High grade gold, silver at Omni Skukum property

Initial results from a 25,000-ft first-phase drill program at Omni Resources’ Skukum Creek property south of Whitehorse have been impressive with both high grade gold and silver values reported.

The property is adjacent to the Mount Skukum project of Agip Canada and Total Erickson Resources (N.M., Aug 11/86) which recently went into production at 300 tons per day and should produce about 55,000 oz gold per year.

At the official opening of the mine Agip officials expressed an interest in the Omni property, suggesting it could eventually be integrated into the Agip-Erickson camp in the event a viable orebody was blocked out. However, no agreement had been concluded to that time.

Omni recently reported drill results from two holes in the Rainbow zone. Hole R1-86 returned three intercepts including: 1.3 oz gold and 5.2 oz silver over 2.7 ft, 0.18 oz gold and 20.3 oz silver across 15.4 ft and 10.3 ft averaging 0.176 oz gold and 13 oz silver. A second hole, R8-86, assayed 0.88 oz gold and 17.6 oz silver over 9.7 ft along with 1.1 oz gold and 20 oz silver over 7 ft.

The mineralized section in that hole was 47.6 ft and the true depth of the mineralization was 740 ft. That was approximately 600 ft below R21-85 which was drilled last year and returned 0.34 oz gold and 36.2 oz silver over 10.3 ft. Holes are being drilled to the north and south of these intercepts, the company notes.

The company’s consulting engineer has examined drill core from the Rainbow zone and notes the presence of later quartz filling and highly altered wall rock. He suggests these facts imply that the epithermal deposit should continue to considerable depth.

Several other alteration zones have been encountered including the Kuhn zone where assay results were reported from one hole that graded 0.17 oz gold and 14.8 oz silver over 12.3 ft. Mineralization has been noted in two recent holes but assay results have yet to be reported. The company plans to construct an all-weather road into the property which should provide year-round access to the project.