MONTREAL, QUEBEC, Nov 05 (MARKET WIRE) --
- Drilling delineates potential mineral deposit at Black Thor occurrence
ranging from 50 million to 60 million tonnes in size, with a grade
between 31% to 38% Cr2O3
- Black Thor occurrence has potential to host between 278,000 and 406,000
ounces of platinum as well as between 260,000 and 381,000 ounces of
palladium
Freewest Resources Canada Inc. (TSX VENTURE: FWR) is pleased to provide
the following exploration update on Freewest's wholly-owned McFaulds
property. The wholly-owned McFaulds Property, consisting of 1,036
hectares, comprises one of three properties in the "Ring of Fire" metals
district in northern Ontario which Freewest is exploring on its own or
under joint-venture agreements.
This news release reports on the Black Thor chromite occurrence as a
potential mineral deposit. To comply with National Instrument 43-101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, the potential quantity and
grade of a potential mineral deposit such as Black Thor must be reported
as ranges. This news release also provides an update of the current
diamond drilling program being completed on the McFaulds Property.
POTENTIAL MINERAL DEPOSIT
To date, Freewest has completed 22,845 metres of diamond drilling
comprising 67 holes on the Black Thor chromite occurrence. The drilling
has tested Black Thor over a strike length of 2,600 metres and to a
maximum depth of 400 vertical metres, with an average drill test depth of
approximately 300 metres over this strike length. Most importantly, Black
Thor remains completely open-ended along strike and to depth as the
limits of chromite mineralization have yet to be defined.
To supplement the completion of an independent mineral resource estimate
on Black Thor that is being currently undertaken in compliance with
National Instrument 43-101, Freewest has calculated an inventory
comprising a potential mineral deposit on Black Thor. The drilling
delineates a potential mineral deposit at Black Thor ranging from 50
million to 60 million tonnes in size with a grade of between 31% to 38%
Cr2O3 (chromium oxide), as set out in the table below. In addition to
chromite, the Black Thor occurrence has the potential to host between
278,000 and 406,000 ounces of platinum as well as between 260,000 and
381,000 ounces of palladium.
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Potential Cr2O3 Platinum Palladium
Chromite Quantity Grade Grade Grade
Zone (tonnes) (%) (grams/tonne) (grams/tonne)
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Black Thor 31,768,893-38,122,723 33.0-40.0 .175-.213 .170-.208
Upper
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Black Thor 4,467,969-5,343,442 28.9-35.3 .174-.212 .152-.186
Central
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Black Thor 13,755,470-16,450,163 31.3-38.3 .171-.209 .164-.200
Lower
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Total
Potential
Mineral
Deposit(1) 49,992,332-59,916,328 31.1-37.9 .173-.211 .162-.198
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Total
Potential
Platinum
Group-
Elements- 278,056- 260,376-
(ounces) 406,454 381,411
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(1) The potential mineral deposit at Black Thor is conceptual in nature;
the tonnage and grade are uncertain due to insufficient exploration
data. It is uncertain if further drilling will result in the target
being delineated as a mineral resource. The tonnage and grade for the
potential mineral deposit were calculated employing the cross-sectional
method utilizing mineralized blocks that are continuous half the
distance to adjacent drill sections. Mineralized blocks were extended
up-dip and down-dip a distance of 75 metres on-section, unless
otherwise constrained. A cut-off grade of 25% Cr2O3 was utilized to
define mineralized blocks and a specific gravity of 3.7 was used to
calculate quantity. The potential mineral deposit for Black Thor was
calculated to an average depth of about 300 metres along the
2,600-metre strike length.
Shallow drilling above the 100-metre level is currently being
completed along Black Thor's 2,600-metre strike length in an effort to
extend the mineralized blocks utilized in the calculation to surface.
This is expected to have the effect of significantly increasing the size
of the potential mineral deposit upon completion. In addition, selected
chromite-bearing samples are being analyzed for the complete package of
platinum-group elements that include platinum, palladium, rhodium,
iridium, ruthenium and osmium. The latter three platinum-group elements
tend to partition with oxide-phase minerals including chromite. Results
for these analyses will be released by Freewest as they become available.
DIAMOND DRILLING UPDATE
Currently, the third phase of diamond drilling continues to fill-in and
expand the mineral resource of the Black Thor chromite occurrence. As
indicated, much of the current drilling at Black Thor is shallow in
nature, generally above the 100-metre level. Highlighting the initial
holes completed during the third-phase drilling program are massive
chromite intercepts of 33.7 metres (BT-09-88), 32.5 metres (BT-09-96),
26.7 metres (BT-09-83), 26.1 metres and 21.4 metres (BT-09-86), 24.4
metres (BT-09-81) and 22.6 metres (BT-09-84).
Of the 13 holes completed to date during Phase 3 at Black Thor, 11 of the
holes intersected significant chromite mineralization, representing a
success rate of 85%. The visual results of current drilling at Black Thor
are as follows.
