Mining News: Strikepoint begins Yukon exploration

Strikepoint Gold Inc. June 7 reported the start of its first exploration program at Mahtin, a Yukon gold project about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold mine project. Early in 2017, Strikepoint cut a deal to acquire 22 Yukon properties from IDM Mining that have been the target of roughly C$25 million of exploration by Ryan Gold Corp. Of these, Strikepoint has selected three – Mahtin, Pluto and Golden-Oly – as ready to be drilled. In preparation for the arrival of a drill to Mahtin, an exploration crew is carrying out detailed mapping and sampling over two core targets – Mahtin North and May-Qu – as well as regional follow up on several other previously unexplored geochemical anomalies. Mahtin North consists of a copper-gold skarn unit in contact with a gold-arsenic sheeted vein intrusion. Sampling in 2012 returned assays of up to 15.05 grams per metric ton gold in the peripheral skarn, while the stock itself remains as an untested soil anomaly with a geochemical signature which suggests intrusion related gold deposits similar to Victoria’s Eagle deposit. Preliminary rotary air blast drilling will test the highest-grade contact zone at this target. May-Qu, found at the southeastern end of Mahtin on the southeast end of the property, features is a Cretaceous-age granodiorite stock known as Bos. Samples collected from Bos Stock in 2012 identified gold-bearing quartz-arsenopyrite sheeted veins within the granodiorite with grades as high as 3.37 g/t gold. The westerly nose of the intrusion has become a focus for distal polymetallic veins that returned assays of up to 2.59 g/t gold and 313 g/silver. Work on the target will include detailed mapping of proposed drill targets and sampling of the Bos Stock and west of the main stock for additional polymetallic silver veins. In addition to target preparation and RAB drilling, Strikepoint is carrying out aerial drone surveys of the property, backpack drill prospecting, detailed mapping and grab sampling of surface showings.

–SHANE LASLEY