CashInfo.org

Posts Tagged ‘SEA’

Toronto, Canada – The first 11 holes drilled this season by Seabridge Gold on the FAT deposit at its 100% owned Courageous Lake gold project have exceeded expectations, increasing confidence in the current resource and potentially expanding it. The Courageous Lake project is located in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Drilling continues with another 30 holes planned for this summer.

Seabridge President Rudi Fronk noted that the primary objective of this year’s Courageous Lake program is to enhance the value of the project by upgrading its existing resources so that they can qualify as reserves in a planned Preliminary Feasibility Study. “The results to date indicate that we are having success upgrading inferred resources to higher categories. Mineralization is where we expect it to be, demonstrating that our resource model is predictive. Furthermore, grades are somewhat better than predicted by the model and we are also finding new mineralized zones. Overall, the data suggests that resource ounces and perhaps grade could increase as a result of this program, in addition to upgrading resource categories.”

The FAT deposit is located geologically in the Slave Province. The deposit’s name is an acronym for its dominant rock type, Felsic Ash Tuff. This gold occurrence, hosted by Archean rocks, was formed in a rhyolite/dacite dome complex that measures about 2km along strike and about 800m of stratigraphic section in width. Although tuffaceous rocks are the most common in the deposit there are also clear intervals of clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks and a few late intrusives.

In constructing a geological model for resource estimation, unique stratigraphic intervals were defined and labeled as domains 1 though 9 and domain 14. Each domain contains specific and unique tuff and sedimentary units arranged in particular stratigraphic sequences. The defined geological domains are relics of the depositional environment in which they were formed. Consequently, within these domains the style of hydrothermal alteration, vein occurrences and sulfide mineralogy are consistent across the length and breadth of each specific domain. Distribution of gold within a domain and the surrounding rock is treated differently from other domains in resource modeling. Although ten separate geological domains have been recognized in the FAT deposit, domains 3, 4 and 5 contain about 80% of the gold in the deposit.

Results of the first 11 core drill holes from the current program are as follows:

Geologic descriptions of the 11 holes are as follows:

CL-081:  Drilled at an azimuth of 98^o and an inclination of minus 52^o and designed to test the down-dip projection in domain 5 and fill a gap in domain 4. The only lithology encountered in the hole was felsic tuff. Alteration of the tuff varied significantly with the most common being sericite and carbonates. The geology encountered in domain 4 consisted of coarse tuff and intense sericite-silica alteration characteristic of this zone with better grades than expected in the resource model (4.0 g/t versus 2.5 g/t). Textures, alteration and sulfide minerals in domain 5 were indicative of gold mineralization but grades were lower than expected in the model.

CL-082:  Drilled at an azimuth of 277^o and an inclination of minus 60^o and designed to in-fill gaps in domains 3 and 4. Due to ground conditions, the hole deviated immediately and did not fully test these targets. The entire hole was in felsic tuff with variable intensity of sericite and carbonate alteration. An unexpected mineralized zone was encountered in domain 2 beyond the limits of our resource model for this domain. The upper part of domain 3 was intersected in the drill hole yielding mineralization and geology consistent with the model.

CL-083:  Drilled at an azimuth of 98^o and an inclination of minus 47^o and designed to upgrade near surface inferred resources in domains 5 and 4 and to test domain 3 to a depth of 200 meters. The grade encountered was significantly higher than predicted, with slightly narrower zones. Alteration and rock types were consistent with the model, including moderate to intense sericite alteration and intervals of intense silicic alteration, especially in domain 4. The bottom 33.0 meter interval grading 3.18 grams per tonne likely represents the eastern margin of domain 3, with grades better than expected.

CL-084: Drilled at an azimuth of 98^o and an inclination of minus 55^o and designed to upgrade shallow inferred blocks in domains 4 and 5 at relative elevations between 200 and 350 meters. Felsic tuff was the only lithology encountered in this drill hole with moderate to intense sericite and silica alteration. The upper 110 meters of the hole corresponded to rock types associated with domain 5 but with much less lithological variation, which may indicate the up-dip limits of this zone. In the deeper part of the drill hole, the felsic tuff is characteristic of domain 4 with well developed imbricated lapilli and distinctive primary quartz phenocrysts. Grade is distributed at the bottom and the top of zone 4 and in minor intervals through the center of the zone.

CL-085:  Drilled to replace hole CL-082 at an azimuth of 274^o with inclination of minus 65^o. This hole also deviated from plan and did not fully test the target in domains 3 and 4. Geology of this hole was as predicted, felsic tuff with low to moderate intensity sericite alteration and few quartz veins with associated silicic alteration. The same unexpected mineralized zone found in hole CL-082 was encountered and is interpreted to be domain 2. Grade was also intercepted on the upper margin of domain 3 (14.4 meters at 2.19 gpt) which was not predicted in the resource model.

