Prophecy Resource Corp. (TSX VENTURE:PCY)(OTCQX:PRPCF)(FRANKFURT:1P2) reports results from extensive underground sampling program from its 100% owned Wellgreen Project located in the Yukon, Canada.
Wellgreen East Zone has seen substantial historic development, with almost 4,300 metres of underground development on seven levels, three internal shafts and over 500 surface and underground drill holes.
800 previously unreported chip channel samples taken at 2 metre intervals along the underground workings were assayed for Platinum (Pt) and Palladium (Pd) at ALS Chemex Labs in Vancouver, B.C. Of these, 174 samples where Platinum or Palladium grades exceeded 1g/t were thereafter assayed for Gold (Au), Rhodium (Rh), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), and Ruthenium (Ru). The 2007 sampling program was overseen by Rory Calhoun, P. Geo., now an employee of Prophecy. Concentrations of Rhodium, Osmium, Iridium, and Ruthenium were present in all of the follow-up samples. Assays where Rhodium exceeded 0.5g/t are listed in the following table:
The results are consistent with the 265-page 1997 Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Canada entitled "Geology and Metallogeny of the Kluane Mafic-Ultramafic Belt, Yukon Territory. Canada: Eastern Wrangellia - A New Ni-Cu-PGM Metallogenic Terrane" By: L.J. Hulbert. Dr. Hulbert commented on page 55:
"Rhodium is present in anomalous concentration compared to other Canadian Ni-Cu ores. In fact the only other Ni-Cu cores with comparable values are the near age equivalent Noril'sk ores in Russia. Average massive sulphides contain 400 ppb Rh (0.4g/t) where values in the 0.3 g/t – 1g/t range are not uncommon in the basal portion of the massive sulphide orebodies."
With these highly encouraging results, Prophecy is assaying 470 drill core samples for all 6 Platinum Group Metals from drill programs by Northern Platinum Ltd. and Coronation Minerals Ltd. since 2006. Those core samples were previously assayed for Platinum and Palladium and yielded results over 1g/t of Platinum and Palladium combined.
John Lee, CEO of Prophecy comments: "The underground sampling demonstrates the widespread occurrence of all 6 Platinum Group Metals. Particularly noteworthy is the discovery of (previously unknown) widespread occurrences of rhodium. Platinum Group Metals are highly valuable and this encouraging discovery should significantly enhance the economics and appeal of Wellgreen."
Prophecy also advises that it has started receiving results from Northern Platinum Ltd.'s summer drill program and Prophecy's fall drill program; the company will release them once data is received in full.
More details about Wellgreen
The Wellgreen claims are 7km strike and over 22 square kilometers. Wellgreen is 15 km from the paved 2 lane Alaska Highway and 402 km from Alaska's Haines deep sea port. It is part of Kluane Ultramafic Nickel belt, which is second largest behind the Thompson Belt in Canada and remains vastly unexplored.
Since 1952 exploration at Wellgreen was almost entirely focused on high-grade underground massive sulphide nickel and copper deposits. In 1972 Hudbay Minerals Inc. milled 171,652 tons grading 2.23% Copper and 1.39% Nickel at Wellgreen and while Platinum Group Metals and other valuable minerals were present they were neither assayed for nor credited.
A historic (non NI 43-101 compliant) resource of 55 million tonnes grading 0.35% Cu, 0.36% Ni, 0.82 g/t Platinum and Palladium. (prefeasibility study by WGM April 21, 1989) was estimated at Wellgreen, which equates to over 1.4 million oz of Platinum Group Metals and 400 million pounds of Nickel in situ.
An independent NI 43-101 report prepared for Prophecy by Wardrop Engineering ("Wardrop") dated July 2010 indicates that the potential of the Wellgreen property ranges between 77 to 254 million tonnes at 0.26 to 0.38% Nickel, 0.26% to 0.36% Copper, 0.55 to 0.85 g/t Platinum and Palladium, based on a strike length range of 4,000 to 7,000m and a width of 30 to 35m.
Past drill results from Coronation Minerals/Northern Platinum included:
2010 Wellgreen drill program from surface:
These results are very important as they demonstrate the high precious metal content of the continuous disseminated sulphide mineralization. Prophecy is targeting Wellgreen to be a large scale deposit that could be mined by open pit and large tonnages. Drill locations of Hole 177 and Hole 178 can be viewed at www.prophecyresource.com.
To view the figure associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/PCY1103FIG1.jpg
Platinum Group Metal and Gold Pricing
The lesser known of the aforementioned Platinum Group Metals', all of which can be by-products of nickel and copper mining, are summarized as follows:
Osmium is obtained commercially as a by-product from nickel and copper mining and processing; twice as strong as lead it is often alloyed with other metals and utilized in high-wear applications.
Rhodium usage is dominated by automotive catalyst applications where it is used together with platinum and palladium to control exhaust emissions in addition to many other applications.
Iridium is used in the manufacture of rayon and is used in long-life aircraft engine parts and other industrial applications in addition to medical applications.
Ruthenium is used primarily for wear-resistant electrical contacts and the production of thick-film resistors; it is also used in some platinum alloys.
Complete assays of the entire 800 samples and the 174 samples where Platinum or Palladium grades exceeds 1g/t can be downloaded from www.prophecyresource.com
The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mel De Quadros, P. Eng. and Rory Calhoun, P. Geo., both Prophecy employees and Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101.
Source: Prophecy Resource Corp.