A generation ago, Texasgulf was at the forefront of massive sulphide exploration in Canada. Now, some of the company’s old prospects are beginning to surface with new players applying the latest in exploration techniques.
A case in point is the Pitt Island property 25 km south of Prince Rupert, B.C. A copper-pyrite prospect in this region was explored by Texasgulf during its heyday, with U.S. Borax and others active in the region in more recent years.
The Pitt Island property is now being drilled by Inco (TSE), which can earn a 60% interest from Atna Resources (VSE) by spending $1.2 million on exploration and payments of $435,000.
The property covers a 15-km-long belt of volcanic rocks hosting base and precious metal mineralization, with previous work focused on a 500-metre long massive sulphide unit.
Inco has completed airborne geophysical surveys, and a first-phase program of geological mapping, sampling and prospecting. To date, massive to semi-massive sulphide mineralization has been mapped and sampled along 1,700 metres.
A new showing (Team) was discovered 170 metres southeast along strike from a previously known zone. Chip sampling across 1.2 metres gave values of 4.6% copper, 1% lead, 7.1% zinc, 102.9 grams silver and 1.85 grams gold per ton. The zone also contains up to 4% barium.
Inco also investigated a geophysical conductor 750 metres along strike and southeast of the known massive sulphide unit, which led to the discovery of a cliff-forming, gossaneous, massive sulphide showing near the anomaly. Chip sampling of this unit also returned encouraging values.
“The previously known 600-metre-long zone has been expanded by Inco’s discovery of two new areas of mineralization along strike,” said Atna President Peter DeLancey. “We have grade and a long strike, and indications are we’ll see better widths down topography”.
Inco is planning a diamond drilling program this year, pending the results of its follow-up surveys.
Atna has three massive sulphide prospects in Alaska, as well as numerous other mineral properties in British Columbia and California. Together with Laramide Resources (VSE), Atna recently acquired an option to buy the Cat Town base metals-gold prospect in the eastern portion of central California’s Foothills belt.
The prospect is marked by an iron-rich gossan, with a shallow pit exposing banded massive sulphides which returned high-grade values for zinc (30%) and copper (9.4%) from representative sampling. The partners report that a preliminary examination of surface geology indicates potential for a large volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit.
A program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveys will begin shortly, in preparation for a drilling program.
The only previous work on this property was by Molybdenum Corp., which carried out a limited drill program in 1957 which intersected ore-grade mineralization in several holes.
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