Minfocus Exploration Corp.: Peregrine Zinc Property - Re-Analyses of Over-Limit Geochemical Analyses
Coral Zinc Property - Initial Review of LiDAR Survey ResultsToronto - Minfocus Exploration Corp. (TSX-V: MFX) (“Minfocus”) is pleased to announce that four soil samples collected in October 2017 from the Peregrine Zinc Property, that were over-limit for the standard geochemical method, were re-analysed using a method suitable for higher-grade material and reported values ranging from 1.08% to 12.7% combined Zinc-Lead and from <3ppm to 128 ppm Silver. At the Coral Zinc Project, an initial review of LiDAR survey images has identified multiple, previously unknown, features interpreted as collapsed areas, which are often associated with marine sinkhole fill at other well-known Mississippi Valley Type lead-zinc deposits. These new potential targets are thus far untested by any drilling.
Re-Analysis of Over-Limit Geochemical Soil Samples from October 2017 Program
As reported in the December 13th 2017 Minfocus news release, the October soil sampling extended the zinc soil anomaly west-southwest through the area where old adits and a shaft had been rediscovered and beyond them to the west to the limit of sampling. Seven grab samples collected from the rock dump adjacent to the collapsed shaft yielded values ranging from 0.023% to 10.7% combined Zinc-Lead in brecciated dolostone with abundant dark (iron-rich?) sphalerite forming much of the matrix between fragments of dolomite.
The results from the geochemical soil samples collected during the October 2017 Peregrine Zinc Property program confirm that the zinc soil anomaly now extends over 1,500 metres, west-southwest along strike from the area that was reported previously to have four grab samples with values ranging from 13.0% to 35.9% Zinc (see Minfocus news release September 12th, 2017).
Four of the October soil geochemical samples gave values above the upper range limit for the usual geochemical analytical method used by Activation Laboratories Ltd, which for zinc is 10,000 ppm (1%), for lead is 5,000 ppm (0.5%) and for silver is 100 ppm (2.9 troy oz/ton). These four over-limit samples were resubmitted for analysis by a method suitable for higher-grade material and the results of the re-analyses are shown in the table below:
| Sample No. | Geochemical Analysis (October 2017) Aqua Regia ICP-MS Method | Assay Analysis (December 2017) Aqua Regia ICP-OES Method | ||||||
| Zn ppm | Pb ppm | Ag ppm | Fe % | Zn % | Pb % | Ag ppm, tr. oz./ton | Fe % | |
| PSL-101 | >10,000 | 169 | 1.8 | 3.80 | 1.03 | 0.05 | <3, <0.09 | 3.71 |
| PSL-114 | 5,060 | >5,000 | 10.0 | >30 | 0.745 | 1.37 | 11, 0.32 | 41.2 |
| PSL-115 | 7,900 | >5,000 | >100 | 21.7 | 1.01 | 11.7 | 128, 3.73 | 25.5 |
| PSL-116 | >10,000 | >5,000 | 31 | 10.8 | 1.18 | 2.24 | 24, 0.70 | 11.0 |
All analyses were undertaken by Activation Laboratories Ltd., an ISO 17025 accredited Canadian laboratory.
Further work is being planned to follow up these results, particularly the >12% combined zinc and lead values in sample PSL-115. The results reported above and in previous press releases mentioned above are not necessarily representative of the typical grades of mineralization hosted on the property, which may occur in two styles, respectively zinc-rich and lead-silver-rich. For more information on the Peregrine property, including an updated soil geochemical anomaly map, pictures of the adits, collapsed shaft and mineralization, visit the Company website at www.minfocus.com
The Peregrine property is located in southeastern British Columbia at relatively low elevations and accessible by old logging access roads and trails. A high voltage power line passes within 10 kilometres of the property and an all-weather paved highway (Hwy 93) reaches within 20 kilometres.
Coral Property LiDAR Survey
On October 3, 2017, an aerial LiDAR survey covering roughly one-third of the Coral Zinc Project was flown by Eagle Mapping Ltd. of British Columbia. This 16-square-kilometre survey area included the Hound Dog Creek soil anomaly and the area of the most-recent drilling, plus a significant buffer around this area of interest in order to guarantee accuracy and density within the survey boundaries. On December 19, 2017, a data report was delivered to Minfocus which included Digital Elevation Contours (1-m intervals), a “Bare-Earth” Digital Elevation Model (“DEM”) (1-m Grid) and a LiDAR Hillside Raster (1-m resolution) in GeoTiff image and pdf formats. The LiDAR data were concluded by Eagle Mapping to be accurate to +15 cm vertically and +30 cm horizontally.
A preliminary analysis of the LiDAR images has identified multiple features suggestive of collapsed areas potentially indicative of marine sinkhole fill, a feature known to be associated with deposit mineralization at other Mississippi Valley Type zinc deposits such as Daniel’s Harbour, Newfoundland and Pine Point, NWT. These previously unidentified structures at the Coral Zinc Project are both within and outside the areas of recent exploration by Minfocus, however, these areas have not yet been tested by any of the prior drilling on the project area. More detailed, analysis of the “Bare-Earth” DEM is expected to identify priority targets for the next drill program at the Coral Zinc Project, which comprises several zones of soil, stream-sediment and gossan anomalies and mineralization over circa 50 square kilometres of claims.
About Minfocus Exploration Corp.
Minfocus Exploration Corp. is a Canadian company currently advancing a portfolio of base metal projects including zinc and nickel projects in British Columbia and a Platinum Group Element (“PGE”) rich nickel project in N.W. Ontario. Minfocus has a successful management group with a record of multiple discoveries of deposits worldwide, including gold and uranium deposits in Mongolia and PGE-rich resources in Ontario, including the discovery of the first Platinum-rich Pt-Pd-Cu-Ni deposit in the Midcontinent Rift, the Current Lake deposit (+700,000 oz. Pt-Eq).
For further information, please contact:
Gerald Harper
President & Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (416) 232-0025
The Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content contained in this release is Dr. Gerald Harper, P.Geo.(Ont), a director of Minfocus.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulatory Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning the future performance of the Company’s business and operations as well as management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Forward-looking statements are often identifiable by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “might”, “would”, “plan”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “scheduled”, “forecasts” and similar expressions or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those currently anticipated by such statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company’s expectations, fluctuating commodity prices, delays in commencing the Company’s proposed drilling program, exploration costs varying significantly from estimates, the availability of financing, and other risks identified in the Company’s documents filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only of the date on which it is made, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Source: Minfocus Exploration Corp. (TSX Venture:MFX)
