VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 8, 2008) - X-Cal (TSX:XCL) has received an independent resource calculation and mineral inventory from Giroux Consultants Limited of Vancouver, BC for the Sleeper Gold Property (100% X-Cal), located in Humboldt County, Nevada.
A comprehensive NI-43-101 technical report authored by Gary H. Giroux MA.Sc., P.Eng and co-authored by Larry Kornze P.Eng and Larry G. Martin CPG is pending and will be published within 45 days of this release.
The new block model for Sleeper has confirmed the mineralized layers described in the 2007 X-Cal Resources Ltd. Annual Report.
The in-ground resources for the project are located in the Facilities Area, east of the Sleeper Pit and in the West Wood Area, south west of the pit, in the mine site area of the Property. The database provided for the Sleeper resource estimate includes a total of 4,131 drill holes. Facilities contains 1,891 drill holes totaling 242,016 m. West Wood contains 437 drill holes totaling 85,194 m.
The Sleeper Gold Property area is situated within the western, apparently older, part of the Northern Nevada Rift geologic province of Miocene age, along the western flank of the Slumbering Hills. Drilling completed in 2007 has led to a new geologic interpretation of mineralization at Sleeper. Meticulous logging of the drill holes identified cobbles and occasional boulders of altered vesicular basalt supported by a matrix of cryptocrystalline volcanic ash. Further inspection identified other volcanic clasts of various lithologies supported by the ash matrix. A "block in ash" texture had been identified and the wide spread occurrence of the volcanic breccia throughout the Facilities area was referred to as a volcanic unit given the name "debris flow". The debris flow is the primary host lithology for precious metals mineralization identified at the Facilities area. Thickness of the debris flow ranges from 100 feet (30m) to 500 feet (150m). Ash layers that are interbedded within the debris flow are not mineralized but do exhibit advanced argillic alteration. The ash units range in thickness from 5 feet (1.5m) to 20 feet (6m). The debris flow dips westerly towards the existing open pit and has been identified in core at West Wood. The banded veins with visible gold (electrum) and the higher grade sulfide breccias of West Wood are developed within the debris flow. The lower grade mineralization of West Wood favors the debris flow and is similar to mineralization found at the Facilities area.
A resource estimate was commissioned by X-Cal in 2008 to determine the resource contained within the Facilities area east of the Sleeper pit and the West Wood area south west of the pit. This estimate used all available drill hole information and the current revised geologic interpretation. The Facilities area was subdivided into three geologic domains: a debris flow, tuff units and Mesozoic basement. The West Wood area was subdivided in a debris flow, tuff units and West Wood breccia unit. Examination of gold and silver grade distributions within these domains indicated a higher grade vein population in each unit and a background mineralization.
Thresholds were established in each domain to separate these different styles of mineralization. Capping levels were established for each style of mineralization in each domain. Semivariograms were used to establish directions and distances of grade continuity within each domain. Grades were estimated, for blocks 10 x 10 x 5 m in dimension, by a combination of indicator and ordinary kriging. Estimated blocks were classified as indicated or inferred based on grade continuity.
