Verneuil Twp. stepout — Freewest intersects 0.29 oz. across

Drilling on the Verneuil Twp. gold property in northwestern Quebec continues to yield encouraging results, including a 20.3-ft. interval grading 0.29 oz. gold per ton from hole VP93-22, a wide stepout on the Toussaint shear zone.

As one of three holes recently completed by Freewest Resources (TSE), hole VP93-22 was collared 1,400 ft. northeast of hole VP93-21, which returned 10.2 ft. grading 0.23 oz. gold at a depth of 380 ft. To the southwest, hole VP93-20 intersected 6.6 ft. grading 0.11 oz. at 416 ft.

All reported intervals are close to true width.

The Toussaint zone consists of quartz-sericite-ankerite schist derived from an intensely sheared intermediate tuff. In hole VP93-22, the zone shows abundant visible gold associated with distinctive green alteration. Hole 22 also intersected two shallower zones of mineralization in the hangingwall of the Toussaint zone. They returned 9.8 ft. grading 0.13 oz. gold and 6.6 ft. grading 0.1 oz. gold respectively.

Freewest is earning a 50% interest in the 44-claim property from Golden Tag Resources (VSE) and Consolidated Gold Hawk Resources (ASE).

A strong geophysical (IP) anomaly traces the Toussaint zone for an additional 1,500 ft. to the northeast. Freewest plans to launch an $200,000-300,000 drill program by the end of March to test all three zones.

Nearby, Orient Resources (ME) says a second drill program will begin immediately on its Verneuil Twp. property to follow up a January program that intersected sulphide mineralization and anomalous gold values in an alteration and deformation zone.

The new program will test the strike extensions of the zone along coincident magnetic and electromagnetic anomalies stretching for 1,968 ft. As well, Orient has started a 3,280-ft. drill program on its property in nearby Benoit Twp.

Also joining the area play is Mines Messeguay (ME), which has agreed to acquire 28 claims adjacent to Freewest’s Verneuil Twp. property in exchange for cash payments of $5,000, 60,000 common shares and a redeemable net smelter royalty of 1%.

In other developments, Messeguay has agreed to sell its 16% interest in the Joubi mine near Val d’Or, Que., to partner Western Quebec Mines (TSE) for $100,000. Joubi produced 9,000 oz. gold in 1992.