Strongbow Exploration Inc. (SBW: TSXV) is pleased to provide an update on exploration drilling at its wholly owned Nickel King property in southern Northwest Territories, including assay results for an additional eleven drill holes. A total of thirty-six drill holes (7,950 m) have been completed on the property so far this year including twenty-six holes within the Main Zone. Highlight intervals from the most recent drill results include 14.85 m grading 1.00% Ni from the Lower Sill in drill hole NK08-33A and 9.00 m grading 1.02% Ni from the Upper Sill in drill hole NK08-26.
Ken Armstrong, President and CEO of Strongbow stated "Infill drilling of the Main Zone continues to show continuity of higher grade mineralization with thicknesses and grades approximating our target interval of ten metres grading one percent nickel. Importantly, these higher grade intervals are encountered in both the Upper Sill and the Lower Sill and they typically are located within much broader mineralized zones. This continuity is highly encouraging and indicates the potential of the Main Zone to develop into a significant nickel sulphide resource."
Lower Sill (Main Zone)
Results have been received for five drill holes testing the Lower Sill in the central portion of the Main Zone. Each of the reported drill holes has encountered significant mineralization as recorded in the following table, with the holes ordered spatially from southwest to northeast:
DDH |
Angle |
Az. |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Length (m) |
Ni (%) |
Cu (%) |
Co (%) |
NK08-27 |
-85 |
324 |
209.89 |
257.00 |
47.11 |
0.29 |
0.08 |
0.014 |
|
Including |
234.00 |
249.00 |
15.00 |
0.50 |
0.15 |
0.023 |
|
Including |
237.87 |
239.77 |
1.90 |
1.20 |
0.35 |
0.054 |
NK08-28 |
-79 |
324 |
237.00 |
250.00 |
13.00 |
0.94 |
0.22 |
0.037 |
|
Including |
239.00 |
243.00 |
4.00 |
1.64 |
0.40 |
0.064 |
|
|
255.00 |
263.00 |
8.00 |
0.47 |
0.11 |
0.019 |
|
|
283.00 |
289.00 |
6.00 |
0.23 |
0.05 |
0.008 |
NK08-29 |
-70 |
324 |
230.00 |
233.89 |
3.89 |
0.79 |
0.24 |
0.034 |
|
Including |
232.26 |
233.00 |
0.74 |
2.96 |
0.60 |
0.122 |
|
|
|
251.00 |
287.00 |
36.00 |
0.31 |
0.08 |
0.014 |
NK08-33A |
-86 |
350 |
186.53 |
214.00 |
27.47 |
0.71 |
0.17 |
0.028 |
|
Including |
189.15 |
204.00 |
14.85 |
1.00 |
0.21 |
0.039 |
|
Including |
201.00 |
202.64 |
1.64 |
2.55 |
0.45 |
0.102 |
|
|
218.00 |
232.90 |
14.90 |
0.49 |
0.11 |
0.020 |
|
|
240.04 |
247.00 |
6.96 |
0.27 |
0.05 |
0.009 |
NK08-25 |
-85 |
350 |
186.15 |
222.70 |
36.55 |
0.64 |
0.16 |
0.025 |
|
Including |
217.00 |
222.70 |
5.70 |
0.95 |
0.21 |
0.038 |
Drill holes NK08-27, 28 and 29 were drilled along the same azimuth from a single collar location with the intention of testing the up dip and down dip extent of mineralization within the Lower Sill approximately 100 m to the northeast of NK08-22 (9.95 m grading 0.97% Ni, please see Strongbow news release #08-07 dated April 30, 2008). Drill hole NK08-28 returned several mineralized zones, including a highlight interval of 13.00 m grading 0.94% Ni including 4.0 m grading 1.64% Ni, 0.40% Cu and 0.064% Co. Drill holes NK08-27 and NK08-29 tested approximately 32 m down dip and 25 m up dip from NK08-28, respectively. Downhole geophysical surveys of all three drill holes indicate the strongest part of the geophysical conductor in this area is located between holes NK08-28 and NK08-29 and remains untested.
Drill hole NK08-25 was collared approximately 157 m northeast of NK08-28 and 57 m northeast of NK08-21 (please see Strongbow news release #08-07 dated April 30. 2008). NK08-25 returned a broad, 36.55 m zone grading 0.64% Ni including 5.70 m grading 0.95% Ni, 0.21% Cu and 0.038% Co. A borehole geophysical survey of NK08-25 indicated a stronger conductive anomaly approximately 25 m up dip from this zone. Drill hole NK08-33A targeted this anomaly and encountered strong mineralization returning 27.47 m grading 0.71% Ni, including 14.85 m grading 1.00% Ni, 0.21% Cu and 0.039% Co. This higher grade section is interpreted to extend at least 260 m to the southwest connecting with mineralization encountered in NK08-28 and NK08-22 (both reported above) and 120 m to the east to the interpreted position of historic drill hole 10242 which reportedly returned 16.46 m grading 0.85% Ni.
