Timmins camp bustling with exploration activity

Commodity prices may be down, but encouraging exploration results are giving cheer to several juniors exploring in the Timmins region of northern Ontario.

At the Half Moon Lake project, Prospectors Alliance (PALL-C) outlined four induced-polarization (IP) anomalies along strike of base metal mineralization previously discovered by Falconbridge (FL-T). One of these anomalies increases to 500 metres the strike potential of a polymetallic zone, where drilling returned 8.3 metres grading 7.1% zinc, 0.4% copper and 0.2% lead, plus 18.9 grams silver and 0.5 gram gold per tonne. A second anomaly was discovered 500 metres west of that interval.

The remaining two anomalies are associated with a mineral horizon 1 km to the north. Both are deep-lying, and one is believed to represent the western extension of a 35.3-metre interval that averaged 2.51% zinc and 1.04% copper. Also, previous drilling by Falconbridge showed that the southern footwall stratigraphy holds promise: one hole returned 37.5 metres averaging 0.64% zinc.

Prospectors is operating and funding the Half Moon Lake project as part its requirements to earn a 25% interest in the encompassing, 283-sq.-km Kamiskotia property. Falconbridge owns a half-interest in the property, with the remainder held by privately owned Explorers Alliance.

Data from an airborne electromagnetic survey on a portion of the property are being interpreted, and surface exploration will follow later in the year.

Geophysics is enabling Cross Lake Minerals (CRN-V) to pinpoint drill targets at its Sheraton-Timmins base metal property. Data produced by various methods — down-hole electromagnetics, mise–la-masse (a resistivity technique in which the electric current is applied in a drill hole, but measured at surface) and an IP survey — suggest that a steep-plunging sulphide zone occurs below a copper-rich area intersected in holes 29, 31 and 32. Results from those holes were released last year; they included 47.5 metres of 1.07% copper, 47.5 metres of 6.3 grams silver, and 19 metres of 1.38% copper plus 11.2 grams silver.

One of the strongest electromagnetic anomalies was detected in hole 58, which was collared 1.6 km southwest of hole 31 and drilled last summer. The anomaly may reflect a chalcopyrite-pyrite zone, and this structure would appear to plunge steeply westward from relatively narrow intervals of copper mineralization intersected in holes 55 and 60. The up-plunge projection of that zone is characterized at surface by coincident resistivity and electromagnetic anomalies, as well as 1 km of soils anomalous in copper and zinc.

Surface IP surveys have now detected anomalies extending from the original discovery for more than 3 km in length. Several areas along this trend are also electromagnetically conductive and anomalous in copper and zinc at surface.

Reconnaissance IP and soil surveys are ongoing.

Meanwhile, drilling at the English property of Tri Origin Exploration (TOE-T) has uncovered one base metal and three gold prospects, which are characterized by geophysical and soil anomalies.

Hole 3, which tested an electromagnetic anomaly, hit 22 metres of disseminated to semi-massive sulphide mineralization in strongly altered volcanic rocks. Ten metres of that interval averaged 0.13% zinc from 71 to 81 metres down-hole.

Holes 4, 6, 7 and 8 returned several narrow intervals averaging between anomalous and 6.38 grams gold per tonne. Each hole was collared to test a geochemical or IP anomaly, and the best hole intersected an 8-metre-wide zone containing smaller intervals grading between 546 parts per billion and 2.77 grams gold.

Follow-up drilling and surface exploration are planned for the English property, which is 36 sq. km in area and 40 km south of Timmins.

At the nearby Southern Cross property, owner Moss Resources (MRS-T) has discovered outcrops anomalous in platinum and palladium mineralization. Accordingly, the junior plans to analyze core from future drill holes for these metals, as well as for base metals.

Previous drilling intersected nickel-bearing massive and disseminated sulphides with up to 2.2% nickel and 0.13% copper over 1.5 metres. The longest interval reported is 97 metres of 0.24% zinc.

As well, geophysical surveying has detected deep-lying conductive zones in rhyolite breccias. The anomalies extend eastward from a zinc-copper-lead zone, where drilling has returned up to 0.58% zinc and 0.36% lead over 2.6 metres, and 0.2% zinc over 16.8 metres.