New style of 3 Aces gold found at Sprogge

Golden Predator Mining Corp. Nov. 19 reported that this year's drilling has discovered an important new style of disseminated gold mineralization in the Sprogge area of the company's 3 Aces project in southeast Yukon.

The 27 shallow holes drilled at Sprogge this year tested six separate zones within large gold- and arsenic-in-soil geochemical anomalies along stratigraphic contacts and structures exposed at the surface.

The intrusive-hosted mineralization discovered by this drilling differs from the previously defined, structurally-controlled orogenic-style high-grade veins encountered in the 3 Aces central core zone – a 13.5-square-kilometer (5.2 square miles) area of high-grade orogenic gold mineralization about seven kilometers (4.3 miles) northwest of Sprogge.

The original objective for the Sprogge drilling was to find a continuation of the structurally-controlled gold mineralization identified at the central core zone. Instead, steeply dipping, north-northwest trending dike-filled faults and shears were encountered.

One hole drilled this year, 3A18-335, cut 16.86 meters averaging 1.35 grams per metric ton gold from a depth of 16.2 meters. A second hole, 3A18-346, confirmed the intrusive hosted mineralization.

While there are indicators that this style of high-grade gold could be found deeper, the intrusive-related gold encountered shows the potential to be larger than what was drilled this year.

"We now feel confident that Sprogge is much higher in the stratigraphy than the Central Core Zone and the potential for the high-grade orogenic deposit lies below," said Golden Predator Mining Chairman William Sheriff. "The intrusive hosted gold mineralization explains the broad gold-in-soil anomaly on the southern half of the Sprogge area. When these shallow intercepts are compared with the surface exposure, it is clear the dikes are quickly widening significantly with depth, indicating size potential which these intrusive systems are known for."

Nine other holes intercepted gold in quartz veins or veinlets occupying structures at a stratigraphic break. Golden Predator said these narrow intersections and their stratigraphic interpretation place the Sprogge target tested higher in the stratigraphy than the central core area and it is believed that the best orogenic gold targets may lie at depth. Testing that target was beyond the scope of this year's drilling and the limits of the rig used for this initial phase of shallow drilling.

After wrapping up the drilling at Sprogge, Golden Predator drilled eight holes targeting the down-dip projection of the Hearts Zone in the 3 Aces central core area.

The company said all seven holes of this widely spaced drilling that reached the targeted depth encountered the zone, with the deepest intercept roughly 500 meters down-dip from the outcrop of the discovery vein.

Assay results from this Hearts Zone drilling is expected in January.

–SHANE LASLEY