West Cirque Resources Confirms Porphyry Style Alteration at Par
22.10.2013 | The Newswire
Vancouver, B.C., October 22, 2013; West Cirque Resources Ltd. (WCQ: TSX.V) has confirmed the presence of widespread advanced argillic and phyllic alteration at the Par copper-gold-silver (Cu-Au-Ag) porphyry prospect on its 100% owned Aspen Grove Project, south-central B.C. As previously announced (news release June 17, 2013), initial mapping and sampling of the Par prospect outlined a significant porphyry copper-gold system, with rock samples assaying up to 1.1% Cu and 0.59 grams per tonne (g/t) Au. The Par prospect is situated just 45 km north of the Copper Mountain mine (Copper Mountain Mining - Mitsubishi Materials Corp.) and 85 km south of the Highland Valley mine (Teck) in south-central B.C.
Hydrothermal alteration at Par was characterized by analyzing representative rock samples with a Terraspec mineral analyzer. The Terraspec is a portable reflectance spectroscopy system used to identify alteration minerals, especially clay minerals which are impossible to differentiate by normal field techniques. Mineral analysis helps identify patterns of alteration which can provide vectors to centers of porphyry mineralization. The Terraspec analyses confirmed field identification of widespread silica, phyllic and advanced argillic alteration assemblages typical of a high level porphyry environment, including:
(1) Advanced argillic: quartz ± pyrophyllite or nacrite and pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± goethite or jarosite
(2) Phyllic-advanced argillic: sericite (muscovite ± paragonite) and dickite or nacrite or kaolinite and pyrite ± chalcopyritev ± goethite
(3) Phyllic: sericite (muscovite ± paragonite) and pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± goethite or jarosite or hematite
(4) Sericite-chlorite: muscovite ± illite and Fe/Fe-Mg chlorite and goethite or jarosite
All four assemblages are associated with multiple intrusive phases. The highest grade copper-gold mineralization assayed during the initial phase of mapping and sampling (0.76% Cu and 0.59 g/t Au, grab sample J486472; and 1.11% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au, grab sample M458551) is associated with assemblage (2) where the clay mineral dickite occurs along with sericite (muscovite or paragonite). Paragonite is similar to muscovite with sodium substituting for potassium. While it has not been widely associated with porphyry systems, paragonite has been identified in a few porphyry (El Salvador, Chile; Batu Hijau, Indonesia) and high sulfidation epithermal systems (Peak Hill, Australia) where reflectance spectroscopy has been used. Intrusive rocks with phyllic alteration (3) notably contain quartz veins with coarse molybdenite at Par. Sericite-chlorite alteration (4) is also associated with a 380 meter long zone of stockwork magnetite-chalcopyrite and hydrothermal breccias. These breccias contain altered, quartz-feldspar phyric intrusive clasts, clasts of massive, fine grained magnetite-chalcopyrite, and a matrix consisting of variable proportions of chalcopyrite, hematite and magnetite. The breccias assayed 0.38% Cu and 0.11 g/t Au (grab sample J486473).
Mapping has identified strongly altered and brecciated, multi-phase porphyries over a strike length of 1000 meters and widths of at least 350 meters at the Par. Although the prospect was successfully drilled by Tormont Mines Ltd. between 1962 and 1965 (intersecting 0.86% copper and 44 g/t silver over 20.42 meters; see news release June 17, 2013), little exploration has taken place since. The limits of the system remain undefined in all directions and at depth.
West Cirque Resources' mineral claims comprising the Aspen Grove Project cover 7776 hectares. West Cirque's grab and small (about 1 meter) chip samples are representative of various outcrop locations varying from unaltered to very strongly mineralized rock. No inference about average grade over a volume of rock can be made on the basis of reconnaissance scale sampling of this nature. West Cirque's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Bradford, M.Sc., P.Geo. and V.P. Exploration and Director for West Cirque Resources, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101. Sample preparation and assaying was carried out at ALS Minerals' North Vancouver analytical laboratory. Samples were analyzed for 35 elements including copper by aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES, while gold was analyzed by fire assay (30 gram nominal sample weight), aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES. Over limit copper (>1%) was re-analyzed by aqua-regia digestion and ICP-AES.
Historical assays of Tormont's drill core at Par are recorded in typed drill logs with sample numbers, footage intervals, and Cu, Ag and Au assays. The core assays cannot be verified as the laboratory assay sheets are not attached to the logs. They should be considered as historical information only and should not be relied on. References to well known porphyry and epithermal systems have no implications as to comparative size and grade.
About West Cirque Resources Ltd.
