Vancouver, B.C. - Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced on its Shovelnose gold property, located approximately 30 km south of Merritt, British Columbia.
2013 Phase 1 Program:
- Drilling: approximately 800 metres of diamond drilling will test gold and silver mineralization to depth and along strike of the 2011/2012 drill holes, located between the MIK and Tower zones. Mineralized boulders, grading 119.4 g/t Au and 6.8 g/t Au, were found within 600 metres south and downslope of the Tower zone.
- IP (Induced Polarization) survey: 3.5 line kilometres, following up last year’s IP survey where it unearthed intriguing resistivity anomalies, and shows the Tower Zone as a linear near surface zone trending northwest parallel to strong soil geochemical anomalies in gold, arsenic and antimony.
“Management feels confident that this next phase of drilling will aid in defining the size and scope of gold and silver mineralization in the system. With each successive drill program to date we've been able to increase the gold grade and we are optimistic that we are narrowing in on the source of the bonanza grade gold we are seeing on surface in both float and outcrop samples,” commented Gren Thomas, President & CEO.
Highlights of 2012 Drilling:
- 50.4 metres grading 0.54 g/t Au (Gold) and 4.77 g/t Ag (Silver), which includes 13.7 metres grading 0.91 g/t Au and 6.65 g/t Ag.
- Identified a broad alteration system, which is interpreted as evidence of a significant mineralized system within the property.
- Strong silicification and quartz veining, typical of epithermal-style gold deposits, has been encountered in the Tower Zone.
- The silver/gold ratios observed in drill hole SN12-04 increase with depth and, coupled with the consistently elevated arsenic, antimony and mercury diagnostic epithermal pathfinder suite identified in all four Tower Zone drill holes, suggests the presence of a high level, low sulphidation epithermal gold system.
Shovelnose Gold Property Overview
To date, 12 drill holes have been diamond drilled for a cumulative total of 1,384 metres, in three separate target areas. Gold and silver mineralization, associated with quartz veining and silicification, has been encountered in all 12 holes. In addition, there is evidence of a significant mineralized alteration system within the property.
The 18,142 ha Shovelnose gold property is a gold-silver epithermal-style exploration target that covers prospective stratigraphy in the southern Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), a 110 km northwest-trending belt of intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks of the Cretaceous Spences Bridge group. Westhaven is currently working to earn up to a 70% interest in the property from Strongbow Exploration Inc., a TSX-V listed company.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
WESTHAVEN VENTURES INC.
Gareth Thomas, Director
About Westhaven Ventures Inc.
Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose gold and BEN projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5558 or visit Westhaven’s website at www.westhavenventures.com
Qualified Person Statement
L. John Peters, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 has read and takes responsibility for this release.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.