MAX Resource Corp. has received approval from the U.S. Forest Service to begin drilling at its East Manhattan Wash gold project in Nevada after July 15, 2014.
This program will drill test a surface soil anomaly exposed over a surface area in excess of 1,650 m by 450 m that was identified by soil sampling programs that were conducted by MAX between 2009 and 2013, with values returned ranging from 0.05 ppm to 1.5 ppm (1.5 g/t) Au. During an initial bulk sample conducted in 2009, MAX recovered 4.9 g/t Au and 1.2 g/t Ag from a 793 pound sample taken at surface. Mineralization appears to be free gold in a volcanic lithic welded tuff that will be drill tested to determine the overall depth of the gold mineralization, extend the known mineralization below cover, and determine the overall grade.
While the total mineralized zone now exposed at surface encompasses an area in excess of 1,650 m by 450 m in size, the mineralized area is believed to be much larger but is covered by either overburden or alluvium. Just north of this area, the very small streams all contain free gold that can be recovered by conventional gold panning techniques. Samples taken by other companies that reviewed the property during 2010 and 2011 found values up to 2.4 g/t Au in outcrop.
The sampling conducted at EMW has enabled MAX to identify structural linear features seen in air photo images along with argillic alteration and silicification that appears to define where strong gold values may be found. Sampling of historic pits dug by earlier prospectors has helped further define the areas of mineralization and to confirm the presence of gold.
The EMW property is comprised of 78 claims (1,560 acres) located in the Manhattan Mining District 40 miles north of the town of Tonopah and eight miles south of the Round Mountain Mine (jointly owned by Kinross and Barrick), a conventional open pit operation that has produced more than 12 million ounces of gold to date. For 2013, Kinross Gold reported a proven and probable gold resource at Round Mountain (net to its 50% interest) of 42.147 million tonnes at 0.68 g/t Au.
Max has completed the first hole at its Majuba Hill copper/silver project in Nevada (see our news release of May 2, 2014) and is in the process of logging and sampling the core for analysis. This hole was drilled to a depth of 1,200 ft (365 m) on the east side of Majuba Ridge to test a zone of high grade copper and silver mineralization in outcrop (grades up to 7.72% Cu and 174 g/t Ag) sampled by Minterra Resources in 2007. Assay results will be reported when available.