Eastmain Resources Inc. (TSX:ER) announces that high-grade, gold-bearing, quartz-tourmaline veins containing up to 41.5 g/t Au have been discovered 2.5 kilometres east of the Eau Claire deposit at the SNL Target. 11 trenches have been excavated both north and east of Eau Claire, along the favourable deposit trend.
Numerous surface gold showings have been discovered along this trend, which extends for approximately three kilometres in length. Recent trenching exposed a number of gold-tellurium-bearing, quartz-tourmaline veins, with channel samples grading up to 19.4 g/t Au within the Boomerang Target area, one kilometre east of Eau Claire. Trenching has also exposed wide sections of altered and mineralized rock prospective for a bulk tonnage target north of the Eau Claire deposit. Eight of the 11 trenches have been washed and sampled, of these, assays remain pending for seven trenches.
An infill core sampling program currently in progress has been designed to further evaluate the near surface bulk tonnage potential of Eau Claire.
SNL Target
Regional prospecting within the SNL Target area has delineated high-grade, gold-tellurium-bearing quartz-tourmaline veins and altered zones located near the favourable volcanic/sedimentary rock contact. These vein and host rocks are altered and deformed similarly to those within the gold-rich horizons at Eau Claire. Multiple grab samples taken from the SNL area are enriched in both gold and tellurium (Table 1).
Boomerang Target
Five trenches excavated within the Boomerang Target area expose a number of parallel quartz-tourmaline veins. Assay results from Trench CW2010-15 have confirmed that these veins are enriched in both gold and tellurium as reported in Table 1. The Boomerang prospect was discovered in 2009, when a composite grab sample assayed 254 g/t gold, 640 g/t silver and >500 g/t tellurium. Assay data is pending from four additional trenches completed in this target area (CW2010-8, 12, 16 and 21).
850 West Target
Recent trenching within the 850 West Target area has exposed wide intervals of mineralized and altered rock extending north and west of the Eau Claire gold deposit. Assay data from a rehabilitated historic trench site located immediately north of the 850 West zone confirms that these rocks are gold-bearing. Previous drilling in this area also intersected up to 5.6 g/t Au over 5.8 metres in hole SQ98-43 and 2.4 g/t Au across 15.6 metres in hole SQ98-44. Assay data is pending for new trenches CW2010-19, 20 and 28.
2010 Drilling
Two diamond drills have been contracted to begin an extensive drilling program focused on testing new targets peripheral to the Eau Claire gold deposit. One drill will begin testing the 850 West Target area while the second drill will focus on the Boomerang and SNL Target areas.
Resource Update
A resource update, which will incorporate an additional 181 HQ drill holes completed within the upper 1/3rd of the Eau Claire deposit since the last estimate (2005), is in progress. The 2005 resource estimate included 182 vein intercepts from wide-spread drilling. The new estimate will contain 1,370 vein intercepts, thereby substantially improving the geological confidence in the deposit. The Company contracted the services of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK") to audit this estimate. SRK has completed a technical field visit required for an independent NI 43-101 Technical Report. SRK is currently auditing the Corporation's resource estimate and outlining a potential model for future pit optimization of the deposit. Past drilling and surface trenching has provided considerable evidence of bulk tonnage potential within the upper portion of the Eau Claire deposit. Numerous composite drill intersections of four (P, JQ, R and S Veins) of 31 veins outlined at Eau Claire have a weighted average grade as follows:
Note that each of these drill intervals have large sections of unsampled core where a zero value was used for a weighted average grade. A major core re-sampling campaign is in progress to determine the metal content of any unsampled wallrock between the veins. The resource estimate will be issued upon completion of SRK's audit and pit optimization work.
The Company has also received a draft metallurgical report from SGS Mineral Services (Lakefield Research) confirming excellent metallurgical test results for the Eau Claire deposit. Metallurgical data will also be integrated with the NI 43-101 Technical Report.
Dr. Donald J. Robinson P.Geo, is the Qualified Person for the information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.