As previously announced (see press release dated November 5, 2013), the “A” anomaly, located in the Southern Bradshaw Mountains of Yavapai County, Arizona, near the hamlet of Crown King, consists of a “tabular body” containing a highly conductive zone 700 metres (m) in strike length on the surface. The conductive zone also extends from a depth of approximately 10 m to greater than 400 m.
The prospect is located in the extensive Central Arizona Volcanic Belt, a thick volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) zone created by Pre-Cambrian undersea volcanos in an “island arc” environment, extending over a distance of 80 miles from just north of Phoenix to Bagdad in the northwest of the State. Twenty-nine historic gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc mines are located in the Belt. Crown King was one of the most prolific historic gold and silver producers within the zone from 1870-1903.
The anomaly was initially revealed by a GEOTECH airborne (helicopter) VTEM geophysical survey completed for Q-Gold in mid-2011. The anomaly was further confirmed and delineated in the 4th quarter of 2012 in a hybrid, controlled-source magneto-tellurics (CSAMT) ground survey of the most conductive VTEM flight lines.
The “A” anomaly is located on a virtually unexplored ridge in a series formed by compression, over-turning and block-faulting of the underlying volcanic meta-sediments. The two adjoining ridges to the southwest contain prolific historic silver mines, both hosting extremely high-grade silver deposits enriched by supergene fluids. These mines were exploited at the end of the 19th Century, when silver prices were 90 cents per ounce.
The Company’s Arizona subsidiary, Mineral Creek Resources Inc., now has USFS permission to sink a total of 6 “NQ” diameter “fan” diamond drill holes at various depths into the prospective zone from 2 drill pad locations.
Based on the current planned 2,000 m (6,562 feet) drill program, the drill holes are designed to penetrate the most conductive zones in the target body from about 50 m (164 ft.) from surface to 457 m (1,500 ft.). Drilling is expected to commence this summer.
The Company holds 12 other BLM mining claims in the area, which in the aggregate contain additional VTEM anomalies, although not as large as the “A” prospect. These claims will be the subject of further ground geophysical and geochemical surveys.
Read the press release here.