North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

White Rock Minerals Ltd. Feb. 27 said it is gearing up for the start of a spring exploration program at Red Mountain, a zinc-rich volcanogenic massive sulfide project in Interior Alaska.

"The company is very excited about the potential for its globally significant high-grade zinc VMS project at Red Mountain," said White Rock CEO Matt Gill.

Last year, the company reported a maiden resource of 16.7 million metric tons averaging 4.1 percent (1.49 billion pounds) zinc; 1.7 percent (630 million lb) lead; 0.2 percent (57.3 million lb) copper; 99 grams per metric ton (53.5 million ounces) silver; and 0.7 g/t (352,000 oz) gold.

This resource is contained in the Dry Creek and West Tundra Flats deposits.

"(T)he two deposits identified within the company's extensive land holding immediately placed the Red Mountain zinc project as one of the highest grade and more significant deposits of any zinc company listed on the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) and an important VMS asset within a global context," said Gill.

"Now it is time to get on the ground," he added.

An initial 3,000-meter drill program scheduled to begin in May, will aim to upgrade and expand the resource.

This drilling is being targeted to follow-up on drilling last done in the 1990s.

Highlights from the historical drilling include: 68.9 meters grading 4 percent zinc, 1.8 percent lead, 58 grams per metric ton silver and 0.3 g/t gold; 36.1 meters grading 6.2 percent zinc; 2.5 percent lead; 183 g/t silver and 1 g/t gold; and 12.5 meters grading 12.5 percent zinc, 5.5 percent lead, 160 g/t silver and 1.1 g/t gold.

This year's exploration work will also include on-ground electro-magnetic surveys and potentially further surface sampling across the Dry Creek and West Tundra Flats deposits.

White Rock said it has identified 30 targets with geophysical signatures similar to the two known deposits across its roughly 35,350-acre property.

The company said the geophysical and geochemical work carried out across the known deposits will help determine the best tools to use for further exploration of the other targets on the Red Mountain property.

A follow-up drill program is planned to test the best of the exploration targets.

"Our aim here is to further build on our geological knowledge of the mineralization, increase confidence in the resource base, expand the already globally significant resources at the existing deposits and discover new deposits," said Gill. "We will, in parallel with the drilling program, also be conducting on-ground geophysics and geochemistry, testing many of the 30 already identified exploration targets developed from historic shallow EM and historic surface geochemistry, and explore the system for VMS related gold potential."

White Rock is currently preparing to mobilize to the Red Mountain property via a 71-mile winter road that heads west from Delta Junction to the exploration camp site near the Dry Creek and West Tundra Flats deposits.

–SHANE LASLEY