The glitter of Australia's famed Kambalda nickel deposits may
one day be seen in the Timmins mining district if Golden Chalice
Resources Inc.'s hopes and dreams come to pass.
Many of the geological characteristics identified in various tests
on the company's Langmuir property 35 kilometres southeast of
Timmins are similar to those in the Kambalda district, which at one
point was responsible for seven per cent of the world's nickel
production.
This style of deposit, first made famous in the 1960s, is
characterized as low tonnage but high grade and occurring in clusters.
As Golden Chalice recently re-analyzed airborne electromagnetic survey
data and detected the presence of 20 clusters of geophysical anomalies,
officials have high hopes that they may potentially reproduce some of
the same style of deposits.
This is particularly true given the presence of a nickel discovery
the company turned up in early 2007 which sparked the imaginations of
junior exploration firms and investors alike. An initial hole
intersecting 1.14 per cent nickel over 72.4 metres; follow-up drilling
has provided results such as 1.62 per cent nickel over 4.9 metres, and
1.19 per cent nickel over 10.25 metres.
The company has since increased the land holdings to 30 kilometres
in length, and is currently drilling to define the size of the
mineralized zone in anticipation of an industrycompliant resource
estimate by mid-summer.
"Finding deposits like these things, they're not
singularly unique phenomena," says Peter Caldbick, project
geologist with Golden Chalice Resources.
"If you've found one, the chances of finding more are
very, very good."
To date, this zone features 200 metres of strike length, reaching
to a vertical depth of 250 metres below surface. However, with testing
of the down plunge extension still underway, Caldbick says there may be
even more ore at depth.
While little information is available for the other conductive
bodies found on the Langmuir property, 13 targets on these 20 clusters
have been examined and are identified as being highly similar to the
initial discovery zone. However, they're said to be much deeper,
occurring at depths of over300 metres beneath it, and can be traced for
two kilometres on strike. That they've been found far deeper than
any prior drilling and have never been tested add even more to their
potential, Caldbick says.
Golden Chalice is just one of a group of companies operating under
the Hughes Exploration Group umbrella, overseen by legendary prospector
Richard Hughes, one of the Co-founders of the Hemlo deposit.
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The Langmuir project isn't the only local feather in the
company's proverbial cap, however, as Caldbick is insistent on the
potential of another nearby exploration profect, known as the Abitibi
East. With characteristics of a Kidd Creek-style deposit, drilling the
mineralization has turned up respectable intersections, including 10 to
12 metres of 2 per cent zinc, 0.3 per cent copper and 0.25 per cent
lead.
Although drill results have been encouraging, re-interpretation of
the geophysics is leading company officials to believe work needs to
continue further east of the current efforts.
Another point of interest for Golden Chalice is the Timmins West
project, located 75 kilometres southwest of Timmins. With a major fault
running through the area, splayed off the Destor Porcupine Fault, the
property is "startlingly similar" to what's seen
throughout the Timmins camp. It has the right structure, stratigraphy
and rock types for finding possible gold and nickel mineralization, and
airborne electromagnetic surveys have identified 35 conductors or
targets. One drill is following up on that program.
Still, despite the promise being shown on these other properties,
Caldbick says the company will continue to place its central focus on
the Langmuir site.
"We believe we have some very good chance of finding some
great things on these other properties, so we are placing a lot of
attention on them, but obviously Langmuir is central for us."
www.goldenchaliceresources.com
Peter Caldbick, project geologist, Golden Chalice Resources
By NICK STEWART Northern Ontario Business
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