Everton Resources Inc. ("Everton") is pleased to announce that its partner Aurizon Mines Ltd ("Aurizon") identified several new gold targets on the Opinaca and Wildcat properties in 2012. The upcoming 2013 work program will include a diamond drilling phase. The Opinaca and Wildcat properties are located near Goldcorp's Eleonore gold deposit in the James Bay region of Quebec.
Aurizon recently informed Everton that it will renew its option for a second year on the Wildcat (1 to 7) and the Opinaca (A, B and B-North) properties. The Opinaca properties are subject to a three-way agreement with Azimut Exploration Inc (TSXV: AZM) (see press release dated September 16, 2010). Azimut and Everton currently hold a 50% interest these properties.
André Audet, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation said "Everton is pleased that Aurizon is aggressively moving the project forward and continuing with its earn in option for a 3rd year and is planning on intensive winter drill program in 2013. The results continue to show the potential for discoveries on these properties adjacent to the multimillion ounces Eleonore Mine being developed by Goldcorp and going in production on 2014".
Aurizon's extensive 2012 program comprised:
On Opinaca Properties:
- 622 line-kilometres of helicopter-borne magnetic-EM survey
- 684 soil samples
- 243 rock grab samples
- 290 channel samples
- 93 till samples
On Wildcat Properties:
- 728 line-kilometres of helicopter-borne magnetic-EM survey
- 303 soil samples
- 763 rock grab samples
- 15 channel samples
- 146 till samples
The main results from the 2011 and 2012 exploration campaign are the discovery of three significant outcropping targets-the D8, Eric and Penelope prospects-on the Opinaca B property. Two additional targets-Baileys prospect on Wildcat 3 property and Autor prospect on Wildcat 6 property-are characterized mainly by gold bearing boulders with associated till gold anomalies. These targets, located along an east-west structure at the boundary between the Opinaca and La Grande geological subprovinces, share similarities with the geological context of the Eleonore deposit.
D8 target
The D8 trench displays a 20-metres-wide sheared and altered sedimentary unit with amphibolite and quartz-tourmaline veinlets. Best channel sampling results include 2.3 g/t Au over 1.0 metre and 0.55 g/t Au over 4.0 metres. This area presents gold anomalies in soil and till.
Eric target
Located less than 1 kilometre north of D8, eight (8) bedrock samples returned values above 0.1 g/t Au, including 2 samples above 0.5 g/t Au, up to 1.56 g/t Au. The gold-bearing samples were collected within a kilometric-scale arsenic and gold geochemical target in soil. Mineralization is typically related to calc-silicate altered sediments and arsenopyrite-tourmaline-bearing pegmatites.
Penelope target
Located about 1 kilometre west of the Eric and D8 targets, ten (10) bedrock samples returned values above 0.1 g/t Au, including four (4) with values above 0.5 g/t Au up to 4.26 g/t Au. Mineralization is associated with quartz-tourmaline veins and veinlets.
Autor target
Located halfway between Eric target and Aurizon's Brad target along the same corridor, the Autor target presents the best gold soil anomalies coupled with Au anomalies in till and bottom lake sediments. Thirty-two (32) boulder samples returned values above 0.1 g/t Au, including six (6) with values above 0.5 g/t Au up to 3.81 g/t Au. Three (3) bedrock samples returned values above 0.1 g/t Au, including one sample at 0.93 g/t Au. Gold is associated with both calc-silicate altered sediments with low percentage of sulphides and intense silica-chlorite altered sediments with local tourmaline and locally abundant pyrite. Arsenic enrichment is much more sporadic in this area.
Baileys target
Located about 7 kilometers north-west of the Claude showing, one (1) boulder sample returned 4.11 g/t Au, 1.5 kilometers west of an historic gold bearing boulder. Gold is associated with a garnet and biotite altered paragneiss with 5 percent sulphides including pyrite-pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite mineralization. The mineralized structure seems to pass underneath a nearby lake. This area represents a distinct corridor than the one including all the above targets but share similarities in term of gold and arsenic anomalies in till, bottom lake sediments and soil geochemistry.
Property-scale exploration
Work performed at the scale of the properties, including the collection of till samples and a helicopter-borne magnetic-EM survey, will be used to further define drilling targets. The results of these surveys are currently under review. The Smiley prospect (at Opinaca A), Claude prospect (at Opinaca B) and Conglo prospect (at Wildcat 1) both discovered during previous programs, are still considered very attractive drilling targets.
Rock samples were sent to ALS Minerals in Val-d'Or, Quebec, and were assayed using an ICP method. Soil samples were assayed using the MMI method by SGS Minerals Services in Toronto, Ontario. The helicopter-borne survey was performed by Fugro Airborne Surveys based in Mississauga, Ontario. Martin Demers, P.Geo., Aurizon's Exploration Manager and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the data disclosed in this release.