buy now - newsDIAMOND DRILLING CONFIRMS HIGH GRADE MASSIVE SULPHIDES AT THE SENECA PROPERTY, SOUTHWEST B.C.
Carat Exploration Inc. is providing results from the recently completed diamond drill and stream sediment geochemical programs at its 100-per-cent-owned Seneca polymetallic massive sulphide project in southwestern British Columbia. Diamond drilling has confirmed exceptional grades of zinc-copper-silver-gold volcanogenic massive sulphides, as detailed herein. Furthermore, the prospective volcanic-sedimentary horizons similar to Seneca were encountered during prospecting and sampling on the eastern side of the Seneca property. In that area near Weaver Lake, altered volcanic rocks and subvolcanic intrusions have yielded very strong polymetallic, stream-sediment anomalies consistent with a Kuroko-style massive sulphide system, significantly extending the area of high-priority exploration.
The Seneca property overlies the historical Seneca deposit which has been described as a Kuroko-style, polymetallic zinc-lead-copper-silver massive sulphide deposit. Past exploration has outlined a body of massive sulphides (the Seneca zone) as well as numerous feeder systems (including the Vent and Fleetwood zones) within highly prospective Middle Jurassic volcanic rocks of the Harrison terrane.
2005 to 2006 work program
The company drilled a total of 19 holes from December, 2005, to February, 2006, for a total of 2,472.6 metres. The goals of this program were three-fold: (1) to test the Seneca zone massive sulphides that were defined by previous operators; (2) to test the high-grade massive sulphides that were re-exposed in the Seneca pit in November, 2005; and (3) to test two EM (electromagnetic) geophysical conductors revealed during the 2005 airborne survey of the property by Aeroquest.
As per the recommendations of the 2004 technical report by McKinley et al. (available on SEDAR), a stream-sediment, geochemical sampling program was undertaken in 2005 in the eastern portion of the Seneca property. The earlier 2004 geochemical program successfully identified numerous polymetallic anomalies in the western and central parts of the property and showed that this method of stream silt sampling has tremendous merit for preliminary target identification at Seneca. As such, 222 new sites were sampled during 2005 and the data have now been received from the lab.
Seneca zone diamond drilling
Six drill holes were completed to test the Seneca deposit. This zone was discovered and delineated by previous operators in the 1970s and 1980s but geological records of the drill intercepts, as well as drill core storage on-site, were insufficient for the company's geologists to accept past reports with confidence. The company's goal in exploring this zone was to evaluate past work while providing the company geologists invaluable additional information as to the tenor and geological characteristics of the mineralization as a guide for future work. Drill hole information and assay results for the significant mineralized intercepts are summarized in the tables below (drill intercepts given are the approximate true thickness).
Massive sulphide mineralization was intersected in all holes except for hole 44. Mineralized intercepts comprised stringer to massive pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite plus or minus galena hosted by a strongly quartz-sericite-altered, volcanic fragmental unit that has historically been termed the "ore zone conglomerate" (OZC). The drilling has demonstrated that, in the area tested, the OZC and the mineralization have been intruded by a synvolcanic mafic sill that has "dismembered" the zone, giving the appearance that there are numerous small, discontinuous lenses. In fact, relationships suggest that there was originally one mineralized horizon that was split apart and artificially terminated in places by the mafic sill. Despite this, however, the drilling has successfully demonstrated the high-grade, polymetallic nature of the massive sulphide mineralization at Seneca. For instance, one 2.6-metre intercept in hole 57 reached grades of 0.94 per cent Cu, 20.28 per cent Zn, 100 grams per tonne Ag and 3.05 g/t Au. The Seneca zone remains a viable target for continued massive sulphide exploration focusing on potential along-strike extensions of the known zone.
Drill Pad UTM (NAD83) Azi- Dip Depth
hole E N muth (m)
SN05-
42 1 576995 5463072 228 -80 154
SN05-
43 3 576909 5463209 228 -80 182
SN05-
44 2 576973 5463142 48 -80 203
SN06-
55 4 576705 5463355 40 -81 222
SN06-
56 5 576781 5463288 40 -80 296
SN06-
57 5 576781 5463288 40 -60 161
Drill Inter- Cu Pb Zn Ag Au
hole val (%) (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t)
(m)
SN05-42 2.1 0.11 0.04 3.45 12 0.11
SN05-43 1.1 0.23 0.05 2.16 22 0.43
SN05-44 No significant intersections
SN05-55 0.9 1.93 0.13 5.32 45 0.79
SN05-56 3.2 0.75 0.02 3.82 13 0.50
SN05-56 0.3 1.21 0.04 8.38 30 1.16
SN05-56 0.5 1.28 0.06 4.95 58 4.54
SN06-57 1.7 0.40 0.10 1.86 26 1.49
SN06-57 2.6 0.94 0.14 20.28 100 3.05
incl. 1.1 1.45 0.28 44.88 215 6.39
Seneca pit diamond drilling
Massive sulphide mineralization was originally discovered at the Seneca property around what is now the Seneca pit. Geological interpretations by past operators showed this zone to be a smaller lens of massive sulphides located approximately 100 metres southwest of the Seneca deposit proper. A small bulk sample was extracted from this location in the 1960s. The mineralization in the pit was re-exposed using an excavator in November, 2005. The true nature of the geological relationships between the sulphides and the host volcanic rocks was not completely clear. Therefore, the company decided to drill a series of very tightly spaced, short drill holes from a location immediately adjacent to the pit in an effort to better determine the tenor and geological relationships of this high-grade zone. Drill hole information and assay results for the significant mineralized intercepts from the pit drilling (drill holes 45 to 54) are summarized in the tables below (drill intercepts given are the approximate true thickness).
