Virginia finds more gold at Grande Sud

Diamond drilling by Virginia Gold Mines (VIA-M) has identified four new gold-bearing structures on the Grande Sud property in northwestern Quebec.

The company intersected zones 32, 35 and 37 while drilling previously untested induced-polarization (IP) anomalies. Zone 32 was subjected to six holes, whereas one hole was drilled into each of zones 35 and 37.

In zone 32, discovery hole 97-20 hit 19.6 metres averaging 1.34 grams gold per tonne, including 9.5 metres (from 31.5 to 41 metres) of 2.18 grams gold.

Following up on this hole, the company drilled hole 48, about 400 metres to the east, which intersected 89 metres averaging 1.62 grams gold. High-grade values of more than 34.3 grams are cut to 34.3 grams.

Contained within this interval were six smaller, higher-grade zones, the best of which yielded 6.75 (cut) grams over 11.25 metres (from 34 to 45.25 metres).

To test for continuity, three more holes were drilled towards the discovery hole at 100-Metre centres. Like hole 48, all three hit wide zones of low-grade mineralization, within which were several smaller, higher-grade intervals ranging in length from 2.5 to 10 metres and in grade from 1.1 to 7.9 grams gold.

>From east to west, results include: 34.15 metres (from 48 to 82.15 metres) averaging 1.95 grams gold in hole 49; 42 metres (from 31 to 73 metres) of 1.83 grams in hole 50; and 30 metres (from 48 to 78 metres) of 1.8 grams in hole 51. Hole 49 hit a second zone from 114.3 to 120 metres averaging 3.64 grams, including 2.5 metres (from 117.5 to 120 metres) of 5.59 grams.

A fifth hole was stepped-out 100 metres west of hole 20 to test for a mineralized continuation in that direction. Although the company intersected several 1-Metre zones ranging in grade from 1.7 to 3.1 grams gold, the narrowness of the intervals would seem to indicate the western limit of zone 32.

Intersections from each of the holes drilled in zones 35 and 37 were narrower than those encountered in zone 32, albeit higher in grade. Hole 23 in zone 35 intersected 1 metre (from 123 to 124 metres) of 18.6 grams gold, while hole 25 in zone 37 cut 2.35 metres (from 54.95 to 57.3 metres) of 13.9 grams.

Another mineralized corridor, 25 metres north of zone 35, returned 0.5 gram over 15 metres.

Each of the discoveries was intersected within 90 vertical metres below surface. Zones 35 and 37 are 150 metres apart and run parallel to one another. Zone 32 is 2 km farther east and occurs at the southwestern contact between a tonalitic (felsic to intermediate) intrusion and a volcanic sequence. Mineralization in all three zones occurs as disseminated-To-Massive pyrrhotite in shear zones which cut through volcanics.

.SPari-Extension

The fourth discovery was made in hole 44, about 1 km northeast of zone 32, between the northern contact of the tonalitic intrusion intersected in that hole and basalts. The hole was drilled to test the depth extension of the Pari-Extension showing, which yielded surface values of 57.9 grams gold over 1 metre of chip sampling, as well as up to 731 grams in grab samples. Like the other zones, mineralization occurs in a sheared and altered zone, which is characterized by an IP anomaly. At surface, the shear zone averages 10 metres in width and is characterized by a highly siliceous (and albitized) central zone, from which the best gold grades are reported to have come.

Highlights from drilling include: 95.7 grams gold over 1 metre, between two 3-Metre intervals of moderately altered core averaging 1 gram gold. A second zone, intersected farther up-hole, yielded 8.6 grams over 1 metre. The narrow, high-grade zones were intersected within 20 vertical metres of surface.

The Pari-Extension lies 50 metres from the previously discovered Pari showing, grab samples from which returned multi-ounce gold grades and a single 1-Metre-long chip sample grading 29 grams gold. The geological setting and mineralization at this showing are identical to those of the Pari-Extension.

Drilling at La Grande Sud continues, and the company plans another 3,000 to 5,000 metres. The company is moving a second rig to the property to test zone 32 for mineralized extensions along strike to the east and at depth. The other rig will continue testing the three other zones, as well as begin testing several of the numerous IP anomalies known to occur in the immediate area. Several of those zones occur near the contact between the tonalitic intrusion and volcanics.