GTA Updates Progress on the Auden Graphite Project; Identifies Three Priority EM Targets
BURLINGTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan 15, 2014) - GTA Resources and Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE:GTA) announces the continuation of its graphite exploration program on the Auden Property, located northwest of Hearst, Ontario. A drill program, which commenced in mid December, was temporarily postponed to allow for the Christmas break and for more effective frost conditions allowing better access to other target areas. Prior to the Christmas break, one hole totaling 70 metres was completed targeting a weak EM anomaly located in the west central portion of the property and easily accessible from existing roads. The hole intersected a clay filled fault zone near the interpreted conductor axis, however, no graphite was encountered.
Ground geophysics is continuing and has resulted in the delineation of three additional isolated Electro-Magnetic (EM) conductors in the central "Hockey Puck" target area. The anomalies can be described as isolated, moderately strong bedrock conductors, and all are located within or proximal to the southern extension of the alkaline intrusive complex that hosts Zenyatta's Albany graphite deposits. All three anomalies appear to be non-magnetic, are accessible by winter trail and will be the initial focus once drilling resumes later this month. GTA is continuing its ground geophysical program of locating and evaluating the EM conductors identified from the airborne surveys and anticipates drill testing the priority targets as weather allows.
"The Auden Property has taken on a much higher priority for GTA since mid 2013 and we look forward to starting up the drill again in late January," stated GTA President Wayne Reid. "The ground geophysics is continuing to identify additional targets and as the work progresses, the quality of conductors appears to be improving. This is demonstrated by the recently identified EM targets described above, whose potential is also enhanced by their proximity to the carbonatite/alkaline complex associated with Zenyatta's discoveries. Our understanding of the parameters associated with this new type of graphite deposit is limited and we expect a few surprises going forward."
GTA is the largest land holder in the emerging graphite "camp" and holds the mineral rights to over 69,000 acres. The Albany graphite deposits, located 5.5 km north of GTA's property, were initially discovered by Zenyatta, while testing electromagnetic (EM) targets, and have been described as breccia pipes (diatremes) with dimensions in the order of 200 m by 400 m. GTA's management and geological consultants believe that the graphite breccia pipes that exist on Zenyatta's Albany Project are similar to kimberlite pipes and are likely to occur in clusters along structural corridors that may extend onto GTA's Auden Property.
Previous work by GTA has identified a number of electromagnetic anomalies (conductive zones), on the Auden Property from an in-house airborne geophysical survey which was recently extended to cover the entire property. The anomalies are the focus of the current exploration program. Most targets are accessible via existing logging roads and bush trails originating from Hwy 11 located 15 km to the south. An Ontario exploration permit is in place and a recently signed exploration agreement with Constance Lake First Nation allows for a co-operative continuous field program to evaluate the graphite potential on the Auden Property.
Robert Duess, P. Geo, VP Exploration for GTA and a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for this release, and supervised the preparation of the information forming the basis for this release.
About GTA
GTA is a well funded publicly traded mineral exploration company. It is led by an experienced and successful management team and is focused on gold and graphite exploration in Canada. GTA currently has two exploration focused projects in its portfolio. Its flagship project, the Northshore Property, located near Schreiber, Ontario, is subject to an option agreement with Balmoral Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:BAR) whereby GTA can earn up to a 70% interest. The second project, the 100% owned Auden Property, is located near Hearst, Ontario and consists of 1748 claim units covering virtually an entire greenstone belt and hosting a number of graphite, gold, base metal and PGE targets.
GTA has 26,731,855 shares outstanding of which insiders control approximately 30% of the outstanding shares. The Company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "GTA."
On behalf of the board of directors, GTA Resources and Mining Inc.
Wayne Reid, President and CEO
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This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, duration and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the timing of the receipt of assay results, and business and financing plans and trends, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include those related to weather, equipment and staff availability; performance of third parties; risks related to the exploration stage of the Company's projects; market fluctuations in prices for securities of exploration stage companies and in commodity prices; and uncertainties about the availability of additional financing; risks related to the Company's ability to identify one or more economic deposits on the properties, and variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located on the properties; risks related to the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities on the properties; and risks related to the Company's ability to produce minerals from the properties successfully or profitably. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. All of the Company's public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the latest technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.
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