Work continues on Wrightbar’s Quebec ground

Vancouver-listed Charlim Explorations has discovered two gold zones on the Bourlamaque Twp. property of Wrightbar Mines (ME).

Charlim is earning a half interest in the gold property by paying Wrightbar $50,000 and spending $500,000 on exploration over the next four years. The recent 12,000-ft. program confirmed that the new zones are connected to the drill-indicated deposit of 305,000 tons averaging 0.227 oz. gold per ton. The first holes, drilled west of the main deposit, intersected previously unknown mineralization. Hole W94-5 intersected a quartz-tourmaline vein with 5% pyrite at a depth of 144 ft. The vein assayed 0.86 oz. over 1.3 ft. Hole W94-11 intersected the same vein at 313 ft. and assayed 0.76 oz. over 2.1 ft. Another zone, east of the deposit, was discovered in a second phase of drilling. Hole W94-13 intersected a quartz-tourmaline-chlorite-pyrite-bearing shear zone which assayed 0.284 oz. over 6.4 ft. at a depth of 475 ft., and 0.21 oz. over 6.5 ft. at a depth of 495 ft. Results from three other holes in the zone are pending. The companies are planning to complete a bulk sample of 20,000 tons this summer.

Meanwhile, copper is the target on another portion of the 22-claim property, Wrightbar is carrying out a 3.5 mile electromagnetic survey to explore the eastern extension of the Quebec-Manitou copper zone at depth. The survey will also test stratigraphy north of the extension.

The property is said to be geologically similar to the nearby Louvicourt deposit.

In addition, a large and untested off-hole geophysical anomaly will be tested in the spring. Noranda (TSE) will carry out the drilling as part of a $2-million program to earn a half interest in the copper property. Along with the expenditures, Noranda must pay $100,000 cash over five years. Wrightbar is also exploring for other metals in Quebec. Wrightbar and Charlim have formed a joint venture to explore two lithium properties in northeastern Quebec.

So far, 12 spodumene pegmatite dykes have been found on the Sirmac property, while another 28 have been found on the Lac Moblan property. (Spodumene is a mineral that contains lithium oxide.) The pegmatites at Lac Moblan contain an average of 1.75% lithium oxide.

The ground is in the vicinity of Lac St. Jean and the Saguenay River. Exploration work, funded equally by the two companies, is continuing, as is a pre-feasibility study. The study will determine the viability of constructing a lithium refinery plant.

Lithium is used in car batteries and in the production of lithium bromide, which itself serves as a replacement for chloro-fluorocarbons.