- Published: 19 March 2009
- Written by Editor
Northern Freegold Drills 1.10 m of 36.18 g/t Gold and 45.35 g/t Silver in Tinta Zone at the Freegold Mountain Project, Yukon
Northern Freegold Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:NFR) is pleased to announce drill results from the 2008 diamond drill program in the Tinta Zone at the Freegold Mountain Project, Yukon. The Tinta Zone, located 22 km to the east of the Nucleus Zone and in the eastern portion of the 166 square kilometer district scale Freegold Mountain project, is a gold-silver-copper polymetallic vein system. The 2008 program was focused on drilling the vein system such that a NI 43-101 compliant resource may be calculated at the Tinta Zone. A total of 17 holes totaling 3,896 m were drilled during 2008 over a 750 m distance along the strike of the known mineralization. Hole TH08-21 intersected 1.10 m of 36.18 g/t gold, 45.35 g/t silver, 0.41% copper, 0.74% lead and 0.11% zinc.
Highlights from the 2008 Drilling at Tinta Zone:
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From To Interval Au Ag Cu Pb Zn
Hole # (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) % % %
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TH08-16 196.94 197.67 0.73 39.06 10.87 0.04 0.16 0.37
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TH08-21 178.70 179.80 1.10 36.18 45.35 0.41 0.74 0.11
Including 179.10 179.80 0.70 56.20 30.00 0.24 1.00 0.09
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TH08-23 74.00 74.97 0.97 9.09 50.60 0.07 2.83 5.02
97.03 103.20 6.17 2.83 88.90 0.08 1.16 2.06
Including 101.90 103.20 1.30 9.12 337.78 0.27 2.42 4.13
And 102.70 103.20 0.50 15.80 592.00 0.17 2.25 6.53
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TH08-29 187.40 206.40 19.00 3.75 26.46 0.20 0.12 0.13
Including 189.25 191.98 2.73 12.65 29.26 0.33 0.22 0.09
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A listing of all results are included in the table at the end of the
release. A plan map showing the drill hole locations is attached and also
can be viewed at www.northernfreegold.com. Drill sections and a 3D
visualization can be viewed at www.corebox.net.
To view the plan map showing the drill hole locations, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/nfr319map.pdf.
- 10 of the 21 holes drilled by NFR along the vein system have extended mineralization to depth
- Hole TH08-29 (the most westerly hole in 2008) extended mineralization to 200 m below surface and the mineralization remains open along strike to the west
- High grade vein intersections in holes TH08-16 and TH08-21 indicate the occurrence of parallel or splay veins on the north side of the Tinta Vein System
Bill Harris, CEO & COO commented, "While the 2008 drill program at Tinta focused on infill drilling, multiple intersections of the vein at depth along with intersections of parallel vein structures emphasizes the growing potential of the Tinta Vein System. The NI 43-101 resource calculation which will be completed within the second quarter of 2009 will provide a resource foundation for NFR to build upon."
Historical work on the Tinta Zone identified a steeply dipping vein system over a strike length of 1600 m. Prior to 2007, 700 metres of the system had been trenched and tested by shallow drilling (maximum depth 160 m from surface), as well as 939 m of drifting on two levels. In 2007, Northern Freegold drilled 4 holes which confirmed extension of the Tinta Vein System to depth (up to 300m) and along strike. The results of these holes are summarized in the table below:
2007 Drill Results (see press releases dated July 24, 2007 and
Sept. 10, 2007)
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From To Interval Au Ag Cu Pb Zn
Hole # (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) % % %
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TH07-07 328.36 329.10 0.74 7.20 97.60 0.92 0.54 2.17
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TH07-08 225.67 227.40 1.70 14.90 446.00 3.30 5.2 0.66
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TH07-11 245.78 247.10 1.32 8.92 356.23 1.17 3.41 4.22
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TH07-12 232.75 233.85 1.10 8.23 134.00 1.61 1.91 2.35
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Polymetallic (Au-Ag-Cu-Zn-Pb) mineralization at Tinta is hosted in a brittle shear zone that deformed a granodiorite/quartz monzonite. The shear zone and the vein system strike northwest and dip steeply to the north-northeast. Multiple brittle deformation events were accompanied by infill of quartz +/- pyrite +/- galena +/- sphalerite +/- chalcopyrite veins and veinlets. Brecciation is widespread in the shear zone and often the rock fragments are mineralized, supporting the interpretation of multiple episodes of mineralization. Vein intersections and crosscutting relationships indicate that the last episode of mineralization was dolomite+galena+chalcopyrite. Gold mineralization appears to be associated with the deposition of pyrite and/or chalcopyrite.
