Historic Exploration
In 1997, following a program of geophysical surveying, Cyprus Canada Inc. drilled two diamond drill holes on the Martiniere property totaling 310.5 metres. The second hole, MD97-02, intersected massive to semi-massive pyrite mineralization over 13 metres with associated tourmaline and carbonate veining. Sericite, silica and fuchsite alteration were observed throughout the hole. This resulted in an additional six holes, which intersected three separate auriferous "horizons".
International Taurus Resources Inc. (merged with American Bonanza in 2004) acquired the property in 1998 and, in 1999 and 2000, completed 21 drill holes, totaling 3,807 metres. This work further indicated the widespread nature of gold mineralization in association with ultramafic and volcanic rocks on the property. As well it suggested that the higher-grade gold mineralization was contained in veins and shoots, similar in nature to the high-grade gold mineralization on the Company's Fenelon Gold Project and a number of deposits throughout the Abitibi region. The highlight of the 2000 drill program was an intercept of 14.40 grams per tonne gold over 4.20 metres from the Central Zone.
Diamond drilling by American Bonanza during 2006-07 continued to expand the extent of known gold mineralization in the West and Central Zones and led to the discovery of the Martiniere East Zone in hole MD07-20 which returned 28.40 metres grading 2.30 g/t gold. This hole, the most easterly hole to date on the Property provided the first indication of potential for bulk tonnage gold zones on the Property. American Bonanza sold the Property to Balmoral in 2010 without completing any further work.
Since acquiring a 100% interest in the Property from Bonanza in 2010 Balmoral has completed several phases of drilling. The Company has outlined two major gold bearing trends -- the West and Bug Lake Trends -- as well as several high-grade gold occurrences outside these trends. To the end of 2014 Balmoral had completed over 72,000 metres of diamond drilling on the Property. In 2015 the Company formally moved into the definition drilling phase on the sub-parallel gold bearing zones which define the Bug Lake Trend.
International Taurus Resources Inc. (merged with American Bonanza in 2004) acquired the property in 1998 and, in 1999 and 2000, completed 21 drill holes, totaling 3,807 metres. This work further indicated the widespread nature of gold mineralization in association with ultramafic and volcanic rocks on the property. As well it suggested that the higher-grade gold mineralization was contained in veins and shoots, similar in nature to the high-grade gold mineralization on the Company's Fenelon Gold Project and a number of deposits throughout the Abitibi region. The highlight of the 2000 drill program was an intercept of 14.40 grams per tonne gold over 4.20 metres from the Central Zone.
Diamond drilling by American Bonanza during 2006-07 continued to expand the extent of known gold mineralization in the West and Central Zones and led to the discovery of the Martiniere East Zone in hole MD07-20 which returned 28.40 metres grading 2.30 g/t gold. This hole, the most easterly hole to date on the Property provided the first indication of potential for bulk tonnage gold zones on the Property. American Bonanza sold the Property to Balmoral in 2010 without completing any further work.
Since acquiring a 100% interest in the Property from Bonanza in 2010 Balmoral has completed several phases of drilling. The Company has outlined two major gold bearing trends -- the West and Bug Lake Trends -- as well as several high-grade gold occurrences outside these trends. To the end of 2014 Balmoral had completed over 72,000 metres of diamond drilling on the Property. In 2015 the Company formally moved into the definition drilling phase on the sub-parallel gold bearing zones which define the Bug Lake Trend.
