- 2.67% TREO / 2.9 m in Trench 3
- 0.71% TREO / 22.6 m in Trench 7
- 16.88% TREO / 0.3 m in Trench 11b
MRT property -- 60 km along trend -- significant mineralization
- 0.4% TREO / 7.8 m, including 4.33% TREO over 0.5 m in Trench 2
Bridgewater, NS, Canada -- February 9, 2012 / CNW - Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSXV:SSE) is pleased to provide an update on the road-accessible Pope's Hill and MRT, 100% owned, Rare Earth Element (REE) properties on the Trans-Labrador Highway (TLH) in southern Labrador. Data on REE values from the trenching was released on December 16, 2011. This news release updates the information using Rare Earth Oxide (REO) values to conform with most rare earth element exploration and development releases.
"The trenching program has defined significant REO mineralization in place over a significant strike length. Based on the channel sample results, the geophysical surveys and the geological mapping which has outlined the mineralized zones, we have defined a number of drill targets," said Peter Dimmell, President and CEO of Silver Spruce Resources. "What we like about this property, a new REE discovery in southern Labrador, is that it is road-accessible, close to infrastructure and still has unexplored mineralization and related thorium anomalies along strike of the mineralized zones."
Pope's Hill Trenching Results -- A total of 291 channel samples, over widths varying from 0.1 to 2 m, tested 12 trenches along the MP and parallel trends. The restated results give wide (up to 30m) low grade zones grading 0.2% to 0.75% Total Rare Earth Oxide plus yttrium oxide (TREO), narrower (>3m) medium grade zones > 0.75% TREO and narrow zones (< 1m) of high grade values > 3% TREO. The highest values were found in the T1 to T5 area of the MP trend in trenches 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11. Some trenches gave anomalous values over the entire exposed zone, including: Tr 7 - 0.71% TREO / 22.6m; Tr 5 - 0.74% TRE0 / 9.5m; and Tr 11b - 1.29% TREO / 5.7m, indicating that the zones could be much wider. The highest individual value was 16.88% TREO / 0.3m in Tr 11b, located near the 24% TREE boulder found in 2010. HREO percentages of the TREO range from 3.6 to 20.3 % generally 5 - 13 % with dysprosium oxide being one of the higher HREO in the syenitic units. Narrow high grade zones, related to the massive segregations, carry the mineralized zones in most instances; however, significant background values in the 0.1 to 0.5% range are noted through the syenite that hosts the mineralization. Values of 0.84% TREO / 9m, including 1.24% / 1.6m, were found in Trench 15, located in more pegmatitic material near the TLH. HREO was 2.8-4.9% of the TREO in these samples. Zirconium (Zr) values in the REE mineralized zones along the MP trend are mainly in the 500-1500 ppm range, with a high value of 2.32% noted in trench seven. Trench 15, has generally much higher Zr values in the 1000-9000 ppm (0.1-0.9 %) range. (Thorium) (Th) values are generally 2-500 ppm in the REE mineralized areas, with a high of 0.31 % (3100 ppm) noted in trench 11b.
The host syenite units strike at approximately 70 degrees and dip to the south (toward the TLH) at approximately 30-40 degrees, parallel to the gneissosity of the geological units. True width of the zones is estimated at 70-90%, depending upon the steepness of the hill where the mineralization occurs. The better mineralized zones are described on the attached table, which gives results for all elements and gives the HREO percentages of the TREO. Note that in cases where continuous samples could not be taken due to water or overburden, the sample intervals were given values of 0.
The trenching program was designed to expose and sample favourable, REO anomalous syenites and pegmatitic units along the MP trend over an approximate 2.5 km strike length, which carries the high grade, up to 25% Total Rare Earth Element plus yttrium (TREE) segregations (NR Aug. 31, Sept. 27 and Oct. 20/11 www.silverspruceresources.com/s/NewsReleases.asp). The trenches, from 100 to 500 m apart, were dug to give grade/width information on the zones in preparation for a drilling program planned for 2012. Four trenches (9, 10, 13 and 14) were not sampled due to the low radioactivity found and the lateness of the season.
MRT Trenching Results - Trenching tested two REO mineralized areas, approximately 75 m apart, in the southern part of the property, where TREE values up to 6.9% were located in bedrock during prospecting surveys (NR Aug. 9/11). Eighty (80) channel samples were taken in the two trenches over widths varying from 0.2 to 2 m.
Anomalous zones are associated with allanite mineralization in pyroxene-rich pegmatitic units. The most significant value was 4.33% TREO over 0.5m in trench 2, in a zone that ran 0.4% TREO / 7.8m. HREO values at 1.4--6.4% are lower than found in the Pope's Hill MP trend area, possibly reflecting the more pegmatitic-related mineralization. Zr is generally 500-1500 ppm in the REE mineralized zones; however, Zr values in the 0.1-0.2% range are also found in areas with low background REE values. Th values are generally 100-200 ppm, with a high value of 1000 ppm (0.1 %) noted. True widths of the zones are estimated to be close to the sampled widths, since the units strike generally N-S with near vertical dips.
The MRT property is 60 km to the east of the original Pope's Hill property, along the Pope's Hill Trend. The trenches were designed to evaluate surface mineralization in this largely unexplored area, which has REE mineralization over a 2 km2 area. Initial results are encouraging, especially given the limited exploration carried out to date, and will allow Silver Spruce to focus on expanded exploration efforts in the area in 2012.
The channel samples were transported to Activation Labs' preparation facility in Goose Bay by SSE personnel, then shipped to their laboratory in Ancaster, ON for analysis using their 8 REE package. The laboratory uses internal standards to check the analyses and blanks are included in each sample batch. Plan maps of the properties, including the trenching on the Pope's Hill MP Trend and the MRT property; the airborne Th radiometric and magnetic data, plus pictures of the area; as well as the showings and some of the higher grade samples, are available on the Silver Spruce website at www.silverspruceresources.com
This release has been approved by Peter M. Dimmell, P.Geo. President and CEO of Silver Spruce Resources Inc., who is a Qualified Person (QP) in NL and ON as defined in National Instrument 43-101.
About Silver Spruce Resources Inc.
Silver Spruce is a diversified junior exploration company with a portfolio of rare earth (Pope's Hill, Pope's Hill JV (with Great Western Minerals Group), MRT, RWM and the Straits), gold silver (Big Easy), and for the longer term, uranium (CMBJV, Snegamook, Double Mer, Mount Benedict), projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. With interests in more than 4,000 claims totalling more than 1,000 square kilometres in Labrador, Silver Spruce is one of the largest landholders in one of the world's premier emerging rare earth and uranium districts. For more information go to www.silverspruceresources.com.
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For further information contact:
Gordon Barnhill, CFO & Director
Silver Spruce Resources Inc.
Phone: 902.527.5700
Fax: 902.527.5711
gbarnhill@silverspruceresources.com
For investor & media relations contact:
Paul Snow
Pilot Communications Inc.
Phone: 709.753.0794 ext 31
Fax: 709.753.0795
psnow@pilotcom.ca
