Roberto drilling continues to enlarge zone

Drilling has extended the strike-length of the Roberto zone, and has added to the deposit’s known depth, at Virginia Gold Mines‘ (VIA-T) Eleonore gold project in the James Bay area, 320 km north of Matagami, Que.

The latest drilling is highlighted by hole 98, which intersected 2.1 metres grading 14 grams gold in the Roberto Est zone, at 393.5 metres down hole, followed by 2.25 metres grading 15.8 grams gold at 462 metres down hole (the mid-Roberto zone) and then 4.25 metres grading 12.3 grams gold per tonne at 479 metres down hole when it cut the Roberto zone.

This hole cut the Roberto zone to a vertical depth of 380 metres.

All intersections are calculated true widths.

The highest gold value, 62.7 grams gold per tonne over 2.25 metres, was cut in hole 39 in a zone of biotite alteration, at 77 metres down hole. A further 80 metres down hole, an intercept in the Roberto zone graded 6.1 grams gold over 1.8 metres.

Hole 40, drilled to undercut this intercept, cut pegmatite rather than the biotite zone, followed by 0.9-metre grading 1.1 grams gold per tonne.

Hole 94 cut the Roberto zone at about 360 metres vertical depth; the intercept graded 9.9 grams gold over 3.5 metres.

Hole 92 cut 9 metres grading 9.3 grams gold per tonne at 219 metres down hole, folowed by a 1.5-metre interval grading 23.7 grams gold per tonne.

Other highlights from three holes that cut the mid-Roberto zone in the southeastern extension region graded 5.9-10.4 grams gold over 1.5-7.5 metres. One of these holes also cut up to 6.1 grams gold over 4.5 metres in the Roberto Est zone.

One of the holes drilled farthest east along strike, cut 0.5-metre grading 4.3 grams gold per tonne.

Ten holes, varying from 204-550 metres in length tested the area. Hole 93 was abandoned at 146 metres because it was deviating from its proposed target; hole 94 was drilled in its stead.

Hole 42, drilled 50 metres north of hole 40, is the most northerly hole drilled along strike.

Hole 42 failed to cut mineralization and intersected a fault zone characterized by numerous pegmatite dykes. The company plans to drill farther north to see if the zones continue across this area.

Anomalous angular boulders grading up to 6.3 grams gold per tonne have been found just over 100 metres north of hole 42.