Diamond Drill Cores Completed At The Pamlico Mine
VANCOUVER - Newrange Gold Corp. has completed four PQ (85 mm diameter) diamond core holes totaling 800.6 meters following up on reverse circulation hole P21-115, which intersected several high-grade structures assaying up to 22.35 grams gold per metric tonne (g/t Au) within an overall intercept of 123.5 meters averaging 1.13 g/t Au. All four holes are 25 to 35 meter offsets of hole P21-115 and, collectively, appear to have discovered a previously unknown extension of the historic, high-grade Pamlico Mine. In particular, distinctive mineralogy intersected in hole P21-122 indicates an important offset extension of the 5428 level stopes that remains open in at least three directions.
All four core holes, P21-122 to 125, inclusive, intersected near surface, visually significant, oxide mineralization resembling that seen in hole P21-115, the Merritt zone and stopes on the 5428 level of the Pamlico Mine. The mineralization, as seen in the drill holes, occurs over broad intervals ranging from 108 to 167 meters downhole (all holes drilled at -60°) and consists of anastomosing veins and veinlets of iron oxides, and brecciated quartz filled with iron oxides in strongly clay altered rhyolite to latite lithic tuff. Importantly, the first core hole, P21-122, intersected a zone from 23 to 183 meters of iron oxide-filled brecciated quartz veins and veinlets and a 0.6 meter intercept of brecciated quartz with secondary copper minerals, including abundant chrysocolla and lesser amounts of azurite and malachite (see photo below or here). A similar vein on the 5428 level assayed 5.62 g/t Au, 63.2 g/t Ag and 9790 parts per million copper (ppm Cu) or 0.98% Cu over 0.48 meters. The 5428 vein is the only structure associated with gold mineralization in the Pamlico Mine known to contain chrysocolla or appreciable quantities of other copper minerals.
“We are very encouraged by the four follow up holes on this new zone, and especially with the apparent correlation with the Pamlico Mine mineralization,” said, Robert Archer, CEO. “While all assays are pending, the zone appears to be open to the north, east and south. Once results have been received and compiled, we will be in a better position to interpret the potential and plan additional follow-up drilling.”
The 5428 level stopes are developed on a series of nearly flat to low angle, anastomosing veins and veinlets composed of iron oxide, and iron oxide-filled quartz breccias that form a halo around a single larger, semi-continuous and relatively flat lying brecciated quartz vein with abundant iron oxides and local concentrations of chrysocolla, azurite and malachite. The 11 samples taken by the Company on this level returned 0.29 to 10.35 g/t Au and 162 to 9790 ppm Cu over sample lengths ranging from 0.15 to 1.32 meters.
The area of new drilling is located approximately 85 meters east of the high-grade Merritt zone and 197 meters north-northeast of the closest accessible stopes on the 5428 level of the Pamlico Mine. Observed core angles of structures in the zone indicate a strong sub-horizontal component much like that seen in many of the stopes in the Pamlico Mine. The copper-rich intercept in hole P21-122 is about 80 meters lower in elevation than the 5428 level, indicating this new zone to be a possible down-dropped extension of high-grade mineralization in the Pamlico Mine.
The copper-rich vein was not observed in holes P21-123 to 125 but the same overall style of mineralization and alteration is present to varying degrees in all holes. The structure is complex and faulting is common, with much of the rock being extremely broken. Assays from the four follow-up holes are pending and, upon receipt, will allow for a better determination of the characteristics and trend(s) of the mineralization such that additional follow-up holes can be planned.