The Long Range JV (50% Royal Roads, 50% Benton Resources) covers 222 km2, only recently recognized as being prospective for nickel-copper-sulphides. The property is located close to infrastructure including a hydroelectricity facility, power lines crossing the property, and a paved highway also traverses the property and provides access to port facilities 50 km to the west.
An airborne geophysical survey was flown over the property and a number of anomalies were detected in the gabbro. These were followed up with prospecting, where grab samples believed to be locally derived, returned assays as high as 0.75% nickel with 0.74% copper.
These anomalies then became the subject of a trenching program, which resulted in the discovery of a nickel-copper sulphide zone assaying up to 2.70% Nickel, 0.58% Copper, and 0.24% Cobalt in bedrock grab samples. A drill program is currently underway, with assays expected earlier November.
If massive sulphide accumulations were discovered, they could host nickel and copper grades comparable to other magmatic nickel sulphide deposits in North America including Vale Inco’s Voisey’s Bay mine in Labrador and Kennecott’s (subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc) Eagle deposit currently being developed in northern Michigan.
The geophysical survey also detected a strong conductor outside the gabbro between 400 and 600 metres in length. Geotech, who conducted the survey stated: "This is considered to be a relatively strong conductor consistent with massive sulphides".
Follow up prospecting resulted in the discovery of a NEW copper mineralized zone estimated to be betwwen 20 and 40 metres thick, where grab samples assayed up to 1.77% copper.
A drill program has been completed on this prospect and results are expected shortly and will be released upon receipt of assays. See initial results here.
|
|  |
*taken from the operators website: www.royalroadscorp.ca
