Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Atac finds gold target on Rau side of Rackla

Atac Resources Ltd. Oct. 6 said regional-scale exploration has identified a sizable gold-in-soil anomaly about five kilometers (three miles) southeast of tis Tiger gold deposit within the Rau Trend at the western end of its Rackla gold project in Yukon Territory. The anomaly was identified during a wide-spaced soil sampling grid extension southeast of the Bengal showing, which is located 3.2 kilometers (two miles) south of the Tiger Deposit. Results from this sampling outlined the Airstrip anomaly, a 10-square-kilometer (3.8 square miles) gold-in-soil anomaly that remains open. Samples from this program returned gold results from below detection up to 1.03 grams per metric ton (1,030 parts per billion) gold. Roughly 20 percent of all samples collected in the anomalous area returned values greater than 30 ppb gold. Atac says this work highlights the potential within the Rau Trend for new sediment-hosted gold discoveries. “We are encouraged by the success of our exploration program at the Rau Trend this summer and look forward to continuing to explore for further sediment-hosted gold targets within this area,” said Julia Lane, Atac’s vice president of exploration. Eleven targets, based on clusters of strongly anomalous gold-in-soil values, have been identified within the Airstrip anomaly for priority follow-up in 2016. This work will include targeted geologic mapping, test pitting, trenching, soil grid extension and prospecting, followed by rotary air blast drilling and diamond drilling, where warranted. Atac also will undertake work to connect all-terrain trail systems within the Tiger Deposit and the Rau Airstrip to improve logistics within the Rau Trend in an effort to decrease the dependency on helicopter-supported exploration.

- Shane Lasley