Amador County – Sutter Gold Mining Incorporated continues core drilling at the site, looking to document deposits, and the work may find some deposits missed by a previous company.
Drilling contractor Ruen Drilling Incorporated of Clark Fork, Idaho, started drilling Jan. 16 at the south end of the Lincoln site and will progress northward.
Drilling was undertaken in two segments to accommodate construction. The initial phase drills the unexplored interval between Lincoln and Comet gold zones. Sutter Gold Mining CEO and Director Dr. Leanne M. Baker said the drilling program is anticipated to be completed in 60 work days, averaging 100 feet per day including rig moves from site to site.
The second phase of drilling will concentrate on the north end, or Comet segment, where it may encounter some previously missed deposits of the Mother Lode vein. “Past core holes there were inclined to the southwest in anticipation of gold-bearing structures dipping northeasterly, the predominant dip or inclination of the Mother Lode vein system,” Baker said.
Stephen Zahony, Vice President of Exploration, said “underground exploration of the Lincoln-Comet vein system by a previous company in 1989-1990 found, to its surprise, that the vein system was southwest dipping.”
Zahony said “previous exploratory core drilling from the surface, with holes extending from northeast to southwest, would have missed the main southwest-dipping gold mineralized fissure system. With one exception, all of Sutter’s planned drill holes in the northern tier will be inclined to the northeast.” The one exception will explore the black slate section toward the west in a region where the slate was not explored by historic underground workings.
Historic exploration and production on the Mother Lode concentrated on the thick black slate section of the Mariposa Formation, ignoring the greenstone or meta-volcanic portion of the formation where Sutter Gold Mining Company’s resources are located.
“Upon the completion of the 17 holes planned for the Lincoln segment, the drilling program will continue into the northern Comet section,” Baker said. “In the underground exposure of the main 42-Vein system in its northwesterly heading, it appears to have crossed over the decline and may exist on the west side of the decline.” She said that was “suggested by the old Wabash Mine workings which worked a vein there. The northernmost drill holes of the second phase of drilling will concentrate on exploring this region of the Lincoln-Comet property.”
Baker said Sutter Gold has completed pre-qualification of potential underground mine contractors, with four final companies eligible to continue in the bidding process. The final mine level designs were completed in December.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
