TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 6, 2011) - MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (News - Market indicators) ("MacDonald" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the presence of a volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization(VMS) target on the Butler 3 Zone within its Butler Lake Property in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario. The Company is currently conducting a DPEM geophysical survey with plans to resume drilling on the Butler 3 Zone in August 2011 once these results have been interpreted.
Highlights of the VMS mineralized intercepts on Butler 3 Zone are provided below:
Diamond drill hole BP11-Cu03 intersected:
- 8.11m of 1.76% Zn (298.32m-306.43m)
Diamond drill hole BP11-Cu05 was drilled below BP-Cu03 to prove both increasing thickness and Cu values with depth. BP11-Cu05 intersected:
- 4.6m of 1.12% Cu (291.90m-296.50m)
- 14.16m of 1.23% Zn (274.64m-293.40m)
Diamond drill hole BP11-Cu06 was drilled to test the continuity of mineralization down a postulated fold limb and intersected 167 metres of 0.39% Cu and 1.13% Zn. Within this interval was:
- 11.50m of 1.15%Cu (208.5m-220m)
- 50.5m of 3.62% Zn including 9m of 6.88% Zn (169.5m-220m)
Exploration Summary
Partial assays have been received from drill holes targeting VMS with the remainder expected in the next few weeks. The total program consisted of 3827.34 metres of drilling over 17 diamond drill holes; 7 targeting VMS mineralization, 8 targeting vanadium and 2 targeting Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization.
- Massive, semi-massive and stringer sulphides consisting of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and/or sphalerite were intersected in 6 of the 7 VMS drill holes.
- Vanadium was intersected in all 8 vanadium drill holes, with composited intervals ranging up to 1.17% V2O5. The weighted average of all vanadium mineralization intersected on the property is 0.644% V2O5.
Butler Lake VMS Mineralization
The recently completed Butler Lake exploration program targeted VMS mineralization in 7 diamond drill holes over 3 target areas, the Butler 3, Butler 4, and Butler 6 targets. A total of 7 holes were emplaced over the target areas; 2 over the Butler 5 target (BP11-Cu01 and Cu02), one over the Butler 4 target (BP11-Cu04), and 4 over the Butler 3 target (BP11-Cu03, Cu05, Cu06, Cu07). In total, 1958.4 m was completed over VMS targets.
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Assay Intervals |
Drill Hole |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Cu (%) |
Zn (%) |
Interval * (m) |
BP11-Cu03 |
287 |
306.43 |
0.348 |
0.823 |
19.43 |
BP11-Cu04 |
154 |
157 |
0.23 |
0.54 |
3 |
BP11-Cu05 |
291.9 |
304 |
0.68 |
1.16 |
12.1 |
BP11-Cu06 |
130 |
297 |
0.39 |
1.13 |
167 |
*Intervals represent the length of the down-hole intersection only, and therefore do not represent true width. |
Assay results will be posted on the MacDonald Mines website once the finals are received from the lab.
Butler 3 Target
The Butler 3 drill target locations were identified by the Company's geoscientists through geochemical vector analysis, and then further refined by looking for coincident geophysical anomalies (identified through both airborne and ground-based geophysics). VMS mineralization was intersected in all drill holes, which were emplaced along what Company geoscientists have now interpreted to be the northern limb of a north-east plunging antiformal fold.
Diamond drill hole BP11-Cu06 was drilled to test the continuity of mineralization down the postulated fold limb and intersected 167 metres of 0.39% Cu and 1.13% Zn. Within this interval was:
- 11.50m of 1.15%Cu (208.5-220m)
- 50.5m of 3.62% Zn including 9m of 6.88% Zn (169.5-220m)
The geophysical results of this borehole indicate a very highly conductive body of considerable size at depth, and to the north of the intersected mineralization. This interpretation agrees with the geochemical analysis. Copper is far more conductive than zinc, suggesting that the highly conductive body identified by the geophysical probe of BP11-Cu06 could be copper rich.
Massive sulphides behave in a ductile manner when subjected to certain metamorphic conditions, so Company geoscientists postulate VMS mineralization found along the fold hinge will be found to 'thicken' in the Butler 3 area due to the concentration of sulphides within dilational zones. Ground geophysical analyses over the Butler 3 target area have identified numerous fold structures, so the area contains numerous previously unidentified VMS targets.
Please visit MacDonald Mines website at www.macdonaldmines.com for visual images and a full description of this press release.
Butler Vanadium
The company made a very significant vanadium find during this exploration program (please see the press release from Wednesday May 11, 2011 on the MacDonald Mines website at www.macdonaldmines.com). Vanadium is a strategic element used in steel production. There is currently no major source of vanadium located in North America which is in production. The presence of vanadium at Butler has placed the company into a growing and interesting suite of minerals now available in the Ring of Fire including nickel (Noront Resources Ltd), chrome (Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.) and now vanadium (MacDonald) which could fit the requirements of companies such as Cliffs and the Baosteel Group, a large Chinese steel conglomerate who recently invested in Noront.
Butler 4 Target
The Butler 4 target was drill tested with the BP11-Cu04 diamond drill hole. The hole intersected 3 metres (154-157m) of 0.23% Cu and 0.54% Zn in the form of stringer mineralization within a moderately chlorite-biotite-serecite altered andesite. Company geologists believe this alteration suite identifies the mineralization as being distal to a VMS centre. This information, coupled with previous drilling results in the area, have provided a 'vector' for mineralization, and the Company will focus future drilling to the south.
Butler 6 Target
The Butler 6 target area was tested with diamond drill holes BP11-Cu01 and Cu02. Drill hole Cu01 did not intersect sulphides, while Cu02 intersected 3.5 metres of massive pyrrhotite. Geophysical anomalies within the vicinity of the target are believed to be associated with pyrrhotite. As a consequence, the Company will focus future exploration efforts in other areas of the Property with high VMS potential.
About MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd
MacDonald Mines is a mineral exploration company with an established exploration history in the Canadian Northlands. MacDonald Mines has set upon a strategic direction of exploration with particular focus on nickel, chrome, copper, zinc, vanadium and titanium in the "Ring of Fire" area of the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario. Hadyn Butler, P.Geo., played the key role in providing the necessary insight into the land acquisition of MacDonald's properties in the Ring of Fire. His experience and skills in interpreting geologic areas of economic interest also led to the acquisition of the Semple-Hulbert property.
As detailed in the Company's recent press releases, MacDonald Mines has several significant mineral opportunities across multiple properties in the James Bay Lowlands. On its Butler Property, new volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization of substance has been discovered. Four VMS mineralized greenstone fold limbs, all of which have now yielded VMS mineralization over a potential cumulative strike length of approximately 20 kilometres, have been identified and the Butler Property has the potential to host a new VMS camp with characteristics similar to those seen at Matagami or Noranda in Quebec.
MacDonald's highly prospective Semple-Hulbert Property contains very conductive and discrete targets within a layered magnetic structure, which is typical of magmatic massive sulphides containing nickel.
The Company's Sanderson Property (formerly the Big Mac Property) exhibits high-priority nickel and copper targets with geological and geophysical signatures similar to Eagles Nest discovery of Noront Resources.
Quentin Yarie, P.Geo., is the qualified person in regard to the technical data contained within this news release and will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Company's exploration programs.
More detailed information about the Company is available on the website at www.macdonaldmines.com.
Cautionary Statement:
The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of MacDonald Mines Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from MacDonald Mines plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by MacDonald Mines with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. MacDonald Mines does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.