Murchison Provides Update on Brabant High-Grade Zinc Project, Saskatchewan
Toronto, Ontario (FSCwire) - Murchison Minerals Ltd. (CSE – MUR) (“Murchison” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on current and planned exploration and metallurgical activities on the Brabant project in Saskatchewan, one of the highest grade undeveloped zinc deposits in Canada. The Brabant project is owned 100% by Murchison and strategically located along Highway 102 between the town of La Ronge to the south and the Athabasca Basin to the north, near major infrastructure. The Brabant project consists of the Brabant-McKenzie deposit and six additional zinc and copper occurrences along the favourable horizon about 15 km long, all of which remain under-explored. The project area shares geological characteristics, including similar age, with the Flin Flon volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mining camp in Manitoba.
Current (2008) mineral resources for the Brabant project consist of 1.5 Mt grading 9.2% zinc and 0.8% copper in Indicated Resources and 3.0 Mt grading 5.6% zinc and 0.6% copper in Inferred Resources (for additional details, refer to Murchison’s website: www.muchisonminerals.com. The Brabant-McKenzie deposit consists of two sub-parallel massive sulphide zones, which average five metres in thickness and have been traced in drilling for 1000 metres along strike and 700 metres down dip. Re-interpretation of VTEM and BHEM surveys has identified numerous conductors laterally and down dip from known mineralization, which confirms that the deposit remains open to expansion by drilling in all directions.
Exploration Update
The recent work focused on methodical compilation and re-interpretation of electromagnetic (EM) geophysical survey work completed between 1993, 2007 and 2011. Modelling of two bore-hole pulse EM (BHEM) programs (1993 and 2007) and a helicopter-borne Versatile Transient EM (VTEM plus) program (2011) was carried out by DIAS Geophysical Limited (“DIAS”) of Cambridge, Ontario. The results confirm that the McKenzie deposit is open to expansion by drilling in all directions and identified new targets for future drilling for additional resources (Figure 1). The highest priority drill targets are BHEM conductor plate anomalies at depth below the deepest drill intercepts (approximately 500 metres vertically below surface). In addition, parallel trends of near-surface VTEM conductor plate anomalies approximately 200 metres into the footwall rocks from the McKenzie deposit and 900 metres into the hanging wall rocks have been identified from this current phase of work (Figure 2). These anomalies are under evaluation for drill targets.
Metallurgical Testwork
As part of its evaluation of the Brabant project for potential as a selective high-grade and near-surface mining operation, Murchison commissioned SGS Canada Inc. (Ontario) to investigate the mineralogical characteristics of massive sulphide samples from the Brabant-McKenzie deposit. The purpose of the study was to establish whether sulphide mineral phases and silicate mineral phases could be effectively separated from each other using heavy liquids separation (HLS) techniques on coarse grind massive and semi-massive sulphide samples of drill core. The HLS technique applied did produce a sink fraction rich in sulphide and float fraction poor in sulphide (see Table on Murchison’s website: www.murchisonminerals.com. Consequently, initial results indicate that HLS can produce a high-quality sulphide fraction (mainly sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite) from massive and semi-massive sulphide samples.
Next Steps
The next steps planned in exploration of the Brabant project include detailed evaluation of the DIAS EM conductor plate anomalies for drill targets, geological mapping of the Brabant-McKenzie deposit, systematic prospecting and sampling surveys of all the mineral occurrences along the favourable horizon on the Brabant property, and initiate a drill program to test priority targets. In follow-up to the results of the SGS Canada Inc. HLS testwork, the next step would be investigation of ore sorting technologies to separate pyrrhotite from sphalerite and chalcopyrite, two main economic minerals. The program and budget are subject to outcomes and financing.
About Brabant Project
The Brabant project consists of one of the highest grade undeveloped zinc deposits in Canada. Current (2008) mineral resources are 1.475 Mt grading 9.18% zinc, 0.79% copper, 0.23% lead, 32.6 g/t silver and 0.15 g/t gold in Indicated Resources and 2.975 Mt grading 5.55% zinc, 0.55% copper, 0.13% lead, 13.9 g/t Ag, 0.10 g/t gold in Inferred Resources. See Murchison’s website for details www.murchisonminerals.com.
The Brabant project is located close to major infrastructure, including all-season road and grid power, 175 km from La Ronge. The Brabant-McKenzie deposit is covered by a mining lease (ML 5054) and is only 46 km from an idled mill. According to the Fraser Institute rankings for 2014, Saskatchewan is one of the best mining jurisdictions globally.
About Murchison Minerals
Murchison Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian based exploration company with a diversified portfolio of properties, including the Brabant-McKenzie Zinc-Copper deposit in north-central Saskatchewan, the HPM Nickel/Copper/Cobalt project in Québec and the Cloridorme high alumina shale formation, which is contiguous and essentially an extension of the Marin deposit of Orbite Aluminae located on the Gaspe peninsula in eastern Quebec. Murchison also holds gold claims in the Pickle Lake area of northwestern Ontario and approximately 1,200 km2 of licences for nickel and gold exploration in central Uganda.
Additional information about Murchison Minerals and its exploration projects can be found at www.murchisonminerals.com.
Qualified Person
William E. Stone, P.Geo., Independent Consultant, is the Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101 that reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.
For further information contact:
JC Potvin, President and Chief Executive Officer
Direct: (416) 350-3997
Corporate: (416) 350-3776
info@murchisonmineralsminerals.com
Disclaimer
The CSE has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.
All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and reserves, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. 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. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are exploration risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.
To view the graphic, please click http://www.tigri.ca/images/mur/figure1may4.pdf
Figure 1. Plan view showing the distribution of EM Conductor plate Trends 1-4 relative to the Brabant-McKenzie deposit (red) and dill hole collar locations (black dots) in 2D. Conductor Trends T1 & T2 = Brabant-McKenzie deposit itself and untested and under-tested targets laterally and down-dip. Conductor Trends T3-T3s & T4 are untested and under-tested targets in the footwall and in the hanging wall of the deposit.
To view the graphic, please click http://www.tigri.ca/images/mur/figure2may4.pdf
Figure 2. Orthogonal view looking slightly below horizontal towards 31 degrees at 3D deposit models and VTEM & BHEM conductors. Recent re-interpretation of VTEM and BHEM surveys has identified numerous conductors laterally and down dip from known mineralization, which confirms that the Brabant-McKenzie deposit remains open to expansion by drilling in all directions.
To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:
public://news_release_pdf/murchison05042015.pdf
Source: Murchison Minerals Ltd. (CSE:MUR) http://www.murchisonminerals.com/s/Home.asp
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