Stara Planina Exploration Permit
Highlights
- High-grade gold mineralization (max 70 g/t Au) at Aljin Do mine ready for drilling, and additional high-grade gold occurrences discovered
- Two large (3.4 x 1.0, 2.5 x 0.75 km) and robust (>100 ppm Cu) copper and molybdenum soil anomalies with outcropping copper mineralization
- Intrusion-related gold-copper type of mineralization related to Hercynian granodiorites -- metallogenic zone extending from Western Europe to Central Asia (Tien Shan)
The Stara Planina Exploration Permit covers an inlier of Palaeozoic gabbros intruded by Permo-Carboniferous graniodiorite. The permit contains known vein-type bismuth-copper-gold-antimony mineralization in the Gradiste area at the Aljin do mine, which was abandoned after the World War II. Subsequently former-Yugoslav state agencies undertook limited exploration, and Rio Sava (Rio Tinto subsidiary in Serbia) investigated the area in 2003. The geology is comparable to that at Deli Jovan (SEE d.o.o. Permit area) in eastern Serbia, and at the Ogosta gold deposit in Bulgaria. Euromax Resources Ltd report a historical, and therefore non-compliant, resource of 1.33 million ounces gold from Ogosta, and that 260,000 t ore @ 6 g/t gold was mined during 1985 -- 1994.
Geology and Mineralization
The geology of the Permit area consists of an early Paleozoic gabbro that is intruded by Permo-Carboniferous granodiorite with associated quartz veining. The gabbro borders to the NE, at a major NNW-SSE trending fault, with basement gneiss, greenschist and marble. There is a strong NW-SE structural grain that controls the distribution of the granodiorite intrusives, and the mineralization.
In the Gradiste area, the Exploration Permit contains several occurrences of gold-bearing quartz-carbonate vein mineralization associated with chlorite-epidote-carbonate alteration of the gabbros. Some of these were investigated previously by underground exploration adits.
In the Aldinac area there are several mapped occurrences of copper, gold, tungsten and uranium mineralization associated with quartz veining and quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration of granodiorite.
Throughout the permit area mineralization is controlled by the NW-SE trending penetrative structures, and is invariably associated with ductile deformation of the gabbros.
The target style of SEE's exploration is bulk-mineable, intrusion-related gold-copper mineralization (locally with affinities to porphyry copper). The geology and geochemistry is characteristic of Intrusion Related Gold - Copper style of mineralization. In addition, the potential for additional high-grade gold-bearing vein-type mineralization is being assessed.
Title and Area
The Stara Planina Exploration Permit was granted to SEE d.o.o. on 28.03.2005 and covers an area of approximately 63 sq. km.
Exploration Status
Two large target areas prospective for economic Cu-Au mineralization were identified from the initial reconnaissance work, which included stream sediment sampling and rock chip sampling, namely: the Gradiste (including the Aljin do mine) and Aldinac areas.
Gradiste Area
The Gradiste Cu soil geochemical anomaly (> 100 ppm Cu) has an area of about 3.4 x 1.0 km. Company geologists found outcropping copper mineralization (chalcopyrite, malachite in silicified and brecciated micro-gabbro and gabbro). Continuous rock chip sampling over 8 meters (four 2 meter samples, max 1.63 % copper) yielded an average of 0.77% copper. The copper soil anomaly is also marked by anomalous Mo, Bi, W, Sn, Te and W. The geochemical signature of this soil anomaly is comparable to that found associated with intrusion related copper-gold mineralization.
Trenching in the Miljanina Cuka prospect identified a number of narrow, and locally high grade (best results 0.5 meters @ 101.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, and 1.3 meters @ 35.7 g/t gold), zones of gold mineralization within silicified and tectonised micro-gabbros.
At the Aljin Do mine, complex Bi-Cu-Au-Sb mineralization is hosted by quartz veins and structurally controlled zones of intense silicification over a strike length of 1100 meters. The silicification zone is up to 40 meters wide, with individual veins 0.2 to 0.5 m thick. Ore mineral include pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, bismuthite, gold, scheelite, and sphalerite. There was minor production and exploration in the 20th century, with various historical sources quoting grades of 24 -- 62 g/t Au, 4 -- 6% Cu and 1 -- 4% Bi. Reconnaissance sampling by the Company yielded 13 samples containing greater than 5 g/t Au, with maximum 70 g/t Au. Ground magnetometry and detailed geological mapping have been undertaken in preparation for drilling.
Other prospects include:
- Road-side outcrops about 50 meters above abandoned adit #2, northeast of Gradiste village, expose steeply dipping structures, 0.30 to 0.50 meters wide, marked by iron and copper oxides in brecciated gabbro. Rock chip samples of this material yielded 50.4 ppm gold and 1.62 percent copper, and 28.2 ppm gold and 1.73 percent copper. Systematic continuous chip sampling across these structures yielded 1 meter at 5.44 ppm gold and 0.56 per cent copper, and 6 meters @ 3.76 ppm gold and 0.17 per cent copper.
- Continuous rock chip samples (11 samples total, with each sample 2 meters in-length cross-cutting the strike of the mineralized structure) in abandoned adit #2 average 1.90 ppm gold (ranging from 0.244 to 5.52 ppm gold).
- Continuous rock chip samples (34 samples total, with each sample 2 meters in length cross-cutting the strike of the mineralized structure) in a 70 meter road cut of sheared gabbros intruded by argillised granodiorite average 0.36 ppm gold (range 0.013 to 1.73 ppm gold) and 0.30 percent copper (range 0.03 per cent to 1.6 percent copper).
The work to date has included geological mapping, stream sediment sampling, soil sampling and rock sampling. A 200 x 200 m soil sampling survey was completed, and detailed orientation lines were undertaken across known occurrences. The results confirm a persistent Cu (100 -- 2070 ppm) and Mo (15 -- 240 ppm) anomalism covering an area of about 2.5 x 0.75 km along a NNW structural trend. Within this zone, gold is impersistently anomalous (100 -- 1330 ppb). The geochemically anomalous area is marked by alteration (silicification, carbonate), mineralization (quartz veining with sulphides), and ductile deformation. The rock sampling yielded 8 samples in the 2 -- 12.25 g/t Au and 6 samples in the 1 -- 2 g/t Au. Stockwork quartz veining with malachite staining has been discovered in the granodiorite.
