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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Hawthorne Gold Exploration Team Identifies Priority Areas of Significant Exploration Interest at Cassiar Gold Camp
Hawthorne Gold Corp. ("Hawthorne" or the "Company") (TSX-V: HGC) is pleased to announce that the Company has identified new areas of significant exploration interest at the Cassiar Gold Camp through the completion of a helicopter-borne geophysical survey and a subsequent regional follow-up reconnaissance exploration program.
During 2008, Canadian Mining Geophysics Ltd. ("CMG") completed a property wide 6,567 line-kilometre geophysical survey across the Cassiar Gold Camp in northern British Columbia, Canada. Late in the season, Hawthorne dispatched an eight-person field crew to conduct preliminary ground assessment of initial magnetic data with a focus on correlating near mine geomagnetic responses with regional geomagnetic signatures.
"Hawthorne is excited to have identified priority areas of exploration interest throughout the Cassiar Gold Camp, which is planned to be fully evaluated in 2009. The Company has now completed consolidation of the property through an increased land package and has gained extensive knowledge and valuable information of the property through the recent completion of the geophysical survey and geological reconnaissance program. Our experienced geological and technical teams are nearing completion of a comprehensive digital geological model and significant progress has been made to enhance Hawthorne's ability to fully evaluate the numerous opportunities presented in the historic Cassiar Gold Camp," commented Richard Barclay, President and CEO of Hawthorne Gold.
Geophysical Summary
The geophysical survey consisted of helicopter-borne Magnetic Gradiometry (MAG) and VLF-EM measurements. These prospecting methods have provided a noticeable enhancement in spatial resolution over near-surface and small magnetic and conductive anomalies. The initial qualitative interpretation of MAG and VLF-EM maps has revealed a number of linear features, some being offset and intersecting each other, that are orientated dominantly in E-W and NE-SW directions. These linear patterns are related to the subsurface geological setting and near-surface mineralized fracture and vein systems. Some of the areas overlying these features are being currently studied and were examined in 2008 with programs of soil and rock sampling along with reconnaissance mapping. The data sets are currently being compiled and will be fully analyzed in 2009.
Geological Summary
West of the Main Mine, mafic dykes are marked by linear magnetic highs related to magnetic sulphides (pyrrhotite with minor pyrite +/- chalcopyrite) associated with intensely chlorite-altered metavolcanics. The responses are similar to dykes at the Main Mine and along the Vollaug Vein, where late lamprophyre dykes have utilized early gold-bearing quartz veins. In addition, magnetic lows in this area correlate with previously unidentified silica-carbonate alteration zones and quartz veining. A systematic examination of similar anomalies could lead to the discovery of additional gold-bearing quartz veins.
Magnetic highs in the southwest and northeast regions of the property correlate with large, steeply dipping and deeply rooted ultramafic bodies. These ultramafic bodies are structurally and chemically related to gold mineralization at Table Mountain and appear to be more extensive than originally mapped, particularly with listwanite assemblages that are favourable for conducive to gold-bearing quartz-carbonate veins.
Magnetic data also highlight areas of structural complexity, particularly in the southern portion of the property at the Sky-Gap, Pete, and Hunter prospects. In addition, VLF-EM anomalies are noted proximal to magnetic highs in areas with gold mineralization and unexplored areas. It is significant that Hawthorne's 2008 soil sampling program over the Pete prospect produced anomalous gold values coincident with magnetic and VLF-EM anomalies. Analysis and processing of new and historical geochemistry currently is underway to follow-up on these coincident patterns.
Due to time and physiographic constraints, only 15% of the magnetic anomalies from the initial data set were examined in 2008. Finalized magnetic and VLF-EF data were received from CMG in late 2008 and currently are being examined for detailed follow-up during 2009 to define additional exploration targets.
Cassiar Gold Camp
The Cassiar Gold Camp hosts the permitted Table Mountain gold mine, comprising a 300 ton-per-day gravity flotation mill, power plant and impoundment facility. Historical gold production from the camp amounted to just under 500,000 ounces at grade of approximately 15 g/t Au. Gold mineralization at Table Mountain is primarily hosted in extensive quartz-carbonate-gold vein systems strongly associated with thrust faulting within altered greenstone and/or altered carbonatized ultramafic volcanic assemblages that are typical of some of Canada's largest gold camps, including Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Val d'Or. The Company is working towards gold production at Table Mountain in 2009.
The Cassiar property also contains the Taurus project that comprises bulk-tonnage, low-grade gold deposits located on strike and approximately five kilometres north of the Table Mountain mine. The Taurus deposits host a National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 compliant inferred gold resource estimate of 1.04 million ounces consisting of 32.4 million tonnes grading 1.0 g/t Au (technical report prepared by Wardrop Engineering and titled, "Report on the Taurus Deposit -- Liard Mining District, B.C." that is dated June 2007, which is available at www.sedar.com).
Michael Petrina, P.Eng., the Company's Vice President of Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.
About Hawthorne Gold Corp.
Hawthorne Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based gold exploration and development company with key properties located in British Columbia, Canada. Hawthorne is led by well-respected mining leaders Richard Barclay and Michael Beley. Hawthorne's goal is to become a junior gold producer by working towards production at Table Mountain in the latter part of 2009 and the continued resource development at the nearby Taurus deposit, as well as the Frasergold deposit in the Cariboo region of south central British Columbia.
For more information on Hawthorne, contact Todd Hanas toll free at 1-866-869-8072 or the Company at (604) 629-1505 or toll free at 1-888-629-1505, or you can visit Hawthorne's website at www.hawthornegold.com.
ON BEHALF OF HAWTHORNE GOLD CORP.
"Richard J. Barclay"
President & CEO
Certain information regarding the company including management's assessment of future plans and operations, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve risks associated with mining exploration and development, volatility of prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of resource estimates, environmental and permitting risks, access to labour and services, competition from other companies and ability to access sufficient capital. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
You can also view this News Release on our website at:
http://www.hawthornegold.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=334828 |