Upper Sill (Main Zone)
Results have been received for nine drill holes that have tested the Upper Sill, including the five drill holes reported above. Highlight results from these holes are reported in the following table with the holes ordered spatially from southwest to northeast:
DDH |
Angle |
Az. |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Length (m) |
Ni (%) |
Cu (%) |
Co (%) |
NK08-24 |
-85 |
288 |
153.33 |
198.75 |
45.42 |
0.51 |
0.15 |
0.031 |
|
Including |
159.95 |
165.50 |
5.55 |
0.89 |
0.32 |
0.058 |
And Including |
172.40 |
185.75 |
13.35 |
0.91 |
0.28 |
0.059 |
|
Including |
175.20 |
179.75 |
4.55 |
1.17 |
0.36 |
0.076 |
NK08-30 |
-85 |
288 |
107.37 |
120.92 |
13.55 |
0.70 |
0.21 |
0.045 |
|
Including |
112.16 |
120.92 |
8.76 |
1.01 |
0.31 |
0.066 |
|
|
132.00 |
157.00 |
25.00 |
0.62 |
0.18 |
0.041 |
NK08-26 |
-85 |
324 |
77.00 |
137.00 |
60.00 |
0.47 |
0.13 |
0.028 |
|
Including |
83.80 |
92.80 |
9.00 |
1.02 |
0.30 |
0.069 |
NK08-34B |
-84 |
324 |
77.50 |
92.50 |
15.00 |
0.27 |
0.05 |
0.009 |
NK08-27 |
-85 |
324 |
50.61 |
53.46 |
2.85 |
0.84 |
0.24 |
0.069 |
|
|
|
59.00 |
79.00 |
20.00 |
0.26 |
0.06 |
0.010 |
NK08-28 |
-79 |
324 |
55.50 |
64.00 |
8.50 |
0.31 |
0.08 |
0.025 |
|
|
|
72.00 |
81.00 |
9.00 |
0.23 |
0.05 |
0.009 |
NK08-29 |
-70 |
324 |
54.45 |
65.00 |
10.55 |
0.60 |
0.17 |
0.050 |
|
Including |
60.00 |
64.00 |
4.00 |
0.78 |
0.19 |
0.065 |
|
|
70.00 |
82.40 |
12.40 |
0.23 |
0.05 |
0.009 |
NK08-33A |
-86 |
350 |
18.90 |
23.00 |
4.10 |
0.47 |
0.17 |
0.038 |
|
Including |
18.90 |
21.00 |
2.10 |
0.79 |
0.28 |
0.064 |
NK08-25 |
-85 |
350 |
45.38 |
48.38 |
3.00 |
0.24 |
0.04 |
0.007 |
Significant mineralization in the southwestern portion of the Main Zone has been extended a further 240 m southwest from previously reported drill hole NK08-23 (63.7 m grading 0.48% Ni, 0.13% Cu and 0.029% Co including 13.5 m grading 0.85% Ni, 0.24% Cu and 0.051% Co) by NK08-24 (13.35 m grading 0.91% Ni, 0.28% Cu and 0.059% Co) and NK08-30 (8.76 m grading 1.01% Ni, 0.31% Cu and 0.066% Co). NK08-24 was collared approximately 105 m southwest of NK08-30 and 240 m southwest of NK08-23 and represents the southernmost drill hole reported from the Main Zone.
Drill hole NK08-26 (9.00 m grading 1.02% Ni, 0.30% Cu, and 0.069% Co) tested 90 m to the northeast of NK08-23 and confirms the northeastern continuation of this higher grade zone. The zone can be traced an additional 550 m to the northeast as indicated by similar mineralization encountered in drill holes NK08-22 (9.44 m grading 0.83% Ni, 0.26% Cu and 0.067% Co), NK08-29 (4.0 m grading 0.78% Ni, 0.19% Cu and 0.065% Co) and NK08-33A (2.10 m grading 0.79% Ni, 0.28% Cu and 0.064% Co). The mineralization reported in NK08-33A was located immediately below the casing of the hole, which implies the zone subcrops beneath Thye Lake. Overall this mineralized zone can be traced from near surface in the central part of the Main Zone for over 900 m to the southwest. The zone thickens considerably over this strike length and remains open to the south of NK08-24.
Drill hole NK08-34B was intended to test 30 m up dip from the Lower Sill intersection in drill hole NK08-22, however the hole failed to reach the target depth and was abandoned. The remaining two drill holes for which assay results have been received tested targets outside of the Main Zone and did not return significant results.
Assays are pending for an additional eleven drill holes that have tested the Upper Sill and Lower Sill down dip from and along strike to the east of drill holes NK08-25 and NK08-33A. The current drilling program will continue through to late June and it is expected that approximately 42 drill holes will have been completed during the program. A summary of assay results received to date for the 2008 drilling program at Nickel King can be found at http://www.strongbowexploration.com/s/NickelKing.asp as well as an updated schematic long section and plan view map of the Main Zone.
Current exploration of the Nickel King project is part of Strongbow's ongoing evaluation of the nickel-copper-PGE potential of the Snowbird Tectonic Zone (SBTZ). The SBTZ is a major crustal scale structure and represents an underexplored region of Canada that is prospective for magmatic sulphide nickel deposits. Strongbow maintains a 100% interest in approximately 900,000 acres of mineral claims and permits along a 240 km strike length of the southern SBTZ. Strongbow's 2008 exploration programs are conducted under the supervision of David Gale, P.Geo. (BC), Vice-President of Exploration for Strongbow and a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.
All samples from the 2008 drilling program are split with one half of the core submitted to Acme Analytical Laboratories of Vancouver, BC for analysis. Each sample is weighed, dried and crushed to better than 70% passing a 2 mm screen. A split of up to 250g is taken and pulverized to better than 95% passing a 100 micron (150 mesh) screen. The prepared sample is subjected to an aqua regia digestion and the resulting solution is analyzed by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Samples that return nickel results greater than 5,000 ppm are automatically re-analyzed using a larger sample size and laboratory inserted ore grade standards to provide optimum precision and accuracy. Strongbow conducts an internal quality assurance/quality control program, with the regular insertion of standard, blank and field duplicate samples into the sample stream.
STRONGBOW EXPLORATION INC. Kenneth A. Armstrong President and CEO
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