Freegold Mountain Project
The Freegold Mountain Project is a road accessible district scale property that covers 166 square km (64 square miles). Within the project expanse are at least 20 known mineralized zones, some with historical resource estimates (not compliant with NI 43-101). Northern Freegold has been actively drilling on five of those zones (2% of the total project area), two of which are currently having NI 43-101 compliant resource calculations completed (Nucleus and Tinta), and three of which are still at an exploration stage (Goldy, Stoddart, Ridge).
The district scale Freegold Mountain Project is situated within the Dawson Range portion of the Tintina Gold Belt, characterized by plutonic rocks of the ca 100 million year old Cretaceous Dawson Range Batholith and Early Jurassic metaplutonic rocks, intruding Devono-Mississippian metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Yukon-Tanana terrane. The Dawson Range is a well-mineralized belt over 100 km long, extending from Mount Freegold northwesterly to the Casino copper-gold porphyry deposit. This belt is transected by the west-northwest trending Big Creek Fault, which provides the locus for many mineral occurrences including placer gold deposits, porphyry gold-copper mineralization, gold veins and breccias. The Freegold Mountain Project covers a 35 km long section of this belt.
Nucleus Zone (partial results)
The Nucleus Zone is located in the western portion of the Freegold Mountain Project. A total of 53 holes were drilled in 2008 in the Nucleus Zone (13,287 m/45,352 feet).
Drill sections and a 3D visualization can be viewed at www.corebox.net or by following a link on the Company's website at www.northernfreegold.com.
The Nucleus Zone was originally identified as a low grade bulk tonnage near surface gold target. The majority of past exploration drilling focused on targeting the low grade bulk tonnage gold mineralization that appears to be associated with north-south trending vein systems. High grade gold bearing quartz + chalcopyrite +/- pyrite veins and gold bearing infill in breccias, and gold-rich +/- copper skarns have now been also indentified in a different orientation within the Nucleus zone area. Data generated from oriented core analysis coupled with ongoing geological modeling of the Nucleus zone has revealed that the gold-rich +/- copper skarns encountered to date appear to follow the east-west orientation of the foliation within the metasediments and that a set of gold bearing quartz + chalcopyrite +/- pyrite veins also trend east-west, in addition to the previously targeted north-south trending vein systems.
Drill holes intersecting the high grade gold-rich +/- copper skarns returned:
- 1.24 m of 206.50 g/t gold within 46.96 m of 14.51 g/t gold (see press release dated Feb.12, 2009)
- 2.00 m of 45.25 g/t gold within 72.35 m of 2.50 g/t gold (see press release dated July 19, 2007)
- 1.90 m of 86.71 g/t gold within 74.97 m of 4.26 g/t gold (see press release dated Dec. 6, 2007)
- 3.25 m of 100.69 g/t gold within 37.80 m of 10.41 g/t gold (see press release dated June 9,2008)
- 1.27 m of 410.00 g/t gold within 9.36 m of 70.19 g/t gold (see press release dated Jan.14, 2009)
- 0.96 m of 256.00 g/t gold within 4.00 m of 68.95 g/t gold (see press release dated Jan.26, 2009)
Modeling of the geology and the petrogenesis of the mineralization is in process. A NI 43-101 compliant resource will be calculated on the Nucleus Zone in 2009 once all the results are received and interpreted. The new geological model will help define targets to expand mineralization which is open in all directions and to depth. Results are still pending for twelve drill holes in the Nucleus Zone.
