Noranda hits western limit at Lynne project

Having completed an additional 17 holes on the Lynne zinc property in Oneida Cty., Wis., Noranda (TSE) thinks it has found the western limit of the deposit. The latest results from the exploration project indicate that grades are dropping off at depth and along strike to the west of the main zone.

“Some of the holes at depth to the west didn’t have much in them,” said John Harvey, president of Noranda Exploration. “This is as far west as we expect to go.” So far, Noranda has delineated the zone along strike for 500 ft. west and 300 ft. east of the original discovery, and to depths of about 400 ft.

Most of the mineralized intersections grade less than 5% zinc over widths of up to 120 ft. compared with 22.7% zinc over 128 ft. in the first hole.

The more spectacular intersections, taken from the main zone, include: 132.5 ft. grading 13.7% zinc, 0.59% lead, 1.2% copper, 0.72 oz. gold per ton and 0.72 oz. silver in hole 11; 30 ft. grading 19.5% zinc, 1.8% lead, 0.14% copper, 0.01 oz. gold and 0.96 oz. silver in hole 16; and 51.4 ft. grading 17.6% zinc, 1.23% lead, 0.6% copper, 0.04 oz. gold and 1.06 oz. silver in hole 20.

Noranda is testing a geophysical anomaly that runs east-west across the property for about 1,200 ft., including a strong central width of about 500 ft.

Restricted by laws limiting exploration activities on protected wetlands, Noranda will not begin drilling the eastern extensions of the deposit until freeze-up. Company geologists believe the deposit may be plunging to the east.

Meanwhile, Noranda is focusing on outlining a portion of the deposit that could be mined using open pit methods, Harvey said.

In early 1991, Noranda will decide whether to file a Notification of Intent to collect environmental baseline data with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.