Northeastern Ontario base metal projects being drilled again

Recent drilling at two base metal projects in northeastern Ontario has turned up encouraging results for two junior explorers.

A recently resumed drill program by Eloro Resources (ELO-V, ELRRF-O) at the Hurdman zinc prospect north of Smooth Rock Falls, has encountered zinc mineralization in its first two holes.

The first hole, 07-01, intersected two zones of massive to semi-massive sulphide, the shallower one grading 2.45% zinc and 5.1 grams silver per tonne over 3.2 metres and the deeper one 5.35% zinc and 7.1 grams silver over 2.8 metres. The second hole, 07-02, cut four separate horizons, one of 5.3 metres grading 2.36% zinc and 5.7 grams silver, one of 6 metres grading 3.38% zinc and 8.7 grams silver, one of 13.1 metres grading 3.23% zinc and 40.6 grams silver, and one of 1.9 metres grading 0.15% zinc and 21.8 grams silver per tonne.

The zones are in a biotite-sillimanite gneiss host rock and dip very gently northward (about 10). Eloro has now drilled a 300-metre strike length of the prospect, with intersections down to 80 metres vertical depth.

Eloro also announced results of gold assays on core from the current drilling program and from holes drilled in 2006. Silicified zones in the gneiss and pegmatite dykes in the footwall of the sulphide body carry gold grades mainly between 1 and 2 grams per tonne. Most of those intersections have been between 0.4 and 0.8 metre, but locally they broaden; a 4.4-metre intersection ran 2 grams per tonne and another of 1.4 metres ran 2.4 grams, both in holes drilled in 2006.

Eloro’s drill campaign will total about 3,500 metres, and the company also plans ground geophysics over five target areas found in an airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey last year. It also concluded an agreement with prospector Donald McKinnon to acquire two properties — Agate, a 38-sq.-km claim block about 1 km north of Hurdman, and Gurney, a 14-sq.-km block about 5 km west of Hurdman — for 375,000 shares. McKinnon keeps a 2% net smelter return.

Meanwhile Millstream Mines (MLM-V) continues drilling at depth below the Potter base metal mine in Munro Twp., east of Matheson. Two holes drilled north from collars 1 metre apart tested a host fragmental unit at vertical depths between about 330 and 480 metres.

The shallower hole, S06-01, cut 26.2 metres grading 1.57% copper and 1.22% zinc, with 0.5 gram silver per tonne and 0.05% cobalt. It encountered several massive sulphide zones.

The deeper hole encountered two zones of massive sulphide mineralization, one at about 450 metres vertical depth that averaged 1.68% copper and 2.39% zinc over 27.3 metres, and another around 480 metres depth that ran 0.98% copper and 3.29% zinc over 2.5 metres. Both intersections carried cobalt and silver credits.