Three drills are working on Westmin-Nexus bet

Three diamond drills are working at the Debbie property on Vancouver Island, a joint venture between Westmin Resources, Nexus Resources and Angle Resources. A $2-million program is under way on the 247-unit claim block which is located six miles east of Port Alberni and covers an area of Sicker Group volcanic rocks.

The 1986 exploration program was completed last February and included 62 diamond drill holes totaling 31,652 ft in five specific areas. Three zones of gold mineralization were discovered, each of which returned multiple drill intersections. The mineralization occurred over mining widths and is potentially economic, they confirm.

The Mineral Creek zone now extends for 1,000 ft north to south and several hundred feet down-dip to the east. Significant intersections occur within a major fault-controlled alteration zone where mafic volcanics are strongly altered to carbonate, sericite, pyrite and quartz- bearing assemblages. Economic potential for lower grade bulk tonnage and higher grade selective mining have been demonstrated, the joint venture says.

Two holes have tested the Linda gold zone which consists of two or more moderately east-dipping quartz vein structures which were intersected 700 ft east of the Mineral Creek zone. Two veins in each hole returned high grade gold values over potentially mineable widths.

The 900 ft gold zone was tested along 500 ft of north-south length and up to 400 ft in depth. Significant gold values were intersected in magnetite, jasper, and sulphide- bearing chert. Some were also found in quartz-vein stockwork in basalt and within a carbonate- altered fault zone. Reserve definition will require more-closely- spaced drill holes, however.

Some of the better results from the recent program included: 14.1 ft of 0.62 oz gold, 11.2 ft averaging 0.22 oz, 2.6 ft grading 3.4 oz and 3.3 ft averaging 0.21 oz. Westmin is operator with 50% with Nexus and Angle each holding 25%.