Virginia finds gold showings at Auclair

Junior Virgina Gold Mines (VIA-M) has discovered a new showing, known as “Rock’n Hammer,” at its Auclair property, along the Eastmain River in northern Quebec.

The company also reported the discovery of a volcano-sedimentary gold belt at the Minto-Vizien project in the Lac Payne area. Several gold showings were found within iron formations several metres wide, containing pyrite and arsenopyrite disseminations. Gold values of up to 41.89 grams gold per tonne were obtained.

An exploration program is planned for next summer at the Minto-Vizien project, where Virginia holds the option to acquire a 50% interest from the Quebec Crown corporation Soquem.

Meanwhile, linecutting, ground geophysics, trenching and sampling are in progress over the new discovery at Auclair. This work will be followed by diamond drilling.

The Rock’n Hammer showing has been exposed by stripping over a 40-by-60-metre area. The showing is associated with an intensely folded sequence dominated by garnet-amphibole iron formation tens of metres wide. Virginia notes that widespread arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization occurs in these iron formations, mainly as disseminations and, more locally, as concentrated masses.

Preliminary sampling has yielded gold values varying between 1 and 8.52 grams. The structure’s centre has returned gold values varying between 1.89 and 5.18 grams over widths of 1-5 metres.

The showing, which remains open in all direction, has yet to be subjected to ground geophysics. Three other showings, about 5 km to the west, returned values varying between 6 and 12.5 grams gold.

Virginia recently acquired a sizable land package in the Sept-Iles area of Quebec, where government geologists have discovered a nickel-copper showing.

The junior staked more than 1,500 claims outside the government’s former staking reserve, as well as 475 claims within those limits. The latter group of claims has since been optioned to partner Kennecott.