Rockland Resources Ltd. has reported obtaining visible gold in the first two drill holes completed as part of its ongoing 3,000-metre diamond drilling program at its 100%-owned Cole Gold Mines Project in Ontario's Red Lake Mining District. The initial drilling at the historic Cole Gold Mine aimed to confirm the style and nature of gold mineralization and to establish alteration styles, lithologies, and structural controls to assist current and future exploration.
Drill hole RR-26-01 intersected visible gold at three locations, including from 82.20 to 82.60 metres over a core length of 0.40 metres and at a depth of 85.70 metres. Drill hole RR-26-02, a deeper cut below the first hole, intersected visible gold over a 0.20-metre interval between 74.90 to 75.10 metres and at a deeper intercept of 187.00 metres. Photographs of this gold mineralization are available on the Rockland Resources website.
In both holes, gold mineralization is hosted in deformed quartz veins, veinlets, and stockwork that cross-cut broad zones of intense silicification, which range from 7 to 30 metres in width. These zones contain lesser biotite and subordinate garnet. The quartz veins also contain fine-grained arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and locally, tourmaline. The silicified zones contain disseminated chalcopyrite, pyrite, and arsenopyrite in seams and fracture fillings, suggesting appreciable potential widths for gold mineralization if assays are favorable. Prominent altered ultramafic and mafic dikes, intersected over variable widths, are closely associated with the veins and silicified zones. This association suggests the dikes and veins occupy the same structures, and the proximity of ultramafic rocks to gold mineralization is well known in the Red Lake district, which augurs well for the Cole property.
Mike England, CEO of Rockland, stated that multiple occurrences of visible gold in each of the two initial drill holes is a very exciting start to the program. He noted that hole RR-26-02 is the deepest completed yet and contains the best occurrence of visible gold obtained to date, occurring beneath the Cole Gold Mine workings, indicating gold mineralization continues to depth. The company also looks forward to drilling several other high-priority targets containing high-grade gold mineralization that have never been drill tested. It should be noted that visible gold observed in drill core does not on its own indicate the grade, continuity, or economic viability of mineralization.
This development is significant for the mining industry and investors as it provides early validation of Rockland's exploration strategy at a historic project in a prolific gold district. The discovery of visible gold, particularly at depth below existing mine workings, suggests potential for expanding known mineralization and could lead to increased resource estimates. For the local economy and global gold market, successful exploration could contribute to new gold production, supporting jobs and economic activity in Ontario. The technical findings, including the association with specific rock types and alteration styles, also offer valuable geological insights that could guide exploration in similar districts worldwide.
