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Friday, February 08, 2008
Northern Freegold Completes Initial Holes of 3,000 m Drill Program at Burro Creek Gold/Silver Property, Arizona
Press Release #08-04
Vancouver, BC. February 8, 2008. Northern Freegold Resources Ltd. (NFR: TSX-V) is pleased to announce completion of the second drill hole at the Burro Creek Gold/Silver Property located in Mohave County, Arizona, U.S.A. The main focus of the drill program is to confirm and update historical results on an open pit type epithermal gold/silver mineralized zone on the property and to drill test areas on the property with potential to discover additional mineralization within the epithermal vein system.
Burro Creek Property Highlights
- First drill hole intersects 44.5 metres (145.96 feet) of vein material
- High grade gold/silver vein within wider lower grade vein system
- 1.7 km known strike length of vein system up to 45 metres (147.6 feet) wide, open in both directions
- Portion of vein 300 m (984 feet) long and 230 m (754.4 feet) deep was fully permitted for open pit mining operations in mid 1980s
- Excellent infrastructure with Arizona State Highway, parallel high tension powerlines within 1.6 km of deposit; water rights secured
Drilling Status
BC08-023 was the first hole completed of the 2008 program, and was drilled to a vertical depth of 91.13 meters (298.91 feet). BC08-023 was targeted to intersect the down dip extension of Burro Vein at the northern end of the central block zone. The hanging wall of the Burro Vein was intercepted at a depth of 22.25 meters (72.98 feet), and was identified by intense clay alteration and fault gouge. A total of 44.49 meters (145.93 feet) of vein material was recovered from 22.25 to 66.74 meters (72.98 to 218.91 feet).
The core samples from the Burro Vein in BC08-023 showed several phases of brecciation, silicification of wall rock material, and the infilling of open spaces with massive quartz and calcite mineralization. The quartz and calcite mineralization occurred as vuggy veins and veinlets, with minor manganese oxide staining on the vuggy surfaces. In historical records from the Burro Mine manganese staining was a good indicator for high silver mineralization. Disseminated sulphide mineralization was noted in a silica altered zone of volcanics/granite schist at the footwall contact of the Burro Vein from 61.64 to 66.74 m (202.18 to 218.91 feet). Pervasive alteration within granite schist, coupled with quartz and calcite veining/veinlets occurred through the remainder of the hole to a depth of 91.19 meters (301.42 feet). Minor sulphide mineralization was noted along vein margins and disseminated through the granite schist.
BC08-024 was collared in the same location as BC08-023, and is targeting the Burro Vein up dip from BC08-023. The Burro Vein was intersected at 15.50 meters (50.84 feet) and continuing to 44.50 meters (145.96 feet) within the 60.96 m (199.95 feet) hole. The Hanging wall of the vein was marked by the same intense clay gouge observed in BC08-023. Similar textures and phases of quartz and calcite mineralization, manganese oxide mineralization with in quartz vugs, and altered volcanic and granite schist were present in BC08-023 and BC08-024.
The Burro Creek Property
The Burro Creek Property is located 1.6 km off State Highway 93 in Mohave County, Arizona, 105 km southeast of Kingman, Arizona, and 265 km southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2000 acre property consists of four patented mineral claims and 150 surrounding unpatented mineral claims.
The Property covers a low-sulphidation epithermal vein system that has been traced for over 1.7 km and exhibits widths of up to 45 metres. A NI 43-101 report dated July 17, 2007 entitled "Evaluation Report of the Burro Creek Project" has been completed by J. Pautler, P. Geo., an independent qualified person. Previous reverse circulation, diamond drilling and underground development conducted on the property focused on a 300 metre strike length in the central block of the exposed vein system and outlined a historical gold and silver resource of 2.6 million tons with an average grade of 0.03 oz gold and 1.1 oz silver per ton. These historical results reported in the NI 43-101 report are considered by management to be reliable and relevant, though not conforming to current NI 43-101 standards.
The Property was fully permitted to commence production in the 1980s, but the production decision was deferred due to a decline in the gold price. At that time, the intent was to place the existing resource into production, and continue to expand the resource through exploration funded by the ensuing profits.
Quality Control and Assurance
The holes were drilled by a skid mounted diamond drill with NTW core size (5.6cm/2.2 inches in diameter). All core samples from diamond drilling are split and sent to ALS Chemex Laboratory in Reno for analysis. Blanks, commercial standards and duplicate core samples are included in each batch. Gold is analysed on 30 gram pulps by fire assay followed by aqua regia digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Gold values greater than 1000 ppb are reanalysed by gravimetric fire assay. Silver is analysed by aqua regia digestion and Atomic
Emission Spectrometry (AES). Other elements are analysed by 28 element ICP analysis after aqua regia digestion. Additional check analyses and assays will be carried out by EcoTech Laboratories in Kamloops. 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 Susan P. Craig, P. Geo.
Northern Freegold is a Canadian-based resource exploration and development company which relies on local expertise and strong management to focus on development of economic reserves on the district-scale Freegold Mountain Project in the Yukon and Arizona.
Northern Freegold Resources Ltd.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Signed "Bill Harris"
William (Bill) G. Harris
President and Chief Executive Officer
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 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.
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