CL-086:  Drilled at an azimuth of 277^o and an inclination of minus 65^o and designed to fill inferred gaps in domains 3 and 4 and test the down dip potential of domain 5. In domain 3, the tuffs were less intensely altered and sulfide content was low, indicating that this zone is weakening to the north. The eastern portion of domain 4 showed the strongest alteration and sulfides with the remainder of the domain being more erratic. Domain 5 was characterized by patchy alteration and sulfides in felsic tuffs, which may indicate the down-dip limits of this zone.

CL-087:  Drilled at an azimuth of 95^o and an inclination of minus 50^o and designed to fill a potential gap of blocks in domain 5 (represented in the current model as waste) and an inferred gap in domain 4. The bottom of zone 5 was intercepted at the predicted depth and was characterized by fine-grained felsic tuff with a restricted size range of lapilli fragments. Moderate intensity sericite and silica alteration was accompanied by vein-controlled carbonate alteration. Results from this hole indicate that zone 5 is pinching up-dip. Below 200m the drill hole passed into domain 4 with the typical lapilli tuff units containing primary quartz eyes. Sericite and silica alteration is not intense, with the key mineralization in this part of domain 4 found near the base of the zone.

CL-088: Drilled at an azimuth of 277^o and an inclination of minus 54^o and designed to convert inferred blocks in domains 2, 3, 4 and 5. Typical FAT lithologies were intersected in this hole, primarily variably altered felsic tuff with minor intercalations of sedimentary rocks. Domain 2 was better than expected. Domain 3 showed continuing strong mineralization along its margins but the core was weaker than expected. Domain 4 alteration and mineralization were weaker than expected but still maintained a high-grade core. Domain 5 was consistent with expectations.

CL-089:  Drilled at an azimuth of 98^o and an inclination of minus 50^o and designed to fill a gap of shallow inferred blocks in domains 5 and 4. Lithologies of domain 5 are as expected, with decreased sericite and silica alteration and increased chlorite-carbonate alteration. These results indicate that domain 5 has pinched out up-dip. Domain 4 was encountered where expected showing intense sericite and silica alteration. The alteration intensity decreases toward the top of domain 4.

CL-090:  Drilled at an azimuth of 98^o and an inclination of minus 54^o and designed to upgrade blocks in domain 5 and 4. The lithologies of domain 5 were encountered from 263 to 300 meters, exactly as predicted. Grades were as expected. Domain 4 started a few meters earlier than expected at 314 meters and continued to the end of the hole. The unexpected start of domain 4 may link up with portions of domain 4 above and below that were too far apart to be interpolated previously. The other mineralized intercepts in domain 4 correspond well with the model.

CL-091:  Drilled at an azimuth of 277^o and an inclination of minus 57^o and designed to upgrade inferred resources in domains 3, 4 and 5 at relative depths of 170 meters, 300 meters and 370 meters respectively. Domain 3 was intersected slightly deeper than expected at 161 meters, due to some intercalated sediments. Mineralization was expected to be spotty as this domain is weakening to the north. Domain 4 was intercepted where expected, with lithology and alteration indicative of domain 4. Overall results for this zone exceeded expectations, with wider intercepts and better grades. Domain 5 was much weaker than expected both in alteration and grades but a full cut of the zone was not achieved due to some deviation in the hole.

The above reported drill holes were designed to intersect the true width of the FAT deposit.

The Courageous Lake project consists of 27,263 hectares (67,366 acres) covering 53 kilometers (33 miles) of a greenstone belt in Canada’s Northwest Territories, including the two kilometer long FAT deposit which has estimated gold resources as set out below (see news release of February 28, 2007 for details):

In March 2008, Seabridge released the results of a Preliminary Assessment (see news release dated March 10, 2008) in which the independent consultants concluded that an open-pit mining operation, with on-site processing, is the most suitable development scenario for the Courageous Lake project. A base case scenario was developed proposing a 25,000 tonne per day operation (9.125 million tonne per year throughput) resulting in a projected 11.6 year operation with average estimated annual production of 500,500 ounces of gold at an estimated average cash operating cost of US$435 per ounce recovered. The base case scenario utilized measured, indicated and inferred resources in the mine plan. Initial capital costs for the project were estimated at US$848 million, including a contingency of US$111 million. The total cost of gold production (including cash operating costs and total capital costs over the life of the mine) was estimated at US$590 per ounce.

