VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 22, 2015) - Alto Ventures Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:ATV) is pleased to announce recovery of significant Kimberlite Indicator Minerals (KIMs) from till samples on the GEFA Diamond Property, located adjacent to the east of the North Arrow Minerals Inc. Pikoo Diamond discovery in Northern Saskatchewan. The KIMs include Cr-rich chromites, Mg-ilmenites, Cr-pyrope garnets and one Diamond associated eclogite garnet (Diamond Indicator Mineral "DIM"). Recovery of such an eclogite garnet in till is consistent with an indicator dispersion train having a potentially significant diamondiferous source. Cr-pyrope, eclogite garnet, and Mg-ilmenite KIMs have been particularly useful in this part of Saskatchewan defining the drill targets that resulted in discovery of Diamond bearing kimberlite in 2013 on the adjacent Pikoo property.
Grains reported herein as KIM and DIM have been confirmed by electron microprobe analysis in 34 of the 165 samples processed to date. KIM grain counts in these samples range from one grain to nine grains per sample, including three samples containing one garnet each. The results reported here-in represent approximately half of the samples collected during Alto's program in September, 2014. Results for samples from the west half of GEFA property and the Fisher claims are pending (see Figure 1).
Sampling Confirms At Least One Indicator Mineral Dispersion Train
Samples yielding KIMs define at least one dispersion train in the east-central part of the GEFA Property. This dispersion train includes all three kimberlitic garnets, as well as chromites containing up to 64.24% Cr2O3 and Mg-ilmenites with up to 11.61% MgO. The eclogite garnet is probably most significant of these grains, because it is titanium-poor and sodium-enriched (0.14% NaO), a characteristic that is similar to the composition of most eclogite garnet included in diamonds world-wide. Notably, this eclogite garnet DIM is down-ice from a high-priority magnetic anomaly on the GEFA property interpreted from a regional government airborne geophysical survey. Alto is currently flying a high resolution airborne magnetic survey, using a close 50 m line spacing, to better define this and other high-priority magnetic anomalies from the government survey.
"Alto is very encouraged by these initial results," commented Rick Mazur, Alto's CEO and Director. "A single KIM grain can be relevant but recovery of numerous KIM's forming a till train including a DIM eclogite garnet suggests that this indicator dispersion train could have a potentially significant diamondiferous source up-ice. Alto will assess its further exploration plans for the property once the remainder of the KIM results are received and the airborne magnetic survey results have been interpreted."
To view Figure 1 accompanying this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/988687.pdf
Sample Collection and Processing
A total of 325 till samples were collected on the GEFA and Fisher claims in 2014. Alto's field crews used float planes to access remote areas, and collected 10 kgs (field weight) of till that passed through a 6 mm screen at each sample site. Upon arriving at a proposed sample location, the field crew would search for suitable till, usually beneath a thin organic soil layer. Typically, crews could locate good till for sampling within 10 to 30 m of the proposed location. Sampled till ranged from clay-rich to sandy, interpreted as unaltered basal till to washed till, respectively. Till samples were shipped to the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon for processing. The SRC is an experienced laboratory in KIM samples operating in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Processing at SRC consists of creating a heavy mineral concentrate, hand-picking the concentrate for potential kimberlite indicator minerals and then electron microprobe analysis of picked grains. Details of SRC's KIM processing routine and quality control are available on the SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories website (http://www.src.sk.ca/facilities/pages/geoanalytical-laboratories.aspx). Picked grains are only counted as kimberlite indicator minerals (KIMs) or Diamond indicator minerals (DIMs) by Alto after review of the electron microprobe data using industry standard chemical criteria.
Alto's kimberlite and Diamond consultant Dr. Harrison Cookenboo, P.Geo., has reviewed field procedures, technical data, and conclusions in this news release. He is a qualified person under the provisions of National Instrument 43-101 and approves of technical data and conclusions in this news release.
Alto is earning a 60% interest in the GEFA claims by making staged payments to the vendors totaling $60,000 over two years and completing $750,000 in exploration work on the property over 30 months (see Alto Ventures news release dated January 27, 2014). Alto is earning a 100% interest in the Fisher claims by issuing to the vendor 25,000 shares of Alto and making cash payments totaling $18,000 over two years (see Alto Ventures news release dated January 22, 2014).
About Alto Ventures Ltd
Alto Ventures Ltd. is an exploration and development company with a portfolio of highly prospective Canadian Diamond, gold and base metals properties. Alto's Diamond land holdings total approximately 89,536 hectares in central eastern Saskatchewan near the recent discovery of diamonds on the Pikoo Project. The Company is active in the Abitibi greenstone belt in Quebec on the Destiny gold property and is exploring in the Beardmore-Geraldton gold belt in Ontario. In Manitoba, the Company is focused on the gold and base metals potential of the highly prospective but relatively under-explored Oxford Lake property.
For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.altoventures.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo., CEO
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.