Stoddart Zone
The Stoddart Zone is located 8 km from the Nucleus Zone. Two holes, testing a soil geochemical anomaly, drilled at the end of the 2007 program intersected porphyry style mineralization at the Stoddart Zone. A total of 10 holes totaling 2560 m (8,397 feet) have been drilled in 2008 to expand upon the 2007 discovery of porphyry mineralization. Results are pending on all 10 holes.
Quality Control and Assurance. The holes were drilled by a skid mounted diamond drill with NTW core size (5.6 cm/2.2 inches in diameter). All core samples from diamond drilling are split and sent to EcoTech Laboratory in Whitehorse for sample preparation and then to EcoTech Laboratory in Kamloops for analysis. Blanks, commercial standards and duplicate core samples are included in each batch.
To determine Au levels at the ppb level (detection limit 5-1000 ppb) 30 g samples are fire assayed then digested in aqua regia solution and analyzed by atomic absorption. Over-limit values are re-assayed by fire assay and then digested with aqua regia and then re-analyzed by an atomic absorption instrument (detection limit 0.03 g/t). Other elements are analyzed by a 29 elements package (ICP-AES analysis). Additional check-analyses are carried out by ALS-Chemex in North Vancouver. Intervals reported in this release do not necessarily represent true widths of mineralization.
The technical information disclosed in this release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Fabrizio Colombo, P. Geo.
Investor Relations Update
Sarah Mouritzen (Longhurst) the current Investor Relations Manager, will be on maternity leave for one year. During Ms. Mourtizen's absence, Debbie James (BSc in Geological Sciences), will be undertaking her duties. Ms. James has been a fulltime employee of Bushmaster Exploration Services 2007, a subsidiary of NFR, for three years, working as a Senior Geologist on the Freegold Mountain Project. Ms. James will also continue to provide support to the geological team at NFR, and there has been no change in her compensation (wages and options).
Northern Freegold is a rapidly advancing Canadian-based precious metals exploration and development company, which brings local expertise and strong management to focus on the development of economic mineral resources on the district-scale Freegold Mountain gold and copper project in the Yukon and the Burro Creek gold and silver property in Arizona.
Northern Freegold Resources Ltd.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Susan P. Craig, President
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
2008 Tinta Zone Drill Holes Results
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Azi-
muth Dip Inter-
(deg- (deg- From To val Au Ag Cu Pb Zn
Hole # rees) rees) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) % % %
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TH08-13 215.8 -50 108.47 108.67 0.20 0.74 124.00 0.41 0.20 0.45
TH08-13 149.95 150.58 0.63 0.10 12.75 0.07 0.23 0.75
TH08-13 164.60 170.00 5.40 0.18 4.53 0.02 0.19 0.52
including 168.60 169.00 0.40 0.80 13.20 0.07 0.67 1.67
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TH08-14 215.8 -60 207.40 212.10 4.70 0.42 9.26 0.04 0.38 0.49
including 207.40 208.60 1.20 1.46 28.53 0.11 0.90 0.61
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TH08-15 215.8 -50 13.20 14.60 1.40 1.13 57.70 0.40 1.61 2.84
TH08-15 74.00 75.00 1.00 0.27 17.60 0.02 0.77 2.47
TH08-15 137.40 141.50 4.10 0.83 22.51 0.08 0.62 1.20