This drilling yielded very similar results to the Seneca deposit drilling discussed above. The mineralization comprised stringer to massive polymetallic sulphides hosted by the same altered OZC unit. This mineralization was also intruded by the same mafic sill discussed above, suggesting that the pit mineralization and the Seneca deposit itself may have comprised the same body, or at least occupied the same mineralized horizon, prior to intrusion of the unmineralized sill. The drilling at the pit was invaluable in providing the detailed information necessary to make informed interpretations as to the true nature of this complex zone and again clearly illustrated the potential for high-grade polymetallic massive sulphides of appreciable thicknesses at Seneca with numerous mineralized intercepts of over a five-metre true thickness. For example, hole 46 returned a 6.6-metre intercept grading 1.06 per cent Cu, 0.44 per cent Pb, 7.75 per cent Zn, 179 g/t Ag and 3.38 g/t Au. This included a higher grade intercept of 2.6 metres grading 1.97 per cent Cu, 0.95 per cent Pb, 17.48 per cent Zn, 386 g/t Ag and 7.63 g/t Au.
Drill Pad UTM (NAD83) Azi- Dip Depth
hole E N muth (m)
SN05-
45 Pit 576688 5463234 234 -86 46
SN05-
46 Pit 576688 5463234 234 -67 42
SN05-
47 Pit 576688 5463234 234 -47 24
SN05-
48 Pit 576688 5463234 57 -66 33
SN05-
49 Pit 576688 5463234 57 -48 46
SN05-
50 Pit 576688 5463234 163 -48 46
SN05-
51 Pit 576688 5463234 163 -66 23
SN05-
52 Pit 576688 5463234 163 -86 40
SN05-
53 Pit 576688 5463234 100 -48 44
SN05-
54 Pit 576688 5463234 100 -66 51
Drill Inter- Cu Pb Zn Ag Au
hole val (%) (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t)
(m)
SN05-45 6.7 0.46 0.03 0.73 28 0.30
incl. 0.6 4.60 0.25 6.41 261 2.54
SN05-45 10.0 0.40 0.16 2.81 40 0.95
incl. 2.8 1.23 0.47 9.06 130 3.01
SN05-46 6.6 1.06 0.44 7.75 179 3.38
incl. 2.6 1.97 0.95 17.48 386 7.63
SN05-47 6.0 0.14 0.01 0.34 5 0.15
SN05-47 1.9 0.75 0.06 6.29 41 1.04
incl. 0.4 2.31 0.12 22.21 129 3.25
SN05-48 1 0.08 0.16 1.11 6 0.16
and 1.9 0.22 0.05 1.58 18 0.38
SN05-49 4.8 0.19 0.03 1.35 13 0.40
incl. 1.5 0.28 0.07 3.19 28 0.93
SN05-50 4.5 0.46 0.15 2.37 57 1.05
incl. 1.2 0.58 0.44 5.99 122 2.40
SN05-51 5.6 0.49 0.27 4.68 77 1.67
incl. 2.0 1.12 0.68 11.28 196 4.07
SN05-51 2.7 0.16 0.12 1.91 9 0.66
incl. 0.3 0.94 0.8 12.36 49 4.5
SN05-52 2.3 0.13 0.03 0.85 23 0.52
SN05-52 16.7 0.21 0.12 1.68 24 0.50
incl. 3.1 0.80 0.56 7.65 115 1.90
SN05-53 6.8 0.05 0.01 0.24 3 0.04
SN05-54 12.2 1.15 0.21 5.25 80 1.19
incl. 1.8 3.02 0.47 13.79 190 2.59
Geophysical (electromagnetic) targets
Three drill holes (drill holes 58 to 60) totalling 860 metres of drilling were completed to test two separate electromagnetic conductors detected in the AeroTEM airborne survey conducted by Aeroquest in April, 2005. No evidence was seen in the bedrock to explain the anomalies. Given the nature of the EM profiles and the lack of bedrock evidence to explain the conductors, it has been concluded that the anomalies resulted from conductive clay layers in the overburden, likely kame terrace sediments, and do not represent bedrock occurrences of massive sulphide mineralization.
Geochemical survey reveals extensive anomaly
The results of the 2005 program are very encouraging. A very strong and extensive polymetallic (zinc-lead-copper-silver plus or minus gold) anomaly has been identified north of Weaver Lake. The geochemistry has defined a broadly east-west-trending anomaly having dimensions of approximately three kilometres east-west and approximately 1.5 kilometres north-south. Persistently, anomalous values of zinc, and to a lesser extent copper and gold, are present along a broad trend extending an additional 4.5 kilometres farther north. This polymetallic signature is consistent with a Kuroko-style, massive sulphide system. Follow-up prospecting in the Weaver Lake area revealed extensive areas of gossanous outcrops due to the presence of widespread hydrothermal alteration and disseminated sulphide mineralization within the host volcanic rocks. Company geologists are very encouraged with the results of this initial work and have upgraded the prospectivity of the Weaver Lake area.
The geological information reported herein is approved by Paul McGuigan, PGeo, director of Carat Explorations and a qualified person.
© 2006 Canjex Publishing Ltd.