Robert’s Arm drilling resumes

Altius Minerals (ALS-V) has its drills running at Bumble Bee Bight on the Robert’s Arm volcanogenic massive-sulphide (VMS) property in northeastern Newfoundland. Inmet Mining (IMN-T) is funding current exploration, which is to include at least 800 metres of drilling. The first hole will be collared 200 metres west of an earlier drill hole that returned 4.4% copper over a 4.4-metre interval of massive-sulphide mineralization.

Earlier this summer, the partners completed a first phase of drilling on the prospect. All of the holes returned promising stratigraphic or geophysical data, nothing more.

Hole 1, drilled downdip of an historic, 4.4-metre interval of 4.4% copper, cut relatively less mineralized Upper Panel felsic volcanics before running through a fault and into mafic volcanics. However, a single, 10-cm-wide, chalcopyrite-rich clast was found in felsic breccia. Follow-up borehole geophysics detected an off-hole anomaly increasing in intensity toward the hole’s bottom.

Holes 2 and 3 were drilled to test targets 200 and 400 metres east of hole 1. Both came up dry, though the core suggests the targeted stratigraphy dips westward, beneath the previous holes.

Inmet can earn a 55% stake in the property by funding exploration over five years.

Elsewhere, Inmet has decided to withdraw from its option on Altius’ prospective VMS Lockport and Point Leamington properties. Full ownership returns to Altius. Altius will look for another partner to continue exploration.

Altius has also begun exploration programs on several other properties in Newfoundland. On the recently acquired Fortune Bay property, prospecting for stratiform copper mineralization has identified disseminated chalcocite mineralization hosted by both conglomerate and sandstone units. Preliminary grab samples from outcrop and talus material have returned between 1.26% and 2.7% copper.

At the Rocky Brook property, a detailed compilation of previous work found that several boulders had returned high-grade uranium, gold and silver values. Mineralization is associated with sedimentary units of the Deer Lake Basin and occurs as a matrix to sandstone and conglomerate and, less importantly, with areas of organic-rich material. A program of radioactive boulder prospecting and rock-sampling is under way.

A detailed study of the structural geology of the Moosehead continues in preparation for a drilling program later this season. Sudbury Contact Mines (SUD-T) is earning an interest in the property.