Bonterra Resources drills 2.23 g/t gold over 8.2 metres at Desmaraisville South, Quebec
Bonterra Resources Inc. [TSXV-BTR; OTCQX-BONXF; FSE-9BR2] reported latest results from its 15,000-metre drill program at its 100%-owned Desmaraisville South project, Quebec. The purpose of the program was to test several new geological and geophysical targets along with historical near surface gold mineralization along the edges of the O’Brien Syenite Intrusion (O’Brien Intrusive) and to identify the location of two regional corridors of deformation located further to the North of the project.
Diamond drilling was conducted within 7 km of the Bachelor Mill Complex. To date, Bonterra has received the assay results from 10,631 samples including QA-QC samples from the 57 diamond drill holes completed between August 23 and December 22, 2023. Assay results from 3,708 drill core samples are still pending.
Highlights Include 2.23 g/t Au over 8.2 m, including 9.26 g/t Au over 1.7 m in hole BRDS-23-021; 15.30 g/t Au over 1.0 m in hole BRDS-23-030; 0.80 g/t Au over 11.7 m, including 2.84 g/t Au over 1.4 m in hole BRDS-23-013 and 3.66 g/t Au over 1.5 m in hole BRDS-23-004A.
Marc-Andre Pelletier, President and CEO, commented: “With the launch of the $10 million in exploration drilling as part of the Option Agreement with Osisko Mining on the Phoenix JV and positive results from the 2023 campaign at our 100%-owned Desmaraisville property, this year holds transformative potential for Bonterra. Notably, all drill hole mineralized intersections at Desmaraisville fall within 4 km of the Bachelor Mill Complex. The discovery of a new mineralization type on the east side of the O’Brien Intrusive in hole BRDS 23-021, distinct from the mineralization typically found at the Bachelor-Moroy deposits, underscores the possibility of new findings on the Desmaraisville property. Compilation work is ongoing, and the final interpretation of the 2023 geophysical surveys are expected soon. These findings will contribute to generating highly prospective drill targets for exploration later this year.”
The diamond drilling program at the Desmaraisville South project had several objectives. The main objectives were to intersect gold mineralization on the eastern side of the O’Brien Intrusive (East Area), along the extensions of various gold zones discovered in 2015 south of the O’Brien Intrusive (South Area), related to geophysical targets on the west of the Bachelor Lake felsic intrusion (Bachelor Lake Intrusive) enhanced by the presence of gold showings at surface and finally, to test the deep southwest plunge of a zinc, lead, and silver mineralized body of the former Coniagas Mine.
Recent geophysical surveys on the Desmaraisville property should help Bonterra to properly position these two major structures.
The gold mineralized zone containing 2.23 g/t Au over 8.2 m, including 9.26 g/t Au over 1.7 m in hole BRDS-23-021 is located at the contact between a tuff and a massive basalt rock unit. The contact zone is moderately silicified and contains 2-3% pyrite in clusters. This type of gold-bearing environment is different from the Bachelor and Moroy gold-bearing environment. The best mineralized interval returned a value of 15.30 g/t Au over 1.0m.
Drill hole BRDS-23-013 intersected a gold enriched zone (0.80 g/t Au over 11.7 m, including 2.84 g/t Au over 1.4 m) associated with a strongly altered felsic dike west of the Bachelor Lake Intrusive.
Bonterra’s assets are anchored by a central milling facility in Quebec. The company’s assets include the Gladiator, Barry, Moroy, and Bachelor gold deposits, which collectively hold 1.24 million ounces in Measured and Indicated categories and 1.78 million ounces in the Inferred category.
In November 2023, the company entered into a earn-in and joint venture agreement with Osisko Mining Inc. [TSX-OSK] for the Urban-Barry properties, which include the Gladiator and Barry deposits. Over the next three years, Osisko can earn a 70% interest by incurring $30 million in work expenditures.