West Cirque is a mineral exploration company focused on creating shareholder wealth by identifying, acquiring and defining resources in world class precious and base metal projects in the North American Cordillera.
West Cirque Resources Ltd.
Steve Vanry, CFA, President
(604) 558-4604
svanry@westcirqueresources.com
www.westcirqueresources.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements", as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change, except as required by law. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and "West Cirque's" plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's public disclosure which is available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.
Copyright (c) 2013 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Hydrothermal alteration at Par was characterized by analyzing representative rock samples with a Terraspec mineral analyzer. The Terraspec is a portable reflectance spectroscopy system used to identify alteration minerals, especially clay minerals which are impossible to differentiate by normal field techniques. Mineral analysis helps identify patterns of alteration which can provide vectors to centers of porphyry mineralization. The Terraspec analyses confirmed field identification of widespread silica, phyllic and advanced argillic alteration assemblages typical of a high level porphyry environment, including:
(1) Advanced argillic: quartz ± pyrophyllite or nacrite and pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± goethite or jarosite
(2) Phyllic-advanced argillic: sericite (muscovite ± paragonite) and dickite or nacrite or kaolinite and pyrite ± chalcopyritev ± goethite
(3) Phyllic: sericite (muscovite ± paragonite) and pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± goethite or jarosite or hematite
(4) Sericite-chlorite: muscovite ± illite and Fe/Fe-Mg chlorite and goethite or jarosite
All four assemblages are associated with multiple intrusive phases. The highest grade copper-gold mineralization assayed during the initial phase of mapping and sampling (0.76% Cu and 0.59 g/t Au, grab sample J486472; and 1.11% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au, grab sample M458551) is associated with assemblage (2) where the clay mineral dickite occurs along with sericite (muscovite or paragonite). Paragonite is similar to muscovite with sodium substituting for potassium. While it has not been widely associated with porphyry systems, paragonite has been identified in a few porphyry (El Salvador, Chile; Batu Hijau, Indonesia) and high sulfidation epithermal systems (Peak Hill, Australia) where reflectance spectroscopy has been used. Intrusive rocks with phyllic alteration (3) notably contain quartz veins with coarse molybdenite at Par. Sericite-chlorite alteration (4) is also associated with a 380 meter long zone of stockwork magnetite-chalcopyrite and hydrothermal breccias. These breccias contain altered, quartz-feldspar phyric intrusive clasts, clasts of massive, fine grained magnetite-chalcopyrite, and a matrix consisting of variable proportions of chalcopyrite, hematite and magnetite. The breccias assayed 0.38% Cu and 0.11 g/t Au (grab sample J486473).
Mapping has identified strongly altered and brecciated, multi-phase porphyries over a strike length of 1000 meters and widths of at least 350 meters at the Par. Although the prospect was successfully drilled by Tormont Mines Ltd. between 1962 and 1965 (intersecting 0.86% copper and 44 g/t silver over 20.42 meters; see news release June 17, 2013), little exploration has taken place since. The limits of the system remain undefined in all directions and at depth.
West Cirque Resources' mineral claims comprising the Aspen Grove Project cover 7776 hectares. West Cirque's grab and small (about 1 meter) chip samples are representative of various outcrop locations varying from unaltered to very strongly mineralized rock. No inference about average grade over a volume of rock can be made on the basis of reconnaissance scale sampling of this nature. West Cirque's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Bradford, M.Sc., P.Geo. and V.P. Exploration and Director for West Cirque Resources, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101. Sample preparation and assaying was carried out at ALS Minerals' North Vancouver analytical laboratory. Samples were analyzed for 35 elements including copper by aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES, while gold was analyzed by fire assay (30 gram nominal sample weight), aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES. Over limit copper (>1%) was re-analyzed by aqua-regia digestion and ICP-AES.
Historical assays of Tormont's drill core at Par are recorded in typed drill logs with sample numbers, footage intervals, and Cu, Ag and Au assays. The core assays cannot be verified as the laboratory assay sheets are not attached to the logs. They should be considered as historical information only and should not be relied on. References to well known porphyry and epithermal systems have no implications as to comparative size and grade.
About West Cirque Resources Ltd.
West Cirque is a mineral exploration company focused on creating shareholder wealth by identifying, acquiring and defining resources in world class precious and base metal projects in the North American Cordillera.
West Cirque Resources Ltd.
Steve Vanry, CFA, President
(604) 558-4604
svanry@westcirqueresources.com
www.westcirqueresources.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements", as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change, except as required by law. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and "West Cirque's" plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's public disclosure which is available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.
Copyright (c) 2013 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.