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TH08-16 215.8 -60 19.10 20.65 1.55 2.82 188.26 1.38 1.15 4.47
TH08-16 196.94 197.67 0.73 39.06 10.87 0.04 0.16 0.37
TH08-16 205.10 208.40 3.30 0.87 13.75 0.10 0.44 1.43
including 206.10 208.40 2.30 1.23 17.30 0.14 0.46 1.66
and 206.10 206.63 0.53 3.50 46.10 0.33 0.28 0.35
TH08-16 210.52 210.95 0.43 0.11 3.70 0.01 0.26 1.92
TH08-16 212.66 213.42 0.76 0.26 8.50 0.03 0.82 3.21
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TH08-17 215.8 -50 132.60 132.77 0.17 1.01 20.80 0.09 1.63 3.62
TH08-17 160.10 166.40 6.30 0.24 10.51 0.06 0.26 0.85
including 160.10 161.60 1.50 0.59 17.23 0.13 0.29 0.69
and 164.60 166.40 1.80 0.17 19.21 0.08 0.46 1.54
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TH08-18 217.8 -65 167.80 168.10 0.30 3.48 42.40 0.07 1.84 0.76
TH08-18 221.30 225.70 4.40 1.13 53.49 0.98 0.06 0.16
including 222.00 224.40 2.40 1.65 78.20 1.53 0.05 0.10
including 223.80 224.40 0.60 4.00 156.00 3.37 0.12 0.04
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TH08-19 241.8 -70 227.70 228.20 0.50 4.40 19.50 0.01 0.06 0.07
TH08-19 251.34 251.54 0.20 0.25 19.70 0.09 0.13 1.55
TH08-19 287.15 288.50 1.35 1.72 78.80 0.67 0.10 0.16
including 287.85 288.50 0.65 3.28 110.00 1.27 0.05 0.01
TH08-19 293.35 293.60 0.25 0.49 27.20 0.02 0.92 2.68
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TH08-20 213.8 -51 112.42 113.20 0.78 1.55 221.76 0.26 0.92 0.25
including 112.70 113.20 0.50 1.92 332.00 0.39 1.39 0.28
TH08-20 218.35 221.65 3.30 1.88 23.64 0.14 0.81 1.59
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TH08-21 215.8 -70 178.70 179.80 1.10 36.18 45.35 0.41 0.74 0.11
including 179.10 179.80 0.70 56.20 30.00 0.24 1.00 0.09
TH08-21 377.10 378.70 1.60 1.04 23.58 0.17 0.03 0.05
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TH08-22 214.8 -56 67.85 68.65 0.80 1.15 105.33 0.07 4.79 2.18
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TH08-23 215.8 -70 74.00 74.97 0.97 9.09 50.60 0.07 2.83 5.02
TH08-23 88.50 90.00 1.50 1.02 0.20 0.00 0.01 0.01
TH08-23 93.00 93.60 0.60 1.51 122.00 0.10 2.33 6.67
TH08-23 97.03 103.20 6.17 2.83 88.90 0.08 1.16 2.06
Including 101.90 103.20 1.30 9.12 337.78 0.27 2.42 4.13
And 102.70 103.20 0.50 15.80 592.00 0.17 2.25 6.53
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TH08-24 215.8 -60 no significant results
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TH08-25 31.8 -50 no significant results
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TH08-26 31.8 -64 no significant results
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TH08-27 33.8 -69 146.30 148.67 2.37 0.44 12.26 0.01 0.57 1.61
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TH08-28 33.8 -72 38.00 43.04 5.04 0.47 18.41 0.01 0.46 1.08
TH08-28 57.26 59.02 1.76 0.60 50.20 0.02 1.86 1.25
TH08-28 60.43 60.85 0.42 1.97 44.30 0.05 2.06 1.04
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TH08-29 215.8 -75 177.45 178.91 1.46 3.51 62.20 1.15 0.08 0.21
TH08-29 187.40 206.40 19.00 3.75 26.46 0.20 0.12 0.13
Including 189.25 191.98 2.73 12.65 29.26 0.33 0.22 0.09
And 189.25 189.98 0.73 9.22 94.10 1.08 0.78 0.32
And 199.20 206.40 7.20 4.23 51.76 0.33 0.21 0.14
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SOURCE: Northern Freegold Resources Ltd.
Northern Freegold Resources Ltd. Debbie James Investor Relations Manager 1-877-893-8757 or (604) 893-8757 (604) 893-8758 (FAX) Website: www.northernfreegold.com
