Transition Metals (XTM-V) project generator in the Sudbury Basin, two new highly conductive drill-ready targets.
Jan 16, 2014 - NR
Transition Metals Corp. and it's 83-per-cent-owned private subsidiary, Sudbury Platinum Corp., have released initial borehole geophysical results from the Aer-Kidd project, located in the prolific Sudbury basin. The surveys to date have identified two new highly conductive drill-ready targets, in addition to several other highly prospective electromagnetic (EM) drill targets. The 2014 exploration program will be focused on testing these high-quality targets as well as expanding the geophysical coverage across the property with additional borehole EM surveys.The 2013 program
nickel-copper-PGM (platinum group metals) massive sulphide orebodies of Sudbury igneous complex (SIC) are highly conductive. The portion of the Worthington offset dike that transects the Aer-Kidd property has been subject to previous geophysical investigation from surface and boreholes. As part of a review of this work Sudbury Platinum identified 11 historic drill holes to be resurveyed. Of that total, six were resurveyed with the Lamontagne UTEM IV borehole electromagnetic system (BHEM) in 2013.
The highest-priority targets were identified in hole W03-08W2. This hole was drilled by CaNickel, formerly Crowflight Minerals, in 2004 and was designed to test the offset dike at a vertical depth of approximately 1,000 metres between the past-producing Robinson mine and the Howland pit. Due to excessive deviation during drilling, the hole failed to intersect the target dike at depth. Resurveying of the hole in December, 2013, by Sudbury Platinum revealed two highly conductive targets (target A and target B) coincident with the offset dike, 700 metres and 1,050 metres downhole.
Target A: At 790 metres depth, an extremely conductive (greater than 10,000 siemen) offhole anomaly is logged in W03-08W2. The nearest edge of this feature is located approximately 20 to 30 metres updip and west of the hole, and is modelled parallel to the dip of the offset dike. The source conductor is estimated to extend upwards at about 220 metres in dip extent and about 160 metres in strike extent.
Target B: From 1,050 metres to end of hole (1,200 metres), a building high conductivity (greater than 2,500 siemen) offhole conductor is evident in the survey profile. This strong conductor is subvertically oriented, and the vertical extent could exceed 400 metres downdip and 200 metres of strike extent.
Both conductors are located within the down-plunge projection of the historic Howland pit, which in 1914 produced 486 tons grading 5.1 per cent nickel and 2.1 per cent copper. Drilling by CML in 2001 intersected narrow high-grade mineralization beneath the former pit in hole AE-13 that graded 4.43 per cent nickel, 6.95 per cent copper and 23 grams per tonne platinum-plus-palladium-plus-gold, or PGM, over 0.2 metre. Underground drilling in the 1960s from the 950-foot level (290-metre) exploration drift returned 30 metres averaging 0.33 per cent nickel and 1.3 per cent copper (U9-E23) in close proximity to the updip edge of target A. Based on the location of the targets relative to the historical drilling it is anticipated that these targets can be tested efficiently by wedging off existing historical holes.
In addition to targets A and B, 11 additional conductive targets have been modelled from the data collected. These targets are located within the down-plunge projection of known historic ore zones (Howland pit, Robinson mine and Rosen mine), and some have known more recent drill intersections associated with the targets.
Commenting on the results, chief geophysicist, Kevin Stevens, PGeo, stated: "The UTEM system is proven to be effective at discriminating massive sulphide deposits from the disseminated sulphide halos often encountered in SIC ore-bearing systems. In my personal experience, having interpreted hundreds of such logs in the SIC, the UTEM responses obtained from the recent round of surveys are of a quality consistent with survey results that have led to the successful discovery of economic nickel-copper-PGE deposits elsewhere in the SIC."
2014 program
Sudbury Platinum is now carrying out a relogging program of selected core with plans to resurvey all remaining accessible historic holes using the UTEM IV system in the coming weeks. Results from the work will be integrated with the geological model in advance of the 4,000-metre of drilling planned for 2014.
About the Aer-Kidd property
The Aer-Kidd property is located approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Sudbury, Ont., and covers a 1.3-kilometre section of the Worthington offset dike in an area with a rich mining history, dating back to the 1800s. The property is approximately 2.6 kilometres along strike to the northeast of Vale's Totten mine (10.1 million tonnes grading 1.5 per cent nickel, 1.97 per cent copper, 4.8 grams per tonne PGM) that is currently in production, and 4.3 kilometres to the southwest and along trend of KGHM's Victoria mine (14.5 million tonnes grading 2.5 per cent nickel, 2.5 per cent copper, 7.6 grams per tonne PGM) which is currently being developed. The Aer-Kidd property hosts the former-producing Howland pit, Robinson and Rosen mines, which were small deposits exposed at surface and were mined down to a maximum depth of 300 metres. Sudbury Platinum has undertaken a detailed review of historical geophysical and geological data, and believes that the property maintains excellent potential to host an economic nickel-copper-PGM deposit.
Qualified person
The technical elements of this news release have been approved by Grant Mourre, PGeo, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. Information used in this release of a historical nature has not been verified by the company, hence should not be relied upon. |
