Eastmain Resources (ER-T) May 22, '14 has provided an update on its current and planned exploration activities for James Bay, Que. The Corporation has allocated $4.28 million for exploration in 2014, which includes an estimated 16,000 metres of diamond drilling, principally focused on testing potential satellite deposit-targets and expanding high-grade, near-surface resources at its two wholly-owned gold deposits, Eau Claire and Eastmain Mine. Field exploration, including prospecting, trenching and drilling is expected to begin in June.Outstanding exploration results generated from drilling over 30,000 metres at Eau Claire in 2013 are currently being incorporated into a new geological model. These results include 132 drill intercepts containing an average grade of 10.8 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over an average thickness of 4.34 metres (NR 2014-02, March 28, 2014). In contrast, the average grade of gold deposits worldwide is currently estimated at 1.18 g/t Au.
Exceptional 2013 trenching results from the Eau Claire 450 West Zone also revealed an average surface-channel-sample grade of 13.6 grams gold per tonne across a composite average thickness of 8.0 metres (NR 2013-13 October 24, 2013), which includes an interval of 39.2 g/t Au over 8.5 metres.
2013 results confirm that there are at least three stages of gold mineralization at Eau Claire. East-west trending, very-high-grade feeder veins cross-cut northwest- and northeast-trending altered gold-bearing rocks, and are in turn cut by later gold mineralization. A felsic porphyry dyke swarm forms a regional trap for gold mineralization along the southern contact of the 450 West Zone. A revised interpretation of the Eau Claire deposit, to include these new findings, is currently in progress. Interpretative modeling will be followed by a block model resource update. Drilling will continue in the immediate deposit area upon completion of the new resource estimate.
Gold mineralization has been traced along an east-west structural corridor crossing the Clearwater property for tens of kilometres. Many potential satellite resource targets have been identified along this corridor. Additional ground work will be completed in advance of drill-testing these highly-prospective gold targets.
Eastmain Mine
The Eastmain Mine property contains a high-grade gold deposit, with ramp access to underground workings, and surface infrastructure sufficient to house a sixty-person work force, which is now accessible by permanent road via Route 167 North. 2013 surface exploration successfully identified four additional high-grade gold targets ranging from 12 to 109 g/t Au, coinciding with a 10-kilometre-long regional mine trend extending northwest and southeast from the deposit. 2014 work will include follow-up surface work and diamond drilling of these targets. |
