In New Brunswick Sewell Brook area booms

At least 1,500 claims have been staked in the Sewell Brook area of north-central New Brunswick since the discovery of a massive sulphide lens there last fall. As drilling on NovaGold Resources’ (TSE) Sewell Brook property continues, exploration in the area seems poised for an upturn.

Although government geologist Reginald Wilson said activity has died down with the warmer weather in recent weeks, he expects further activity later this spring.

Major mining companies participating in the area include BHP-Utah Mines, Corona, Noranda and Placer Dome.

Interest in the poorly explored Sewell Brook region was given a boost last October when NovaGold and partner Costigan Gold (CDN) hit a 4.4-metre section grading 10.7% zinc and 2.6% copper.

The joint venture followed up the discovery with an additional 25 holes this winter.

The latest results indicate that although the zinc-rich lens at Sewell Brook is consistently high grade, widths may prove to be too narrow to support an orebody.

Significant intercepts include a 10-metre section grading 20.6% zinc, 4.25% lead, 0.47% copper, 82.98 grams silver and 0.69 grams gold per tonne at about 13.5 metres and a 11.6-metre section grading 14.9% zinc, 3.07% lead and 0.5% copper at 20.5 metres.

But NovaGold is confident that the discovery could lead to other, larger massive sulphide deposits and, as a result, has staked 245 additional claims in the area.

“It (Sewell Brook) is smallish,” said NovaGold President Bill Young. “But the important thing is that we’re in an interesting looking belt.” Sewell Brook is a volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit characteristic of Noranda-type deposits, NovaGold claims. The deposit is hosted by a package of felsic volcanics and sediments stretching for 200 km. Deposited during the Devonian age, the belt is much younger than the adjacent package of rocks which hosts the nearby Bathurst mining camp.

Massive sulphide mineralization at Sewell Brook has been outlined over a strike length of 40 metres and to a vertical depth of 45 metres.

This summer, in addition to further drilling at depth at Sewell Brook, NovaGold will cut a grid on its remaining ground in preparation for ground geophysical (IP) and geochemical surveys.

Costigan can earn a 40% interest in the 20-claim Sewell Brook property by spending $400,000 on exploration.