Catalina Metals Corp. and Redstar Gold Corp. have reported the discovery of significant new gold mineralization from surface sampling at the Cooks Creek project on the Cortez gold belt in Nevada.
Exploration costs are being covered by Catalina who is earning an interest in the Cooks Creek project. The new "Dinner zone" contains rock-chip samples with values up to 2.45 g/t (0.071 ounces per ton) gold, along a district-scale fault. The zone is about 750m south of previously-defined gold mineralization at the Main zone, and has not been drill tested.
Catalina has completed a geological mapping and sampling program, a geophysical survey and attempted two reverse circulation drill holes. Both holes were terminated prematurely, well above their targets, but did intersect strongly anomalous arsenic, mercury, antimony and gold. No drilling has been completed at the Dinner Zone and initial drilling plans are being made to drill this prospective area.
Cooks Creek consists of approximately 3.7 square miles of unpatented mining claims 100%-owned by Redstar, covering areas of outcropping sediment-hosted gold mineralization. The project is 8 miles west of the world-class Pipeline mine operated by Barrick Gold Corp.
The Main zone covers an area of at least 2,900 by 2,500 feet (890 x 760m) with surface rock-chip assays reaching 1.26 g/t gold. The zone contains strongly anomalous arsenic, mercury, and antimony (which locally occurs as stibnite), elements characteristic of Carlin-type gold deposits such as nearby Pipeline-Cortez. Historical drilling also intersected gold mineralization, including 21.3m (70 feet) grading 2.317 g/t gold (0.068 opt) from 18.3 to 39.6m. Gold mineralization at the Main zone remains open along strike and depth, and is located along at least two northeast-striking faults separated by about 300m.
The newly-identified Dinner zone is an area of silicified and brecciated chert and quartzite, located along a northeast-trending fault that is parallel to structures controlling gold mineralization at the Main zone. The size of the Dinner zone at surface is uncertain due to extensive alluvial cover, which conceals the mineralization, but it appears to be at least 300m long by 40m wide. Of 31 rock-chip samples collected in the area, 17 exceed 0.1 g/t gold, 6 exceed 1 g/t gold, with a high of 2.45 g/t gold, and these sample results are higher than surface values at the Main zone. Trace elements indicate a favorable Carlin-type gold signature, with strong arsenic (up to 5750 ppm), mercury (up to 57 ppm), antimony (up to 933 ppm), with low silver, lead and zinc.
Induced-polarization (IP) geophysics has been completed along a 2.2km line that crosses the structures controlling the Main and Dinner zones. The survey aided in the delineation of important faults with depth and identified a significant IP anomaly under the fault controlling the new Dinner gold zone. This anomaly, possibly the result of deep elevated sulfide content, provides additional support for drill testing this new zone.
Based on the encouraging findings at the new Dinner zone, an amendment has been submitted to the Bureau of Land Management for additional drill sites along the Dinner and Main zones. Catalina plans to complete six to nine drill holes in late 2011 at the two zones.