Island project (and past-producing Edwards and Cline mines), identified several gold zones. In all, the properties host at least 16 gold occurrences.