VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 26, 2009 (Marketwire) --
VANCOUVER, BC -- (Marketwire) -- 10/26/09 -- Solitaire Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: SLT) (Solitaire) is pleased to announce that its first-phase surface exploration program is progressing on schedule on its recently acquired Princeton land package. Solitaire has an option to earn a 100% undivided interest in this package, consisting of six separate blocks initially totaling 10,254 acres. One of these, "Block 6" (2,547 acres) immediately borders the property hosting the Copper Mountain Deposit south of Princeton, British Columbia. Please view the acquisition map at: http://www.solitaireminerals.com/pdf/pdf_projects/princeton.pdf.
As of October 22nd, "first pass" surface exploration programs consisting of geological mapping, prospecting, rock, soil and silt geochemical sampling have been completed on five of the six blocks, resulting in the identification of sizable alteration systems in three of these. Geological mapping on Block 1 (the most western block) identified a kilometric-scale system of strongly developed alteration suggesting an epithermal system, which includes several strongly pyritic occurrences hosted in outcrop as well as recently excavated road cuts.
Exploration in Block 4 (the most eastern block) led to the identification of a pyritic altered volcanic unit, with sub-zones of stronger alteration and increased pyrite emplacement. Outcrop exposures have been identified 300 metres apart; however, abundant similarly mineralized glacial float suggests a much larger extent of mineralization. Solitaire added two claims totaling 1,816 acres to this block to cover this zone.
Exploration on Block 6 has identified a zone of strongly altered granitic rock, commonly pyritic, as well as small mineralized occurrences elsewhere. Exploration on all blocks is aided by improved access resulting from recent logging activity, including newly exposed rock cuts and pits providing road fill. The majority of occurrences identified by Solitaire's geological ground crew to date show no sign of past sampling or exploration.
The exploration program is planned to extend until the beginning of November. The program will now focus on follow-up style sampling in areas of higher mineral potential. Assay results are pending.
Copper Mountain Summary
(Sourced from the September 3rd, 2009 release from Copper Mountain Mining Corp.)
The Copper Mountain Mining project is an open pit porphyry copper mine that operated from 1972 to 1996 and over its life produced 1.74 billion pounds of copper, 730 thousand ounces of gold and 9.1 million ounces of silver. The current resource is estimated at five billion pounds of copper at a 0.15-per-cent-Cu cut-off.
