Queenston, Strike plan third drilling phase at Robertson prospect

Encouraged by evidence of volcanogenic massive sulphides, partners Queenston Mining (TSE) and Strike Minerals (CDN) are planning a third drill program for their Robertson copper-zinc prospect near Matachewan, Ont.

Although the latest results suggest the discovery lens is limited in extent, Charles Page, Queenston’s vice-president of exploration, says he has good reason to believe there are other, more substantial massive sulphide lenses to be found on the 135-claim property.

“We’ve got the environment, we’ve got the alteration and we’ve got the strike length,” says Page. “We’ve identified a massive sulphide lens – now we’ll be looking for something bigger and better.”

“It’s early days,” added Queenston President Hugh Harbinson. “We’ve got lots of work to do.”

The Robertson project is a joint venture between Queenston (60%) and Strike (40%). Straddling the contact between the Kinojevis and prolific Blake River Groups of volcanic rocks, the discovery represents the most significant base metal find in the Ontario portion of the Blake River package.

Referring to results from the first 14 holes (5,076 metres), Page believes the original lens, discovered at the end of last year, could host a reserve of about 360,000 tonnes. Although still open at depth, the 3.1 metre-thick zone appears to be thinning below 150 metres.

Results from holes 91-6 to 91-12 include a 2.1-metre interval grading 5.8% zinc and 0.97% copper within the VMS zone. The remaining holes encountered a zone of chloritic alteration containing sulphide stringer mineralization. This zone has an average grade of 0.4% copper with negligible zinc.

Both the VMS and stringer mineralization occur within a thick, east-west trending, pyritic exhalite sequence. Consisting of units of banded sulphide in cherty tuff, the sequence has so far been identified over a strike length of 400 metres. Similar stratigraphy has been identified on the property near the Rysack copper showing, 3.6 km to the west.

“We’re hoping that with the quite wide exhalite unit we’ve seen to date, there is the possibility of finding more sulphides,” said Page. He said Queenston, as operator, would move to the east and west of the discovery zone with the next program.

Some major off-hole conductors, representing either a new VMS zone or an extension of the known mineralization, will be the initial targets of the 3,000- metre drilling phase. In March, Queenston raised $575,000 through a European offering to finance the Robertson Twp. exploration. Queenston recently traded at 90 cents while Strike moved within the 30-35 cents range.