Mining News: News Nuggets: Northern Empire refines Richardson targets

Northern Empire Resources Corp. Nov. 5 reported results from the first phase of its 2015 prospecting and sampling program at the 28,763-acre Richardson gold property in Interior Alaska. The work program at Richardson, completed in two phases, focused on soil sample lines north of the Democrat Pit, portions of the adjacent intrusive body known as the Wide Zone, and at Tenderfoot Creek. According to a 1990 State of Alaska publication entitled “Alaska's Mineral Industry, 1989,” the Democrat Pit was the site of a 70,000-short-ton bulk sampling program in 1988 where 2,000 ounces of gold was recovered. A review by Northern Empire of drill logs and drill core from drilling conducted in 1988 and 2005 shows that mineralization in the Democrat Pit and along the mineralized Richardson Lineament is hosted in fault bounded brecciated rhyolite porphyry and coeval fine-grained intrusives. During the initial phase, 23 rock samples were taken in or near to the Democrat Pit zone. Highlights for this sampling include: 71.2 g/t gold and 48.6 g/t silver; 4.6 g/t gold and 111 g/t silver; 2 g/t gold and 233 g/t silver; 5.88 g/t gold and 6.09 g/t silver; and 1.78 g/t gold and 67.3 g/t silver. Northern Empire said soil samples collected on two east to west soil lines to the north of Democrat Pit both returned anomalous values and were statistically high in silver. Soils collected along two east-west reconnaissance lines in the Wide Zone returned anomalous gold and copper values. “The initial results from both the Democrat Pit area and the Wide Zone, including finding high-grade gold and silver in outcrop at the Democrat Pit, have greatly refined our areas of focus for the 2016 exploration season,” said Northern Empire Chairman John Robins.

- Shane Lasley