SC:Northgate Minerals Intersects 4.31 Grams per Tonne Gold Over 79.6 Metres at Young Davidson
TORONTO, June 7, 2011 -- Hole YD11-234B Intersects One of the Best Intervals Ever Drilled on the Property
TORONTO, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Northgate Minerals Corporation (TSX: NGX, NYSE Amex: NXG) is pleased to report that Hole YD11-234B in the YD West zone intersected 4.31 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 79.6 metres (m) (estimated true thickness is 55.0 m), including 5.66 g/t over 49.9 m. The YD West zone is a newly discovered zone, just west of the currently known reserves at Young-Davidson in northern Ontario. Hole YD11-234B is one of the best intervals ever intersected on the property and follows on the excellent results received since Discovery Hole YD10-198 intersected 3.46 g/t over 79.5 m last year.
Hole YD11-234B and YD West Zone Highlights
Hole YD11-234B returned 4.31 g/t gold over 79.6 m.
The hole contains a higher grade section of 5.66 g/t over 49.9 m at the base (footwall) of the zone.
This new intersection is located about 130 m above and 55 m east of Discovery Hole YD10-198. Both 234B and 198 are in a new gold zone west of the currently defined reserves and resources, confirming the fault offset model relating the YD West zone to the main Young-Davidson orebody.
Hole YD11-234B and YD10-198 are amongst the highest grade-thickness intervals intersected to date on the property. The zone remains open up and down dip and to the west.
Two diamond drills continue to explore in the YD West zone area.
"Exploration at Young-Davidson continues to achieve outstanding results as recent drilling has returned one of the best holes ever intersected on the property" Ken Stowe, President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked. "While last year's Hole 198 was very exciting resulting in the discovery of the YD West zone, Hole 234B is equally exciting, confirming the fault offset model along the western edge of the Young-Davidson deposit. The results of this and other higher-grade follow-up holes in 2011 underline the tremendous potential to expand the currently known 2.8 million ounces of reserves1 on the property, which will ultimately extend the initial 15-year mine-life or increase the average annual gold output when production commences in 2012."
Diamond Drill Program
The purpose of the 2011 diamond drill program on the west flank of the Young-Davidson deposit is to explore for new resources west of a major north-south trending diabase dyke that appeared to have truncated the zone. To date, seven holes have intersected the YD West zone and all but one has returned ore-grade intersections. This is a technically challenging area to drill due the depths of the holes and the presence of poor drilling conditions within ultramafic flows located well into the hanging wall. The target is blind due to its depth and thick younger post mineral Proterozoic sedimentary cover. Therefore, geology in the area is being interpreted as drill holes are completed. A number of drill holes have potential intercepts that have been either partially or completely "dyked out" by diabase at zone horizon (i.e. either occupies the entire width of the auriferous zone or a substantial part of the zone (see Figures 1 and 2, Holes 234, 234A and 239)). Currently, a hole is being drilled perpendicular to the exploration holes in the YD West area in order to resolve the location and correlation of the north-south trending diabase dykes. An improved understanding of the diabase dykes in the YD West zone will provide a more accurate resource model to be generated at year-end.
Hole YD11-234B instills confidence that the YD West zone is a highly prospective area evident from thick auriferous intersections in drill Holes 198 and 234B. Other drill holes (198A, 198B and 234) also had very significant gold intercepts (see Table 1 below for complete results). The gold mineralization here is hosted in mildly-hematitic coarse grained syenite with quartz vein stockwork and pyrite mineralization, which is similar to what is observed in the main Young-Davidson deposit.
This new YD West intersection is considered significant as this zone is open up and down dip and to the west. The YD West zone appears to have excellent potential to add significant gold resources to the project. Two diamond drills continue to focus on the YD West target until a sufficient number of intercepts have been obtained to estimate an initial resource by the end of the year. Subsequent drilling will focus on a broader scale to explore the limits of the zone towards the west.
Overview of Young-Davidson Exploration Area
Gold mineralization on the Young-Davidson property is present primarily in an intrusive syenite host rock dipping at approximately 70 degrees to the south. Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal view of the YD West zone with current reserves illustrated in dark red to the east.
