Dec 21 2010
Strategic Mining Corporation (PINK SHEETS:SMNG) has announced additional gold and silver assay results for its Nat Son property in northern Vietnam.
Approximately 140 rock-chip samples were collected at surface and in shallow trenching during a 14-day geology and mineralization study of the site by consulting geologist Robert Marvin.
Among the results, a number of samples showed impressive gold values, including 10.1 g/t, 11.1 g/t, 12.1 g/t, 13.3 g/t, 16.05 g/t, 16.1 g/t, 16.7 g/t, 18.25 g/t and 47.3 g/t.
As well, a number of samples showed significant silver values, including 10.7 g/t, 12.5 g/t, 17.2 g/t, 20.03 g/t, 23.8 g/t, 30.4 g/t, 55.7 g/t, 63.7 g/t, 67.9 g/t, 186, g/t and 228 g/t.
The new assay results, provided by ALS Chemex of Vancouver and SGS Group of Toronto, confirm a previously reported assay program that demonstrated the presence of gold and silver at the Nat Son property. The new results show substantially higher levels of precious metal mineralization, suggesting the property could contain more gold and silver than previously thought.
"These compelling assay results strongly reinforce our interest in moving forward with deep-hole drilling early in the New Year," said Strategic Mining President Todd Sterck. "According to the geological report produced by geologist Robert Marvin, Nat Son shows characteristics typical of a number of highly productive gold districts in Asia. We can't wait to get started with a systematic and thorough exploration program to find out more precisely how much gold it contains."
Nat Son is located in Vietnam's Hoa Binh province about 50 kilometers south west of Hanoi in the center of the gold-rich Kim Boi deposit.
East-North-East (ENE) Trending Quartz-Sulfide-Gold-Silver Veins
Precious metal bearing, ENE-trending quartz veins occur in a 400-meter-wide zone in the centre of the property. The veins are 1 meter to 3-plus meters wide and are open along strike outside the current property boundaries. These veins have strike lengths of at least 3 kilometers and are likely to be much longer. Gold values from the first vein system vary from 8.9 g/t to 16.1 g/t, while a silver value of 67.9 g/t was also received. Another ENE vein occurs 30 to 40 meters to the north, is about 1 meter wide and appears vertical. Complex quartz-pyrite stockwork zones on the margin of the vein have assayed at 16.05 g/t of gold and 17.2 g/t of silver.
North-South Trending Quartz-Sulfide-Gold-Silver Veins
A distinct set of north-south trending, mineralized quartz veins occurs at the property, with mineralogy similar to the ENE veins. The NS-trending veins typically include massive arsenopyrite and secondary galena. Quartz-pyrite-sphalerite zones are also seen. Vein width varies from 0.5 to 1.2 meters. Stockwork quartz veining is commonly found for several meters into the wall rocks of these veins. The length of the north-south trending veins is poorly understood at present, but they appear to have shorter strike lengths and closer spacing than the ENE veins. Chemex assay results from sampling of these veins show erratic gold and silver values, possibly indicating the presence of fairly coarse gold in some of the samples. Gold assays from 0.1 g/t to 13.3 g/t have been received, and a silver value of 228 g/t was also received. In the SGS assay, gold values of 0.6 g/t to 16.7 g/t and silver values of 0.5 g/t to 63.7 g/t were received.
Stratabound Arsenopyrite-Quartz-Galena-Gold-Silver Zone
The edge of a stratabound zone of intense arsenopyrite-galena-gold-silver mineralization was uncovered during the trenching operation. Where exposed, the mineralization is confined within a shallowly north dipping, intensely argillized siltstone layer about 3 meters thick. Within the caved-in mine entrance, the trenching revealed meter-scale boulders of intensely mineralized breccia and, more importantly, in-place mineralization in highly altered siltstone. The in-place mineralization consists of arsenopyrite stock work veins and veinlets within the altered siltstone host. It is likely that this stock work zone represents the edge of a stronger mineralized zone within the deeper, non-exposed portion of the siltstone. Samples of the highly mineralized boulders from the caved underground working have returned gold values from 10.1 g/t to 47.3 g/t and silver values from 10.7 g/t to 186 g/t.
Gold Mineralization in Zones Away From Veins
The property also contains areas of anomalous gold occurring in a pervasively argillized and oxidized alteration envelope. This style of mineralization could be very important at Nat Son as it could represent bulk mineable gold ores. In an open pit scenario, all the high-grade vein-style mineralization could be taken as well. The completed surface sampling returned five samples with gold values of 200 parts per billion to 900 parts per billion, removed from multi-meter wide zones of argillically altered andesite porphyry and siltstone. While these values are not high enough to warrant aggressive drilling, they indicate the potential for zones of disseminated mineralization away from the higher grade quartz-arsenopyrite veins. It is recommended that all altered drill core from future drilling be split and assayed along with obvious vein-zone intercepts. In this way, the data base can be improved to allow future drilling targeted at zones of disseminated gold-silver mineralization.
Source: Strategic Mining Corporation