At a gold price of US$690 per ounce, the base case cumulative pre-tax net cash flow over the life of the project was estimated at US$500 million. At a gold price of US$800 per ounce, the cumulative pre-tax net cash flow over the life of the project was estimated at US$1.13 billion and at US$1,000 gold pre-tax cumulative net cash flow was estimated at US$2.27 billion.

Seabridge notes that the Courageous Lake Preliminary Assessment incorporated inferred mineral resources which are considered too geologically speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Therefore, Seabridge advises that there can be no certainty that the estimates contained in the Preliminary Assessment will be realized.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

The 2010 Courageous Lake exploration program is being conducted under the direction of William E. Threlkeld, Senior Vice President of Seabridge and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Threlkeld has reviewed and approved this news release.

An ongoing and rigorous quality control/quality assurance protocol is being employed during the 2010 Courageous Lake drill program including blank and certified reference standards inserted by the Company in every batch of assays. Repeats and re-splits of the sample reject are analyzed at a rate of not less than one sample in every 25 for each type. Samples are being assayed at Acme Laboratories, Vancouver, B.C. using fire assay atomic adsorption methods for gold and total digestion ICP methods for other elements. Cross-check analyses are being conducted at a second external laboratory on at least 10% of the samples.

Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. The Company’s principal assets are the KSM property located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canada’s Northwest Territories. For a breakdown of Seabridge’s mineral reserves and mineral resources by category please visit the Company’s website at http://www.seabridgegold.net/resources.php.

Source: Company website

New fourth KSM zone could significantly improve project economics

Toronto, Canada – Results from the first eight holes drilled by Seabridge at the Iron Cap target have confirmed a new, large potentially bulk minable deposit at KSM which could substantially improve project economics. Results to date include wide intercepts of gold, copper and silver grades above the KSM average. Infill drilling will now proceed at Iron Cap with the aim of establishing new proven and probable reserves to be included in mine plans for the project.

Seabridge President Rudi Fronk commented that “results from our eight holes and five holes drilled by previous operators  have identified a new deposit that is at least 900 meters in strike length, 400 meters wide and up to 350 meters thick,  located immediately adjacent to the Mitchell zone [see attached maps]. What is most encouraging is that Iron Cap appears to have zones of higher grade copper which could be blended with ore from Mitchell to maintain our targeted 0.20% average copper grade to the mill. This average head grade is important because it generates a higher grade concentrate without sacrificing recoveries, which in turn commands better smelter returns and reduces shipping costs. The current mine plan calls for the early development of the more distant Kerr and Sulphurets zones to maintain copper head grades to the mill. Sequencing Iron Cap before Kerr and Sulphurets could have multiple potential benefits including lower operating and capital costs, deferring significant expenditures and extending mine life.” Results from Seabridge’s initial eight holes from Iron Cap are as follows:

Geologic descriptions of the eight holes are as follows:

IC-10-006: Eastern part of Iron Cap zone, drilled at azimuth 135^º with an inclination of minus 70^º. The drill pierced thermally and hydrothermally altered sedimentary rocks with narrow intrusive and breccia bodies. Silicic alteration with intense quartz veinlets indicative of shattering by fluid pressure characterizes the rocks in this drill hole. Sulfide minerals are abundant and concentrated in the quartz veinlets.

IC-10-007: North central part of Iron Cap, orientated at azimuth 135^º and a minus 80^º inclination. This hole collared in shattered and veined silicically altered and thermally metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. It passed into a shattered and veined intrusion with intense silica alteration. Numerous intervals of silica altered breccia with abundant sulfide minerals were recognized within the intrusion.

IC-10-008: Central part of Iron Cap, drilled at azimuth 135^º and a minus 80^º inclination. Extensive silica alteration of tuffaceous and sedimentary rocks was encountered in the upper part of the drill hole. Deeper sections of the hole contained quartz-sericite altered intrusion and silica altered breccia.

IC-10-009: North central part of Iron Cap, drilled at azimuth 135^º and a minus 80^º inclination. The hole encountered diorite to monzonite intrusion through most of its length. To about 174 meters, alteration intensity increases beginning with moderate-intensity chlorite alteration grading to intense silica and potassic alteration. Below 174 meters, intensity of silica alteration remains consistent to the end of the hole, with veining and sulfide abundance decreasing at depth.

IC-10-010: North central part of Iron Cap, drilled at azimuth 135^º and a minus 80^º inclination. The drill hole encountered breccia through most of its length. The breccia generally has intensely altered fragments in a matrix of silica and sulfide minerals, with occasional zones of intense veining superimposed on the brecciated rock.

