Based on the release, most of the eight holes drilled into this zone returned multiple intervals of gold mineralization, from surface down to over 300 metres. Cyanide-soluble assays for the zone suggest highly oxidized gold mineralization. D3 is interpreted as a siltstone horizon, directly under the unit host to the D1 and D2 zones at Black Pine. Two drills are working at D3, to both infill and step-out this area.
Liberty is also looking to expand the permit area by 4.6 sq. km
At the southeast extension of the D1 zone, one drillhole tested a 400-metre gap in drilling between two historic pits and returned 32 metres of 1.06 g/t gold from 141.7 metres and 6.1 metres of 0.8 g/t gold starting at 211.8 metres. Cyanide-soluble assays also suggest oxidized gold mineralization at this zone.
The D1 and D3 zones lie within a 7.3-sq.-km permit area within the 49-sq.-km site; the permit hosts nine known oxide gold targets. Liberty has tested five of these thus far in 2020 – additional assays are pending.
“With three RC (reverse circulation) and one core drill currently operating, we are on track to meet our goal of giving the identified gold system a comprehensive test in 2020, while building resource ounces at the same time,” Cal Everett, Liberty Gold’s president and CEO, said in a release. Everett added that a portion of the core program includes metallurgical work, in addition to target testing.
Reverse circulation rigs are also active within the greater permit area – assays are pending for the Southwest Extension area, southwest of the historic CD pit, and for the D1 Northwest Extension zone, north of the D1 zone. The former includes a 1-sq.-km gold-in-soil anomaly and the latter features areas of anomalous gold in surface soil samples.
Drilling is expected to start shortly on the M zone target, southeast of the historic A pit, as well as on the Rangefront target, 2 km southeast of the past-producing Tallman pit. Liberty is also looking to expand the permit area by 4.6 sq. km.
Black Pine is a Carlin-style gold system in the northern Great Basin. The past-producing operation generated 435,000 gold oz. between 1991 and 1998 at a head grade of 0.7 g/t gold from seven pits. Anomalous gold mineralization in soils has been traced at the 49-sq.-km site over 12 sq. km.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
