A 12,000-ft diamond drilling program is meeting with encouragement at the Bootleg Lake property held by Vista Mines. Located 5 km south of Flin Flon, on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, the Bootleg property includes the Rio gold deposit.
Drilling has encountered a new zone which strikes for a minimum of 300 ft and extends to a depth of 200 ft. The mineralization occurs in widths exceeding 40 ft, Vista says.
Some of the better assays include hole 87-5 which cut 44.5 ft grading 0.136 oz gold per ton, including a 5-ft section grading 0.22 oz. Another hole intersected 26 ft grading 0.11 oz. Hole 87-10 cut 34 ft grading 0.1 oz. Assays from additional holes are expected shortly. The Rio deposit, which was partially mined by Flin Flon Mines, before Vista acquired the property from Flin Flon’s receiver, hosts reserves of 183,871 tons grading 0.35 oz.
Vista is also in a joint venture with the Saskatchewan Mining Development Corp. (SMDC). The provincial company is drilling the Phantom Lake claims, immediately south of the Bootleg property. Funded by Vista, the work has outlined a large zone of alteration. Upon completion of the work, Vista will have earned a 50% interest.
The company can also earn a 50% interest in the Batty-Graham property located 15 km west of Flin Flon. Operated by SMDC, the drill program has cut visible gold in the first four holes. Vista is expecting assays soon.