Hi Osprey-- 'Twas good news to me! I will make a couple comments re. the last MMU News Release ('NR').
From MMU's last NR:
Overburden Determination
Field work indicates that overburden cover is thin throughout the project area. This is an important consideration in northern Alberta. Outcrops consist of Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the same age as the surface rocks that occur on the Ashton/AEC property. Overburden, consisting of glacial till, soil and vegetation mat, is generally less than 3m thick.
--OB depth really is an important variable
NR:
Drill Core Geochemistry
Drilling on adjacent and nearby exploration permits indicates the presence of volcanic layers of probable kimberlitic origin. This determination was made on the basis of recovered indicator minerals that include certain minerals that are only formed in ascending kimberlite magmas.
--There ya go!
NR:
Aeromagnetics
High-resolution 200m line spacing aeromagnetics have been flown over approximately 10 per cent of the Marum/Micrex project area. The de-cultured magnetics indicate the existence of 22 discrete anomalies. Particular care was taken to ensure that these anomalies reflect near surface geological features and not the natural gas production infrastructure that makes the area so easily accessible.
--Twofold: They've eliminated extraneous or 'false' targets of oil & gas wells/casing, farm equip. & buildings, etc (by "deculturing"), and made the point here that the infrastructure is in place for easy and cost-efficient access.
-Also, with little to no overburden, we know the cultured out 22 distinct anomalies aren't too deep and that they won't be magnetic sands
NR:
Geological Mapping and Geochemical Sampling
Samples of basal tills and thoroughly weathered rock below basal tills contain abundant black shards and twists of locally derived black volcanic melt glass which contain high concentrations of iron, magnesium, chrome and, in some cases, nickel hotspots. Geochemistry and electron microscopy suggests that these grains are condensation products from mafic to ultramafic, possibly kimberlitic, volcanoes.
--Mantle source volcano. That's the one. ;)
NR:
The samples also contain other diagnostic kimberlite indicator minerals such as complex, multi-phase ilmenite grains with magmatic reaction rims of perovskite, multiple populations of corundum, and inclusion-rich spinels.
--Remember that Ashton has found (I've seen them on display) lots of rubies in their core samples. Ruby is corundum.
NR:
As well, some medium to high chrome, low-calcium pyrope garnets with good crystal forms and etched surfaces have been identified in the area.
--??-- Technical info there, included for its significance as indications of diamonds, meaning these types of minerals occur in the same environment as diamonds, some only in the same environment as diamonds.
- Sudhir, in July, made some comments re. Marum's ilmenites, perovskite,... posted here:
Message 5202489
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Mr. Sudhir Khanna says,
>>...The water and air action agglomerates the ash into little balls or "lapilli" and they fall to earth or to water (similar to hailstone formation). These are very common to all types of volcanoes. The difference here is the contained volcanic glass shards and the ilmenites with perovskite reaction rims. This is virtually exclusive to kimberlite pipes, especially in the quantity recovered by Marum. These ilmenites are also rare in northern Alberta and likely come from a more local volcanic source. Also, these ilmenites would not have survived transport of any great distance in the sedimentary or glacial environment as Mg-ilmenites are destroyed very quickly by physical and chemical alteration. Ashton reports ilmenites with high MgO and elevated Nb2O5 to be important because these grains are considered to be indicative of kimberlites or related intrusions. To date, although ilmenites have been discovered throughout Alberta, very few have a high MgO content...<<
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Yesterday's Marum NR con'd:
Overall, the geochemical program has been an outstanding success and has validated the area as being highly prospective for diamond exploration.
--not said lightly, I'm sure
NR:
Permit Status
The land base is in excellent condition, with 18 months remaining in the current assessment work cycle. The targeting methods currently in use effectively outline areas with pipe potential versus areas with little or no potential. The company does not anticipate any problem whatsoever in maintaining the integrity of the joint venture property until the end of the second assessment work cycle in mid-2002, and beyond.
--no worries of losing preemo lands
--everything's sewn up for the big picture
--all affairs are in order; proper preparations have been taken
NR:
Planned Exploration
Additional sampling operations will be conducted near selected anomalies before the onset of the winter drilling season. Drilling on prioritized anomalies will proceed as dictated by technical results. Drilling costs are expected to be low due to easy access, thin overburden and the proximity of the anomalies to existing commercial open camp facilities. In some areas, the overburden will be so thin that a mechanized backhoe may be used to prioritize anomalies.
--As you pointed out, Osprey, costs can and will be kept down, a very important consideration for any type of drill program, but especially in these tough market times! The established infrastructure means that logistics factors will be a bare minimum in terms of costs. Excellent.
= = = =
Things may not be moving as swiftly as I had hoped, but the resource junior market conditions are WAY poorer than I had dreamed, and also, I have to keep reminding myself that diamond exploration is a determined and considered process ...
I think this last Marum/Micrex News Release offers more genuine proof of the true potential in the area for our ultimate goal!
We are seeing real, hard evidence here.
Leigh, care to share your wisdom? ;)
Cheers to all,
-j
:>
Marum Website: marumresources.com
Goldsheet "Diamond Page": goldsheet.simplenet.com
Sudhir Khanna's "Resource Indicator" Newletter website: goldsheet.simplenet.com |
