Noveder launches drilling in Quebec, Newfoundland

Montreal-based Noveder (NED-M) has begun new drilling campaigns on several of its gold properties in Quebec and Newfoundland.

* Abitibi — At the Abitibi project, near Val d’Or, Que., drill crews are endeavoring to intersect the Main zone at a depth of 375 metres. Results are pending.

The Main zone extends from surface to a vertical depth of 320 metres and covers a strike length of 250 metres. The weighted average grade is 11.84 grams gold per tonne and 0.77% copper over 1.4 metres. The structure remains open laterally and at depth.

The drill program is partly aimed at verifying the continuity of the mineralized zone at a depth of 700 to 800 metres, as observed in neighboring deposits where economic zones occur at greater depth.

In 1997, the property was subjected to 23 drill holes. Each of the last 18 holes intersected the Main zone, which consists of semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite and lesser amounts of chalcopyrite.

* Cabot — At the Cabot property on Newfoundland’s Baie Verte Peninsula, drilling is designed to verify the economic potential of a significant conductor that has been defined over a length of 600 metres. The electromagnetic (EM) signature (between 24 and 36 siemens) suggests the presence of a lens of massive sulphides.

A copper-cobalt showing was discovered on the property in June 1997, attracting the attention of several major mining companies. Surface sampling over about 40 metres along the mineralized structure returned values varying from 1.13% to 6.8% copper. In addition, two short holes drilled by PNL Ventures and re-sampled by Noveder graded 0.35% copper over 22.7 metres and 0.38% copper over 22 metres. The mineralization consists of disseminated to massive pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite in highly altered chloritic schist.

* Betts Cove — At the nearby Betts Cove property, which includes the past-producing Betts Cove mine (120,000 tonnes grading 10% copper), drill crews will try to outline several lenses of polymetallic massive sulphides (copper, zinc and gold) to a vertical depth of 365 metres. A pulse-EM survey, followed by sampling, outlined high-intensity conductors in an extension of the old Betts Cove mine.

Previous drilling, in 1996-97, intersected several sections anomalous in copper, gold and zinc, including a zone anomalous in copper that measures 200 metres long. Several successive sections, totalling 73 metres, returned an average grade of 0.31% copper; grades varying from 0.23% to 0.57% copper over 4.3 to 34 metres were also intersected. The results confirm the presence of a significant halo of copper mineralization, which is characteristic of volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits.