Sampling program yields impressive results for Cactus West

Although still an early stage project, Cactus West Explorations (VSE) reported some impressive values from a preliminary exploration program on its Missouri gold property, one of three adjoining properties near Boise in southwestern Idaho. The company can acquire a 100% interest in the recently optioned land package, subject only to a 2% NSR on the Missouri property.

Dennis Baxter, director, said a soil sampling program done on about half the Missouri property revealed three vein systems, each 3,000 ft to 4,000 ft in length, with values ranging from 100 ppb to 3,700 ppb in the soils. About 750 ft was opened up on the Missouri No 1 vein and the company said a total of 20 channel samples taken from the area averaged 8 ft (true width) of 0.253 oz gold and 3.60 oz silver per ton.

A 2,000-ton bulk sample taken earlier by a previous operator is reported to have averaged 0.30 oz gold and 5.60 oz silver from material blasted from surface.

“For an undrilled gold prospect, we’re extremely pleased with the property so far,” said Baxter, who added that the property had been tied up for a number of years by a small group of private investors.

The company said the Missouri No 1 vein appears to be about 4 ft to 12 ft wide and is encased in a lower grade zone that is 20 ft to 25 ft wide. Most of the vein samples were taken from the higher grade vein, however, two taken 200 ft apart across the lower grade zone ran 0.14 oz gold and 3.0 oz silver over 25 ft and 0.11 oz gold and 2.9 oz silver over 25 ft (true widths).

Zinc values were present with assays running from 5% to 30% zinc, but because not all the values were tested for the metal the company was not able to come up with a meaningful average at this time.

Cactus West is now planning to drill the Missouri No 1 vein and to trench and drill the other known veins on the property, both of which have never been worked. The property shows extensive signs of previous placer activity, and according to historic records from the U.S. Mint, the small basin (15×20-mi) containing the claims had been one of the most active placer areas in North America, producing over two million oz.

More work is also planned for a bulk tonnage gold target located 800 ft northwest and parallel to the Missouri system. Soil sampling on the Morningstar property revealed a large 1,500 x 600 ft area with values ranging from 100 ppb to 1,200 ppb gold in the soils before the zone ran off the company’s present grid. The company said the property shows considerable old prospecting (small pits) activity. Two recent trenches put in part way across this large soil anomaly ran 77 ft of 0.04 oz gold and 45 ft of 0.04 oz gold. The trenches are 300 ft apart and will be extended across the entire zone.