Laura Stein reports from the fast progressing Newrange Gold Corp. ‘Pamlico’ Project:
In May, I visited Newrange Gold Corp.’s (TSXV: NRG, US-OTC: NRGO) Pamlico project with amazing high-grade drill results, some exceeding 10 ounces of gold per tonne. Since my visit in May, Newrange has been conducting mapping, surveying and sampling the surface and extensive network of underground tunnels in addition to completing a third phase of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling. In light of the tremendous interest from my May visit, I recently spoke with Robert to get an update.
Located 20 minutes by car from Hawthorne, Nevada, Pamlico is one of Nevada’s old, and highest-grade mining districts. Discovered about 1884, newspaper articles of the time indicate mines in the district were shipping ore assaying an amazing 220 ounces of gold per ton to custom mills. For those not familiar with Nevada and its mining industry, Nevada is consistently ranked among the top jurisdictions in the world for mining, if Nevada were a country it would be the third largest gold producer in the world and 2 of the world’s 10 largest currently producing gold mines are located in Nevada.
Robert’s enthusiasm for the project is effusive and his knowledge impressive as he review drilling, mapping, sampling results from the Company’s ongoing work programs effortlessly from memory. Now I am not a geologist but he is, and I have attempted to reproduce our conversation from my notes.
Surveying, mapping and sampling of the surface will be tied to the underground surveying, mapping and sampling, providing valuable three-dimensional information as to the controls of mineralization in Pamlico Ridge and across the property. As Robert describes it, each tunnel on the Pamlico property, once surveyed, mapped and sampled is a ‘walk through drill hole’ that someone else paid for that will provide better than core quality information because the geologists can walk through later with a hands on examination of the geology and mineralization and if necessary collect additional samples.
He stresses these are
“an incredible, unrealized asset to the Company”
There are approximately 300 of workings on the property and Robert estimates they might contain as much as 5 miles of workings. Even at the cost per foot of drill core, which is a lot less than driving a tunnel, these workings, once surveyed, mapped and sampled would have a value to the company equivalent to $5 to $6 million worth of core drilling.
Shifting to the surface mapping and sampling I am told the Company initially focused its attention on the northern half of Pamlico Ridge, adjacent to the very high grade Merritt area where Newrange first started getting their spectacular high-grade drill intercepts in 2017. As the mapping in that area was being finished, it was expanded into Gold Box Canyon, a second large high-grade target about ½ mile northeast of, nearly parallel with Pamlico Ridge, and where, as I mentioned from my May visit Robert’s father and a shareholder in the Company has already found free gold in an outcropping vein.
We then jump to the very important and successful Phase III drill program. Like all of Newrange’s drilling at Pamlico this program was also conducted using RC drilling. The short version is that as a result of this phase of drilling, gold mineralization was expanded significantly in all directions with major increases in the upside potential for the Pamlico Ridge Zone and the entire Pamlico project.
Highlights of Phase III drilling at Pamlico are:
• Demonstrated potential for large volume “disseminated / stockwork” gold mineralization with multiple drill intercepts of disseminated mineralization ranging from 18 to 87 meters that grade from 0.5 to 2.25 grams gold per tonne.
• Expanded strike length of 1,600 feet (488 m) – in excess of 4 times the previously known strike length and remains open to further extension.
• Expanded the width of the mineralized corridor from 220 feet (67 meters) to 420 feet (128 m).
• Discovered mineralization in deeper favorable host rock suite, increasing the vertical extent of mineralization to about 530 feet (161 m), a 260% increase over that indicated by the Company’s 2017 drilling and a significant increase in upside potential for the district. Robert tells me this was a major objective and milestone of the Phase III drilling.
• Encountered large intervals of disseminated, near surface, oxide gold mineralization which may be amenable to open pit mining and heap leaching.
• Continues to confirm extremely deep level of intense oxidation that extends to 600 to 900 feet meaning that all known gold mineralization on the property is oxidized, which I am told may be very important for gold recovery.
• Continues to confirm most gold is nearly microscopic. This together with the near surface and oxidized nature of mineralization might suggest the potential to mine and treat mineralization with open pit, heap leach technology.
As I have said before, he obviously thinks Newrange is in the process of making a tremendous discovery, re-stating that their objective it so identify a multi-million ounce gold deposit at Pamlico.
When asked what we could expect in terms of news over the coming months he pointed to ongoing underground mapping and sampling as a steady source of important news and told me that the Company is in the process of selecting drill samples for the first of a multi-step series metallurgical studies that will yield important information as to potential amenability of Pamlico mineralization to heap leaching.
Once the Company completes the planned underground sampling they will formulate a drill program for the main part of Pamlico ridge that will also include some infill drilling in the high-grade Merritt zone. He did allow that surface work had been curtailed as daytime temperatures had consistently been exceeding 110oF (43oC) and would resume when temperatures were more conducive to hiking the mountainous terrain.
Written by Laura Stein, ‘the godmother of mining’. Laura is an experienced North American investor and well known face across the international conference circuit.
Edited for online publication by Liam Hardy
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