Location and Access
Redlich is located on the eastern flank of the Candelaria Hills approximately 55 miles (88km) west of Tonopah, Nevada. Road access is excellent as the project is bisected by US Highway 95. Redlich is within the Walker Lane mineral belt, a northwest-striking structural corridor of volcanic-hosted gold and silver deposits including Aurora, Borealis, Rawhide, Bullfrog, Goldfield, Tonopah, Paradise Peak and Midway.
Description
During the Miranda / Newcrest joint venture, $1,735,000 was spent on: 40,568 feet (12,368m) of reverse circulation and core drilling in 63 holes, a ground magnetic survey, and geologic mapping (Figure 3). Results of the four drill phases are described below.
In late 2004, Newcrest completed a phase one drill program consisting of 11,094 feet (3,382.3m) of inclined reverse circulation drilling in 19 holes (R-29 through R-47). Results included 5 feet of 1.350 oz Au/t (1.5m of 46.233 g Au/t) in R-43 and 15 feet of banded epithermal quartz veins grading 0.330 oz Au/t (4.6m of 11.267 g Au/t) in R-45 (Figure 4). Results from R-43 are significant in that the high grade vein intersection is 3,000 feet from previously known occurrences. R-33 intersected 190 feet of 0.020 oz Au/t (70.1m of 0.684 g Au/t) in clay altered volcanic rocks with quartz stringers.
During the summer of 2005, Newcrest completed an additional 16,145 feet of reverse circulation drilling in 26 holes (R-48 through R-74). These holes continued testing for high grade quartz-gold vein continuity along strike of the Redlich fault zone as well as offsetting mineralization in hole R-43. Results of this program include a thinly-banded quartz vein with 5 feet grading 1.945 oz Au/t (1.5m of 66.610 g Au/t) in hole R-73 (Figure 4). Bonanza gold grades in R-73 represent a deeper and higher grade gold zone.
A phase three drilling campaign, completed in 2006, totaled 10,975 feet of reverse circulation drilling in 15 holes (R-75 through R-90). Significant drill hole intercepts include: 5 feet of 0.603 oz Au/t (1.5m of 20.651 g Au/t) within a 90 foot zone grading 0.056 oz Au/t (27.4m of 1.918 g Au/t) in R-76 (Figure 4). Drill results continue to verify the presence of two styles of gold mineralization: 1) high grade, banded epithermal quartz "bonanza" veins and 2) thick, lower grade disseminated gold zones.
The phase four program included 2,376.5 ft (724.5m) of oriented core drilling in two holes. The holes were designed to offset drill hole R-73, a reverse-circulation hole that intersected 55 ft of 0.046 oz Au/t and 10 ft of 1.037 oz Au/t (16.8m of 1.575 g Au/t and 3.1m of 35.514 g Au/t, respectively).
In drill hole RD-1, significant low-grade gold was intersected from 210 to 265 ft (64.0 to 80.8m) in iron stained to gossanous andesite. No high-grade intercepts were encountered in either offset to drill hole R-73. Significant drill results are defined as mineralization grading better than 0.01 oz Au/t (0.343 g Au/t) over a 5-ft (1.5 m) length.
Geology
The Redlich area is underlain by Ordovician through Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Figure 2). Rocks units, from youngest to oldest, are summarized below:
- Quaternary alluvium.
- Tertiary age rocks include a 15 to 17 Ma andesite that is overlain by a rhyodacitic ash flow tuff. The andesite is known to host bonanza veins and disseminated gold mineralization. Two distinct alluvial units overlie the volcanic sequence.
- Granodiorite dikes and stocks intrude the Palmetto Formation. These intrusive rocks are interpreted as ranging from Jurassic to Tertiary based on cross-cutting relations. Drilling indicates the granodiorite hosts gold mineralization.
- An isolated northwest-trending block of Permian Diablo Formation conglomerate overlies the Palmetto Formation along a low angle contact.
- The oldest exposed rocks on the project are siltstone, limestone and chert of the Ordovician Palmetto Formation. Drilling indicates this unit hosts bonanza veins.
Locally, these rocks are deformed by folds, normal faults and strike-slip faults. The most prominent structure on the property, the Redlich fault, is a west northwest-striking/northeast dipping structural corridor that controls a portion of the drill intersected gold mineralization (Figure 2). The Redlich fault is cut by parallel north-south and northeast striking faults, which also serve as conduits for hydrothermal fluids and gold-silver mineralization.
Two styles of gold mineralization occur at Redlich. They include:
- Finely-banded quartz "bonanza" veins that typically contain gold grades exceeding 0.250 oz Au/t over 2 to 15 foot-wide (8.562 g Au/t over 0.6 to 4.6m) zones.
- Disseminated gold mineralization in clay altered or quartz stockwork controlled volcanic rocks and granodiorite. These gold zones tend to be 55 to 210 feet-thick (16.7 to 64.0m) with gold grades ranging from 0.010 to 0.056 oz Au/t (0.343 to 1.918 g Au/t).
History
Previous exploration by Inspiration, FMC and Cordex focused along strike of the Redlich fault and on a 100 acre (40 hectares) area of Tertiary alluvium containing well-banded quartz vein float. Sampling of well-banded quartz cobbles returned assays up to 4.0 oz Au/t (137.0 g Au/t) and 20 oz Ag/t (684.9 g Ag/t). The source of these gold-bearing cobbles is unknown and most of this area remains untested by drilling.
FMC completed trenching, systematic soil sampling, rock sampling, and 8,270 feet (2521.3m) of drilling in 18 holes. Results included 30 feet of 0.031 oz Au/t (9.1m of 1.099 g au/t) in hole FMCR-5.
Cordex completed a CSAMT survey and 28 rotary drill holes (R-1 through R-28). Their drilling intersected higher-grade quartz vein zones and vertically extensive zones of lower-grade, disseminated gold mineralization. Significant results include:
- 10 feet of 0.284 oz Au/t (3.1m of 9.726 g Au/t) and 10
feet of 0.170 oz Au/t (3.1m of 5.822 g Au/t) in R-1
- 60 feet of 0.017 oz Au/t (18.3m of 0.582 g Au/t) in R-2
- 10 feet of 0.311 oz Au/t (3.1m of 10.651 g Au/t) in R-6
- 90 feet of 0.017 oz Au/t (27.4m of 0.582 g Au/t) in R-19