The Shawnee property
currently consists of 10 unpatented mining claims situated
on the eastern flanks of the Jackson Mountains in Humboldt
County, Nevada. The claims are located midway between the
Crowfoot and Sleeper Mines and just south of a major northeast
trending lineament which sub-parallels the Midas Trough. The
core ten claims form part of a larger 21 claim block on which
work has been carried out by Kernow.
Jurassic-Triassic metasedimentary and volcanic
rocks underlie much of the property and consist primarily
of basalts, siltstones, shales, cherts, dolomites, limestones,
tuffs and volcanoclastics. On the eastern part of the property,
Jurassic diorites and gabbros have intruded this metasedimentary
and volcanic package creating zones of hornfels. Sulphide
mineralization sampled from outcrop and trenches contains
anomalous gold, silver, mercury, copper and zinc values. Gold
assays from trenching and outcrop range between 0.1 g/t Au
and 37 g/t Au. The “sulphide” zone which trends
north northeast across the property has been intersected in
several drill holes containing in one instance 2.71% copper,
0.048 opt gold and 1.7 opt (ounces per ton) silver over 14
feet. (Hole SH-6C, a diamond drill hole).
The property has been the subject of
reconnaissance sampling, trenching, geophysical surveys,
Reverse Circulation drilling, diamond drilling and petrographic
studies conducted on surface and drill core samples. Assays
have generally been completed for gold, silver, copper and
arsenic. Trace element assay has been completed on mostly
surface samples for mainly mercury and antimony, several
drill holes have been assayed for trace elements.
A “Real Section” Induced Polarization
and Resistivity survey conducted in 1997 along a 1,500 foot
length across the center line of claim SH5 and SH6 identified
a North East – South West trending structure some six
to eight hundred feet west of all prior trenching and drilling
previously conducted at the property. The geophysical anomaly
was seen to extend to at least 1500 feet below surface and
matched the position of a gradient array I.P. anomaly identified
in 1992.
In addition, the Real Section IP survey
indicated the lateral extension of the sulphide rich copper
gold system identified in holes 97-2 (diamond drill hole and
SH-3 reverse circulation). Surface sampling along the trace
of the gradient array anomaly returned anomalous values for
zinc, silver, and gold along a 1,500 ft length.
In August 1998 a four hole Reverse Circulation
drill program was undertaken targeting the Real Section I.P.
anomaly and the Southerly extension of the outlined by the
gradient array system. The holed intersected tuffs and greenstones
with up to 20% sulphides as pyrite in several sections. The
main IP target was found to be a water laden fault with an
alteration halo of clay and silicification. Moderately anomalous
zinc (to 0.1 %) and gold (to 58ppb) values were noted in all
holes.
CONCLUSIONS AND TARGET CONCEPT
There has been a considerable amount of
work carried out on the Shawnee that has identified at least
two phases of near surface mineralization which, for the most
part, appears to be structurally controlled and associated
with the range front faulting. Recent geophysical surveys
and review of previous data infers that the mineralization
continues at depth. Geochemistry infers that there is an upper
and lower system or that there is metal zonation around an
intrusive.
Compilation of all the data generated to
date also indicates that the majority of the drilling has
not adequately tested any of the geophysical targets generated
by the either the gradient array survey or the di-pole di-pole
survey.
Considering the strong indicator element
geochemistry and the strength of the upper mineralized system
the principal target at the Shawnee is now defined as being
a wide, structurally prepared high silica, polymetallic multiple
vein/stockwork system, the top of which gains strength and
continuity approximately 400 feet below surface and continues
at depth. This theory is reinforced by the real section I.P.
and the Resistivity measurements that accompany it. Alteration
exposed on surface and in drill holes confirms that the mineralization
encountered to date is high in the system. |
