Joutel set to drill three Cuban gold discoveries

Drilling is scheduled to begin shortly in Cuba on three new gold discoveries belonging to Joutel Resources (TSE).

The first discovery, La Zona Barita, is on the Sierra Maestra concession in the southeast, about 15 km west of Santiago de Cuba. The zone, which is near the copper mine known as El Cobre, is silicified and has been traced for 3 km. Five trenches have exposed the mineralization over a strike length of 550 metres. Significant trench results include 1.82 grams gold per tonne over 40 metres in Trench BZ-02, 1.42 grams over 61.3 metres in BZ-03 and 0.91 grams over 142 metres in BZ-04.

The gold zone occurs in felsic tuffs, in the immediate footwall of a massive barite horizon. It remains open to the east and west along strike, and Joutel believes the potential exists to develop a large, open-pit, heap-leachable deposit.

The trenches have been mapped and a 10-hole, 2,500-metre program is expected to begin soon.

The second discovery, El Jaguey, is on the Vidot Cascorro concession, 50 km southeast of Camaguey. Here, a previously reported zinc-copper-barite-gold occurrence has been stripped off and washed, exposing a 50-by-50-metre area of highly altered, felsic-to-intermediate volcanic rocks. An older drill hole near the showing intersected 6.5% zinc over 16.5 metres.

The occurrence appears to be structurally controlled and spatially related to a regional deformation zone that was identified by an airborne geophysical survey completed by Joutel. Preliminary sampling of the zone has returned elevated gold values of up to 34 grams. The high gold values are related to visible gold in fault planes that cut altered felsic volcanic rocks. Further stripping, as well as mapping and geophysics, is planned prior to drilling.

The third discovery, La Vega, is 50 km southwest of Santa Clara on the Arimoa-Los Cerros concession.

Here, a soil survey was carried out over an area near a previously drilled hole that intersected a zone of altered mafic volcanic rocks grading 6 grams over 4.3 metres. The survey outlined a 2-by-1-km soil anomaly with values of up to 4 grams. The anomaly remains open to the east.

In preparation for drilling, the soil grid will be extended and ground geophysical surveys and trenching will be carried out.

Over the next 12 months, Joutel plans to spend at least US$2 million, more than half of which will finance diamond drilling (about 25,000 metres). The program will test many of the known mineral occurrences and several new geophysical targets.

The company has bought its own rig which, at presstime, was due to arrive at Santiago de Cuba. The drill will be operated by a crew of Canadians and Cubans.