Tri Origin active in Australia, Ontario

Having many projects at various stages of exploration and within diverse geological terrains is one way that junior companies can reduce the risks involved with mineral exploration.

It is a strategy being followed by Tri Origin Exploration (TSE), which has three projects at different stages in Australia and another four, in the early stage, in Ontario.

Most of the junior’s $2.1-million exploration budget was spent on the wholly owned Lewis Ponds polymetallic project in New South Wales. Almost 15,000 metres were drilled on the property, which Tri Origin refers to as a “potential company-maker.”

The drilling defined an inferred resource of 4.8 million tonnes averaging 3.52 grams gold and 116 grams silver per tonne, along with 4.94% zinc, 3.02% lead and 0.19% copper. The deposit is steeply dipping, open to the south and down-plunge, and exists 150-450 metres below surface.

Metallurgical and mining studies will be performed in the new year, as will a prefeasibility study.

Tri Origin is also exploring two contiguous gold and base metal projects. Known as the Orange and Ophir, these are underlain by the strike extension of the altered volcanic rocks that host Lewis Ponds. The Ophir and Orange encompass a 25-km strike length of that particular horizon.

Geological and geophysical surveys were undertaken on the Orange project this past year, as a result of which numerous drill targets were identified and five holes were drilled. Further drilling is expected in early 1995. Reconnaissance exploration of the Ophir project will continue into 1995. Back in Canada, Tri Origin has explored four wholly owned gold projects known as the Sault, Straw Lake, English and Sioux.

The Sault project lies 90 km north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and consists of 120-claim units. Geological and geophysical surveys have outlined gold-bearing sulphide mineralization associated with a contact between altered felsic volcanics and sedimentary rocks. The mineralized horizon has a strike length exceeding 4 km. In addition, several anomalies within felsic volcanics were defined in the northern portion of the property. The company drilled 11 holes on the property in 1994. Gold mineralization was encountered in the western half of the property and in three of the northern geophysical targets.

In the western portion, a near-surface, massive sulphide zone was intersected with three holes that assayed up to 7.2 grams per tonne. At a depth of 150 metres, a 7-metre interval was uncovered which assayed 1.1 grams gold per tonne. In addition, downhole geophysical surveys suggest the presence of several other conductors adjacent to the drill holes.

Tri Origin will perform additional surface drilling in an effort to define other gold sulphide targets. Drilling will also attempt to define known conductors and test for those indicated by downhole surveys. At the Straw Lake project, 300 km west of Thunder Bay, Tri Origin is searching for volcanic-hosted gold deposits. Geophysical surveys have uncovered five anomalies that extend over a strike length of 5 km. Widely spaced trenches identified gold associated with sulphide mineralization along a 2.4-km-long zone. The company will attempt to identify other anomalies as well as drill-test geophysical and trenching targets.

Two other Ontario projects — English and Sioux, near Timmins and Sioux Lookout, respectively — will be explored next year.