Pacific Ridge Exploration has commenced the 4,000 m diamond drilling at the Mariposa gold property, which is situated in the White Gold District of Yukon.
This program includes a major part of the $3 million phase 1 exploration financial plan of the company. The Mariposa project was not drilled formerly.
The company will drill test two out of the five gold-in soils geochemical anomalies namely Hackly and Skookum Jim zones, which were outlined in the 262 km2 Mariposa property during 2010. At present, it is predicted that the primary drilling will include 20 to 25 drill holes.
The phase I drilling will be conducted at the 3500x600 m Skookum Jim target that includes gold-in-soil anomalies. These anomalies range from 100 to 1,570 ppb, which are concurrent with electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical anomalies inferred to signify primary structures. This Skookum Jim target has coexisting geophysical and geochemical signatures, which are connected with gold mineralization that was identified recently in the White Gold District. During 2010, the company executed trenching in the anomaly and authenticated the occurrence of gold with composite rock samples. Pacific Ridge has cut up to 1.25 g/t gold over 30 m at strongly oxidized, fractured and brecciated rock. It has also intersected 8.1 g/t gold from the strongly oxidized hematitic rock sample located in the trenching region.