Rockcliff confirms high-grade zinc-silver at Shihan (April 30, 2007)

Sudbury, Ont.-based Rockcliff Resources (RCR-V) has intersected high-grade zinc-silver mineralization during confirmatory drilling in the Zinc zone at its wholly owned Shihan volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) property in central Ontario.

The property, situated 12 km north of Missanabie, Ont., some 70 km northeast of Wawa, covers 67 sq. km of the eastern arm of the Michipicoten greenstone belt, the largest greenstone belt in the Wawa subprovince of the Superior structural province.

Since acquiring an option on the property last June, Rockcliff has carried out a first phase of drilling comprised of 30 shallow holes totalling 3,000 metres.

Results from the first 19 holes include highlights such as: 4.35 metres grading 8.09% zinc, 2.29% lead and 600 grams silver per tonne in hole RS07-12; 2.5 metres of 5.24% zinc, 0.66% lead and 1,192 grams silver in hole RS07-17; 2.5 metres of 7.38% zinc, 0.72% lead and 155 grams silver in hole RS07-14; and 2.95 metres of 4.95% zinc, 0.61% lead and 99 grams silver in hole RS07-15. None of these intersections represent true width.

The Zinc zone is a single lens of semi-massive to massive sulphides located along a favourable felsic horizon that has been traced for more than 2 km. The Zinc zone itself extends 150 metres along surface and has been drilled to a depth of 150 metres, where it remains open.

Jack Tremblay of Missanabie discovered the Zinc zone south of Conboy Lake in Rennie Twp. in 1939. Rockcliff says sporadic drilling on the property began in 1953 and continued every decade with 89 drill holes totalling 10,651 metres completed by Coulee Lead & Zinc Mines, Westfield Minerals, Canamax, Noranda and Falconbridge.

Other work included resource estimations, mechanical stripping, trenching and geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys — both ground and airborne.

In 1980, Westfield tallied a near-surface resource (not National Instrument 43-101 compliant) in the Zinc zone of 67,132 tonnes averaging 12% zinc and 280 grams silver within a mineralized envelope of 312,072 tonnes grading 3% zinc and 124 grams silver. Minor amounts of copper, lead and gold are present.

The company determined that the Zinc zone’s thickness ranged between 3.6 and 11.6 metres and averaged 6.1 metres, to a depth of 137 metres.

The Westfield estimate was supported by 48 holes totalling 5,160 metres drilled between 1953 and 1980, and related metallurgical results showed excellent recovery.

In 1992, Noranda estimated the Zinc zone at 90,718 indicated tonnes of 8.3% zinc and 187 grams silver in a mineralized body averaging 1.5 metres thick by 200 metres long, plunging steeply to the west.

In Rockcliff’s current option agreement with two individual property owners, the company can earn a 100% undivided interest in Shihan by paying $60,000 in cash, issuing 350,000 shares and spending $300,000 in exploration on the property.

All claims are subject to a 2% net smelter return royalty, half of which can be bought by Rockcliff for $1 million. Rockcliff also has dibs on the rest of the NSR.

Across the border in Manitoba, Rockcliff embarked in March 2007 on a major new venture dubbed the Snow Lake VMS project.

The project comprises 19 VMS properties and five mineral exploration licences totalling 1,100 sq. km of favourable VMS stratigraphy in the prolific Flin Flon greenstone belt.