Nortec Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:NVT)(PINK SHEETS:NMNZF)(FRANKFURT:WMQ) has announced that it has confirmed the presence of gold mineralization in the northern part of the Company's Tammela Project in southern Finland. The Company holds a 100% interest in Tammela.
Highlights:
- 37.7 metres @ 1.03 g/t Gold from 51 metres (Hole R330 – Satulinmäki Prospect)
- 10.0 metres @ 2.47 g/t Gold from 20 metres (Hole R356 – Riukka Prospect)
- 2.50 metres @ 6.81 g/t Gold from 61.35 metres (Hole R357 – Riukka Prospect)
In September 2010, Nortec converted the 2,500 hectare claim reservation that covers the Tammela Lithium Project into 30 contiguous claims for a total of 1,511 hectares. During this process, Nortec was able to include two gold prospects, Riukka and Satulinmäki, located only 1 kilometre north and 5 kilometres north-west respectively of the main zone of lithium mineralization identified on the Kietyönmäki prospect that initially made up the Tammela Project.
Further research on the two prospects, including site visits, identified that during the 1990's, the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) drilled 39 holes at the Riukka prospect and 57 holes in the Satulinmäki prospect targeting geochemical anomalies with elevated gold. Last quarter, Nortec carried out a relogging and select re-sampling programme of available drill core stored at the GTK's core storage facility in the town of Loppi, north-west of Helsinki.
Fifteen holes (9 from Riukka and 6 from Satulinmäki) were available for inspection. The drill core was geologically logged to identify the styles and controls of gold mineralization from both prospects. Samples were selected from 13 of the 15 holes logged for a total of 414 samples (141 samples from Riukka and 273 from Satulinmäki).
The Riukka and Satulinmäki gold prospects are situated in the Häme Schist Belt in southern Finland, dominated by mafic and felsic to intermediate metavolcanic rocks. Gold mineralization at Riukka is hosted within the arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite bearing quartz veins and biotite-altered and silicified wall rock that is over 100m wide and can be traced for over 1km along an east-west strike. Gold mineralization at Satulinmäki is hosted within sulphide-tourmaline rich quartz veins within a 400m wide biotite-altered and silicified wallrock along a 700 metre northeast-southwest strike. Wide zones of mineralization at Satulinmäki are confirmed by the intersection in drill hole R330 (37.70 metres of 1.03 g/t gold).
The significant drillhole intersections have been projected onto the Satulinmäki and Riukka GTK-generated surface geology map confirming that the mineralization is hosted in several discrete sub-parallel steeply plunging significant mineralized quartz-vein hosted shoots. This suggests these shoots have the potential to form bulk-tonnage gold deposits.
Ian Laurent, President of Nortec states, "The Company is excited to not only have a 100% interest in a project that contains an important strategic commodity like lithium, but that within that same project, only 1 km to the north of the main lithium prospect, there is near-surface gold mineralization delineated and systematically studied by the GTK. Nortec confirmed the GTK results by re-sampling the archive drill holes. This really does create a new dynamic in how the company will conduct exploration in this multi-commodity district. We are looking forward to adding to this discovery with the aim of delineating potential gold resources along with lithium from the Tammela Project."
With the addition of the Riukka and Satulinmäki gold prospects, along with the original Kietyönmäki lithium prospect, Nortec regards the Tammela Project as an important and strategic acquisition. An exploration programme is being designed to help further delineate the bulk-style gold mineralization over wide widths identified at Riukka and Satulinmäki.
Gold exploration and mining has been very active in the Tampere-Häme district since 2001. Australian mining company, Dragon Mining, is operating the Orivesi and Jokisivu Gold Mines, approximately 80km north of the Nortec's Tammela Project.
The Kietyönmäki Prospect, to the south of Riukka, remains an important area as it contains significant lithium mineralization; including 9 metres @ 1.03% Lithium (see Nortec News Release February 10, 2010). The lithium mineralization is also complemented by very low iron and magnesium content. Demand for lithium, continues to grow due to lithium applications in automobile and hi-tech batteries. Lithium projects in Finland have become increasingly important to European manufacturers as it addresses their concerns regarding security in the supply of lithium.
Mr Turkka Rekola, M.Sc,, Project Geologist – Finland and, Mr Ian F. Laurent MSc.(EconGeol) MAIG RPGeo, President for Nortec, are the persons responsible for initiating and guiding of the work programs on the Tammela Project. Ian F. Laurent is the Qualified Person responsible for the contents of this press release.