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Ho
le No. Grid Dip Massive Cr2O3 Semi -Massive Banded
Coordinates Intersections Cr2O3 Intermittent
Contained In Intersections Cr2O3
Drill Hole Contained In Intersections
(metres thick) Drill Hole Contained In
(metres thick) Drill Hole
(metres thick)
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BT-09-81 L2800N, -45 24.4m, 10.0m, 12.0m
100W degrees 7.0m
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BT-09-82 L2600N, -45 4.0m 22.0m, 10.7m,
125W degrees 10.4m, 5.4m
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BT-09-83 L2850N, -45 26.7m, 10.2m,
100W degrees 9.1m
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BT-09-84 L2500N, -45 22.6m, 9.4m 24.1m 18.7m, 11.2m,
200W degrees 6.4m
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BT-09-85 L2500N, -65 14.3m, 13.0m 9.2m, 9.1m, 9.6m, 8.9m,
200W degrees 8.6m, 5.2m, 7.1m, 6.9m
4.8m
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BT-09-86 L2900N, -45 26.1m, 21.4m,
100W degrees 15.3m, 7.5m,
5.4m, 5.0m,
5.0m
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BT-09-87 L2900N, -45 No significant mineralization
000 degrees
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BT-09-88 L2950N, -45 33.7m 6.25m
150W degrees
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BT-09-89 L3000N, -45 No significant mineralization
100W degrees
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BT-09-90 L2400N, -45 13.3m 19.5m
125W degrees
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BT-09-91 L900N, -45 11.6m 9.9m 6.7m, 4.5m
000 degrees
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BT-09-94 L2300N, -45 16.4m, 7.3m, 37.8m, 6.2m
150W degrees 4.8m
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BT-09-96 L800N, -45 32.5m 53.0m
050W degrees
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In addition to the ongoing drilling of the Black Thor occurrence,
drilling is also being completed at several of the nickel-copper-platinum
group element prospects, including the AT 12 Extension as well as the F2
sulphide zone of the McFaulds Property. Earlier drilling at these two
occurrences yielded 1.62% nickel, 1.24% copper and 5.22 g/t TPM
(platinum+palladium+gold) over 1.77 metres at the AT12 Extension and
3.60% nickel, 0.42% copper, 0.21 grams/tonne platinum and 3.24 grams per
tonne palladium over a narrow 0.4-metre length at the F2 sulphide zone.
Down-hole Pulse EM (electromagnetic) surveys will be completed shortly at
both the AT12 Extension and F2 sulphide zone to help guide future
diamond-drilling efforts. FREEWEST MOVING FORWARD
Freewest expects that an independent mineral resource estimate on Black
Thor to be prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 will be
completed by the end of 2009. A site visit to the McFaulds camp by the
author of the technical report remains to be done. In addition, baseline
environmental studies are well underway, involving a soil and groundwater
investigation to establish the baseline level of potential contaminants
in soils and groundwater beneath the concerned sites.
Final reports are also expected shortly for a preliminary assessment on
chromite metallurgy and recovery from the Black Thor and Black Label
occurrences (completed by Micon International Limited) as well as
scoping-level geometallurgical studies investigating ore quality from
same, completed by Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
Drilling will continue on the McFaulds Property, employing three drill
rigs testing Black Thor, Black Label as well as the AT12 Extension and F2
sulphide zone. It is expected that drilling will continue until the
Christmas break. Results will be released by Freewest as they become
available.
INDEPENDENT QUALITY-CONTROL AND ANALYTICAL PROTOCOL
A thorough quality-control program has been implemented for the McFaulds
Property, including grouping samples into batches of 35 into which are
added two certified reference material standards, two field blanks
composed of barren drill core and a field duplicate. Coarse reject and
pulp duplicates also form part of the quality-control program. Freewest
believes that all assays reported in this news release have passed
rigorous control guidelines as set out by Freewest's independent Quality
Assurance/Quality Control person.
All samples were submitted to Activation Labs (Actlabs) of Ancaster,
Ontario for analysis. The samples were analyzed for multi-elements using
a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP analyses. Gold, platinum and palladium
were assayed by the fire-assay method on 30 grams of prepared sample. All
chromite-bearing samples are analyzed by fusion x-ray fluorescence (XRF).
The x-ray emissions allow the composition of the sample to be determined
with a high degree of accuracy. Additional information on the analytical
techniques employed is available on the Actlabs website at
www.actlabsint.com.
Additional quality-control measures have also recently been adopted for
Cr (chromium) and Fe (iron), including the insertion of a
certified-reference material, SARM 8, purchased from Mintek in South
Africa. This quality-control method provides a check for high-grade
chrome samples yielded by INAA analyses provided by Actlabs.
Donald Hoy, P. Geo. (Ontario), Vice-President, Exploration and a Director
of Freewest, is the Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 for
the McFaulds Property and is responsible for the preparation of, and
verification of the data disclosed in, this news release.
Freewest is a well-financed mineral exploration company. It is actively
exploring for gold, base-metals and chromite within eastern Canada.
Corporate information can be accessed on the Internet at
www.freewest.com. Freewest's shares are listed on Tier 1 of the TSX
Venture Exchange under the symbol FWR.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Freewest Resources Canada Inc.
Mackenzie I. Watson
President and CEO
(514) 878-3551 or 1-888-878-3551
(514) 878-4427 (FAX)
info@freewest.com
www.freewest.com
Bay Street Connect
Michael D'Amico
Investor Relations
(647) 500-6023
AGORACOM Investor Relations
FWR@Agoracom.com
http://agoracom.com/ir/freewest
Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.
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