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November 2008: IP Geophysical Survey Underway
Almaden has initiated an IP geophysical survey now underway and designed to identify high resistivity silica-rich breccias and feeder zones beneath the area of massive silicification and also to identify potential drill targets.
In 2007, Almaden Minerals initiated a regional exploration program in Nevada. This work resulted in the acquisition by staking of several new projects where high sulphidation epithermal gold-silver mineralization and alteration occur including the Willow Project located in Douglas and Lyon Counties.
(See Almaden news release of August 30, 2007 for an overview of the program).
Geologic and alteration mapping has outlined a roughly 2 by 2 kilometer area of intense hydrothermal alteration characterized by silicification, brecciation and alunite, kaolinite and dickite alteration, all features typical of high sulphidation systems. An east-west band crossing this area includes an erosional window through a tabular zone of massive silicification thought to represent the original top of the high sulphidation system.
The general geology of the Willow Property consists of an underlying “basement” of argillically-altered rocks of uncertain protoliths that have been protected from erosion by an overlying resistive and extensive cap rock of generally massive silica. Above the silica is a thin sequence of andesitic flows which is overlain by post mineral volcanic rocks. In addition to massive silicification, cross cutting vertical silicified hydrothermal breccias have been identified. These breccias are interpreted to represent the top portion of the feeder structures to the mineralising system and are the target for future exploration.
2009: Induced Polarization Sections with Soil Geochemistry |
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2009: Soil & Rock Geochemistry |
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November 2008:
The October 2008 program focussed on an east-west band through this area which included an erosional window through a tabular zone of massive silicification thought to represent the original top of the high sulphidation system.
A total of 45 rock chip, grab and float samples were taken and returned gold values from below detection up to 0.58 g/t gold. The highest gold value came from a float sample of silificed breccia material taken from the northwest end of the property where past soil samples returned values up to 1 g/t gold. Six samples returned gold values above 100 ppb or 0.1 g/t gold. Silver values ranged from below detection up to 289 g/t silver including three samples over 100 g/t silver. Significant arsenic, barium, mercury and antimony values were returned as well, consistent with the interpretation that the property represents high levels of exposure in a well preserved system. One grab sample of quartz-veined material located on the east end, and lowest elevation of the project, returned 0.11 g/t gold, 162 g/t silver and 4.9% copper. Covellite was identified in the material sampled, a common mineral in high sulphidation systems. The presence of this copper mineral is interpreted to be very encouraging because it suggests that the late brine pulse necessary to form well mineralised high sulphidation systems occurred at the Willow project.
Spring 2008:
Almaden completed a work program on the Willow. The work consisted of geologic and alteration mapping, rock sampling, soil sampling and stream sediment sampling. Several significant areas of greater than 0.1 g/t gold were outlined in this soil sampling program.
Geologic and alteration mapping outlined a roughly 2 by 2 kilometer area of intense hydrothermal alteration characterised by minerals and features typical of high sulphidation epithermal systems including silicification and brecciation, alunite, kaolinite and dickite. In this area 174 rock samples have been taken with results ranging from .005 to 0.29 g/t gold. Soil sampling was conducted on a 200 by 50 meter grid. The 1,297 soil samples collected returned gold values from below detection up to 1.2 g/t gold and averaging .024 g/t gold (24 ppb gold).
Stream sediment samples were also taken and returned values from 0.002 g/t gold to a high of 3.4 g/t gold and averaging 0.041 g/t gold (41 ppb). These geochemical results are considered extremely important, and with the hydrothermal alteration, are interpreted to be indicative with top of a well mineralised high sulphidation gold system.
