Sparton cuts high grade at Sierra Rosario (April 26, 2005)

Five weeks of mapping, sampling, and prospecting by Sparton Resources (SRI-T) has confirmed three zones of high gold and silver values on the Sierra Rosario project in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. In all, the exploration campaign saw more than a thousand samples collected.

Chip-sampling on old workings on the La Josca zone on the southern portion of the project was highlighted by a 0.2-metre section of an old mine cut that yielded 105.5 grams gold and 17.1 grams silver per tonne.

Three other chip samples over 4-metre intervals returned between 0.5 and 4.5 grams gold, and 0.7 and 15.1 grams silver; one sample also included minor amounts of copper lead, and zinc. A float sample from a creek below the workings assayed 1.1 grams gold and 9.4 grams silver.

The La Josca zone represents a shear zone in altered volcanic rocks. Gold and silver mineralization is associated with quartz and quartz-carbonate-magnetite-hematite veins and pyritic shears.

The zone is associated with a 200-metre-long gold-in-soil anomaly that remains open to the northwest. Gold values range from 30 to 841 parts per billion gold, and up to 6.2 grams silver. Sparton says stripping is required to expose the entire zone.

Assay results from representative grab samples of sulphide material derived from waste piles on the Las Tahunas zone in the central part of the property vary between 9.4 and 23.7 grams gold, and 71 and 868 grams silver per tonne. Soil sampling along strike of the overgrown workings returned up to around 0.5 grams gold and 11.8 grams silver.

Finally, some 89 composite samples from a large waste pile at the San Raphael zone in the north returned an average of 0.89 grams gold per tonne; half the samples contained more than 100 grams silver per tonne. The highest assay results from the samples runs 13 grams gold and 1,290 grams silver.

Previously, 23 chip samples derived from channels on the zone averaged 0.32 grams gold and 181 grams silver; 8 grab samples returned 1.8 grams gold and 200 grams silver.

Mineralization at San Rafael is hosted by a rhyolite porphyry intrusive body that has been traced on surface for more than 150 metres along strike, with an apparent width of up to 40 metres. The zone is open along strike in both directions. The area was historically mined via a small open pit and several trenches and tunnels.

Soil sampling over a 175-metre-by-250-metre area beyond the mined area yielded silver values exceeding 100 grams per tonne. The anomalous area includes upslope areas to the north and west of the workings; it remains open to the northwest.

Sparton plans to extend the soil survey grid in each of the areas later this month; geophysical surveying is also planned.

Sparton is working to earn a 51% interest in the property from International Northair Mines (INM-V). Under a joint venture deal inked in early 2004, Spartan was required to pay $130,000 in cash to Northair, and issue 275,000 shares. The deal also requires Sparton to spend $800,000 on exploration over four years.

Shares in Sparton were 2 higher at 14 in busier-than-normal afternoon trading in Vancouver following the news on April 26.