IC-10-011: Northeast part of Iron Cap, orientated at azimuth 135^º with an inclination of minus 70^º. The drill hole collared in brecciated rock, passed into a section of silicically altered pyritic sedimentary rocks and then into a fine grained intrusion. The breccia and intrusive rocks are dominantly sericite altered. The highest grade gold zone straddles the contact between the intrusion and sedimentary rocks.

IC-10-012: Far northeast part of Iron Cap, drilled at azimuth 135^º and a minus 70^º inclination. The upper parts of this drill hole are alternating intervals of sedimentary and tuffaceous rocks with diorite intrusion. Alteration is principally silica with abundant stockwork veins. The lower third of the drill hole encountered silicic and pyritic sedimentary rocks and very fine grained felsic volcanic rocks.

IC-10-013: North central part of Iron Cap, orientated at azimuth 135^º and minus 80^º inclination. The entire drill hole displays low intensity alteration in a porphyritic intrusive rock. The upper third of the hole is dominated by silicic alteration with patchy potassic alteration. Below a distinct fault zone in the hole, the lower 2/3 is altered in alternating intervals to chlorite-rich and silica-rich alteration assemblages.

The above reported drill holes were designed to intersect the true width of the Iron Cap zone.

The 100% owned KSM project, located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada, is one of the world’s largest undeveloped gold/copper projects. Proven and probable reserves for the KSM project (see news release dated March 31, 2010 for details) using a gold price of US$850 per ounce and a copper price of US$2.25 per pound are as follows:

Exploration activities at KSM are being conducted by Seabridge personnel under the supervision of William E. Threlkeld, Senior Vice President of Seabridge and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Threlkeld has reviewed and approved this news release. An ongoing and rigorous quality control/quality assurance protocol is being employed during the 2010 program including blank and reference standards in every batch of assays. Cross-check analyses are being conducted at a second external laboratory on 10% of the samples. Samples are being assayed at Eco Tech Laboratory Ltd., Kamloops, B.C., using fire assay atomic adsorption methods for gold and total digestion ICP methods for other elements.

Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold resource projects. The Company’s principal assets are the KSM property located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canada’s Northwest Territories. For a breakdown of Seabridge’s mineral resources by project and resource category please visit the Company’s website at http://www.seabridgegold.net/resources.php.

Source: Company Website

Again we have chosen a relative save play like we do with Silver Wheaton. Seabridge Gold is a company with a real long term strategy. The basis for this company was made from 1999 till 2002 when gold prices were at ultra low levels. A total of nine North-American gold deposits were acquired at very low prices. Then the second phase started, which was to expand its resource base by carefully targeted exploration. This phase proved highly successful…total measured and indicated gold resources grew 381% over five years while shares outstanding increased only 35.4% during the same period. By 2008, it was clear that the gold price had risen sufficiently to make a number of Seabridge’s projects potentially economic. Work therefore began on the third phase of Seabridge’s strategy…defining the economics of its projects through engineering studies and upgrading resources to reserves. This effort focused on the giant KSM project which, during the exploration phase, had emerged as the Company’s most important asset. A Preliminary Feasibility Study was completed for the KSM project in March 2010 and a substantial portion of its resources were converted to reserves. A similar program is being planned for Courageous Lake, Seabridge’s second-largest asset. Work on KSM and Courageous Lake has been funded in part by the sale of non-core assets which is consistent with the strategy of limiting share dilution and enhancing shareholder value.

We think the price of gold will continue to rise the coming years, considering the leverage to the gold price shares of Seabridge Gold Inc. have, this is a true value investment.
The following text is from the company website and describes very well why we trust this company:

Our goal in establishing Seabridge was to provide exceptional returns to shareholders by maximizing leverage to the gold price in what we perceived would be a rising gold price environment. Our strategy was to optimize gold resources while limiting shares outstanding. This approach provided a simple but effective measure for evaluating dollars spent in terms of resources added compared to shares issued.

We decided that our competitive advantage at Seabridge would be to evaluate, acquire, explore and develop gold deposits. From our inception, we determined that Seabridge would not build or operate mines…we would look to partner or sell assets which were ready for production. Building mines adds considerable technical and financial risks and requires a different set of skills and resources. Nor did we wish to undertake grass roots exploration which is very high risk. We therefore narrowed our value-added proposition to three phases which would unfold as the gold price rose…acquiring known deposits, expanding them and defining their economic parameters. In our view, this was a relatively lower risk and less capital-intensive strategy consistent with the goal of optimizing gold ownership while limiting share dilution.