Loveland Property
Location: 35 km northwest of Timmins, Ont.
Minerals: Copper, Nickel, Gold
Ownership: 100% owned by Amador Gold
Location: 35 km northwest of Timmins, Ont.
Minerals: Copper, Nickel, Gold
Ownership: 100% owned by Amador Gold
Highlights

- Newly discovered Loveland nickel-copper zone beneath the Cominco Zone, 1.5 km along strike and northwest of the Hollinger nickel-copper zone
- Significant gold mineralization intersected in drill hole LL-08-13 during the 2008 diamond drill project on the Loveland project
- Property is host to the historic Cominco Zone (130,000 tons of 0.68% Ni and 0.73% Cu) and Hollinger Zone (422,000 tons of 0.71% Ni and 0.42% Cu) (Both resources are historical and are non-compliant for NI 43-101 purposes)
- A VTEM survey completed over the Cominco and Hollinger zones and their extensions in the summer of 2008, and magnetic and VLF-EM surveys completed over the Cominco Zone generated numerous EM and magnetic targets that need to be tested by drilling
Latitude: 48° 41' 01" N
Longitude: 81° 46' 42" W
NTS: 42A12
Approximately 35 km northwest of Timmins Ontario
Property
The Loveland property (Figure 1) was acquired by optioning and staking in Thorburn, Byers, Moberly, Loveland, Robb, Cote, Fortune and Montcalm townships, and by the purchase of the property hosting the Hollinger Zone. The staked claims total 1,421 units covering 22,736 ha and are 100% owned by Amador.
Property History
The Loveland property (Figure 2) is located 35 km northwest of Timmins, in Northern Ontario. Timmins is one of the largest gold camps in the world having produced 68.03 million ounces of gold since 1910. It is also host to the huge Kidd Creek volcanogenic massive sulphide copper-zinc deposit (135.6 million tonnes of ore milled grading 2.31% Cu, 6.18% Zn, 0.22% Pb and 87.3 grams per tonne (g/t) silver) 25 km to the east of the Loveland property. Thirty-five kilometres to the west of the Loveland property Xstrata is mining the Montcalm deposit for nickel and copper.
Historic work by Hollinger Mines outlined the 'Hollinger Zone', a non compliant NI 43-101 resource of 422,000 tons grading 0.71% Ni and 0.42% Cu.
Approximately 1.5 km northwest, the Cominco Zone contains a historic non-compliant NI 43-101 resource of 130,000 tons grading 0.68% Ni and 0.73% Cu. Cominco drilled a series of tightly-spaced holes that traced mineralization for 150 m below surface. Mineralization was described as occurring within a gabbroic plug in contact with mafic metavolcanics.
The area of the deposits has been mapped by provincial government geologists as felsic to intermediate intrusives with mafic to felsic volcanics to the southwest. Work by Amador's geologists suggest the rocks in the area of the mineral occurrences consist predominantly of intermediate to mafic intrusives with mafic to felsic volcanics south of the mineralized zones. Matachewan diabase dykes crosscut all lithologies. The presence of mixed gabbro and mafic volcanics enhances the prospectiveness of the property to host additional copper-nickel mineralization similar to the Cominco and Hollinger zones and Xstrata's Montcalm deposit to the west. The occurrence of gold mineralization within silicified granodiorite with quartz veining and sulphide mineralization indicates potential economic gold mineralization may also be present on the Loveland property.
The nickel-copper mineral occurrences are oriented north-northwest. On the southeast corner of the property a large glacial erratic, the Loveland Float, contains significant copper and nickel mineralization. The source of the Loveland Float is not known, but since the ice direction was parallel to the strike of the mineral occurrences the source of the Loveland Float may be on or northwest of the Loveland project area.
A Megatem airborne geophysical survey was flown over the Timmins area in 2003 as part of a multi-government initiative to encourage exploration in the Abitibi region. A number of EM conductors were outlined over the original Loveland properties. More recently a VTEM survey was flown over the Hollinger and Cominco zones and the surrounding areas for Amador. The VTEM survey identified the Cominco and Hollinger zones as well as numerous additional EM conductors that need to be tested by drilling.
Loveland Zone
Amador initially drilled beneath the Cominco Zone to test the down-plunge extension of the mineralization. The three holes by Amador in 2007 intersected significant nickel-copper mineralization (news release March 13, 2008).
Drilling commenced in November 2007. The first three holes (Figure 3), spanning a distance of 100 m intersected nickel and copper sulphide mineralization. Values ranged up to 1.72% Cu and 1.24% Ni over 4.6 m in hole AGX07-03. This intersection occurred within a large mineralized zone that averaged 0.70% Ni and 0.75% Cu for 45 m of drill core length. This drilling demonstrated the continuation of mineralization along strike and at depth.
The initial drilling with its encouraging results was followed by a second phase of drilling. The drill holes were collared 50 m apart to test what is now called the Loveland Zone, which is the down dip extension of the Cominco Zone. Drilling results indicate the Loveland mineralization was intersected in excess of 400 m vertically below the surface, that it is open at depth and has a strike extent of approximately 175 m. Mineralization consists of disseminated to semi-massive patchy and interstitial pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pentlandite within gabbros that extend to surface.
Gold Mineralization
Gold mineralization (Table 1) was intersected in drill hole LL-08-13 (news release September 24, 2008). The gold mineralization occurs within a 30-metre section of silicified granodiorite and quartz stringers in the presence of 5% to 8% disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite and trace sphalerite. More drilling will be required to determine the orientation and extent of the gold mineralization.
Table 1
Hole |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Interval (m) |
Grade (gpt) |
LL-08-13 |
383.25 |
391.80 |
8.55 |
6.37 |
|
403.00 |
406.00 |
3.00 |
6.17 |
|
410.30 |
413.40 |
3.10 |
10.39 |
Hole LL-08-13 also intersected anomalous copper-nickel mineralization within gabbros in the upper portion of the hole.
Future Work
Future drilling will focus on exploring the newly discovered gold zone, expanding the Cominco and Loveland nickel-copper zones, test beneath the Hollinger nickel-copper zone (located 1.5 km on strike to the southeast), and examine additional targets from the recently completed VTEM airborne, IP, magnetic and VLF-EM surveys on the property.
Outlook
Exploration and mining in the Timmins area has many advantages over other areas in the province. Timmins has a long history as a producer of gold and base metals. Much of the infrastructure required for exploration and mining including reasonable access, a well qualified labour force, good highways and reliable power are present.
The Loveland property, approximately 35 km northwest of Timmins, has many advantages as an exploration target. It contains two under-explored historic copper-nickel occurrences with significant mineralization. The recent drilling by Amador on the Cominco Zone has extended the depth and strike of the mineralization. Additionally, significant gold mineralization has been intersected in drill hole LL-08-13. The occurrence of gold adds considerably to the exploration potential of the area. Planned exploration of the base metal mineralization on the Loveland Occurrence, the Hollinger Zone and the gold mineralization is presently being evaluated.
The use of the VTEM airborne geophysical survey is ideal in areas that are covered with overburden and swamp. It has the power to penetrate through the overburden mantle and detect electromagnetic conductors that were not detectable by previous systems. The survey by Amador is presently being processed and is producing numerous targets for further exploration.
The presence of the Loveland Float near the southeast corner of the property suggests the possibility of similar mineralization on the Loveland property itself.
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Loveland Drilling Geology Compilation
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Loveland drilling window - Cominco and Hollinger areas
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