Westley/Radcliffe drilling Nevada bet

Preliminary drilling has been completed on area 1 of the Independence property, near Elko, Nev. held by joint venture partners Radcliffe Resources, formerly Majorem Minerals and Westley Mines.

Ten widely-spaced holes in this area spanned a zone measuring 1,700 ft by 1,100 ft. Assays received so far for the first seven holes contain significant gold values, says Westley Vice-president Lawrence Roulston.

It appears the mineralization encountered to date may be peripheral to higher grade zones within the Williams fault zone, he says. This fault zone is the controlling structure at Freeport-McMoRan’s Mill Creek orebody, located immediately to the east of the Independence property.

A second phase drill program will start on area 1 after assays for holes 8 to 10 are received and all the geological information acquired to date has been reviewed.

The drill is now on area 2 where one hole is to be drilled for geological information. Drilling will then be focussed on a newly developed gold-arsenic geochemical soil anomaly in area 4. This anomaly shows a strong relation to the Mill Creek fault which is the major controlling fault in Freeport’s Jerritt Canyon area to the northeast.

Mr Roulston says Westley has entered into another agreement with Radcliffe regarding a California gold prospect now held by Westley. Under the terms of the agreement, Radcliffe can earn a one-third interest in the prospect by funding $200,000(US) of work. It must also issue 20,000 shares to Westley and option 50,000 shares for one year at a price of $1 per share. This agreement is subject to regulatory approval.

Negotiations are continuing to acquire additional ground in the area, says Mr Roulston.

A comprehensive geological review of this property by a consultant for the companies has indicated the presence of a gold-bearing volcanogenic massive sulphide prospect, the vice-president says.

The property was earlier examined by another company looking for shallow, oxide gold, heap leach prospects, he says. Westley’s field examination focussed on the potential for sulphide mineralization.

Seven gossan zones, all gold- bearing and believed to reflect massive sulphide mineralization have been identified. The most prominent of these zones may be traced for at least 1,000 ft along strike and has a measured thickness of up to 50 ft.