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The Nemegosenda property comprises approximately 9000 acres in Northern Ontario that, in historic exploration and testing, has indicated the existence of considerable carbonatite-hosted niobium mineralization. The property is easily accessible off of Highway 101 between Timmins and Chapleau, Ontario (Chewett and Collins Townships). The patented claims were purchased in January 2008 for $380,000 Canadian -- payable over a four-year period -- and 2% royalty concessions on all mineral and/or metal production from the property. Sarissa Resources, however, retained the right to repurchase 1.5% of the royalty concessions at any time in the future for a predetermined price. The Company believes that any potential extensions of the mineralized areas may be covered in its 9000 acre holdings.
The Nemegosenda Property (map) was identified in the mid-nineteen fifties through aeromagnetic surveys conducted by Gulf Minerals Canada Limited. Subsequent exploration and testing, as summarized in the Ontario Geological Survey study 34 by R.P Sage (click to read the full report) in 1987, highlighted a number of "higher grade niobium zones." Of particular note, Zone D indicated "20,000,000 tons of 0.47 percent Nb2O5 material in a block 600 by 800 feet in size and to depths up to 600 feet," based on Gulf's drilling and a 580 foot adit which penetrated 235 feet into the zone. Based on this historic (non-NI-43-101-compliant) data (Pg 34), this indicates the potential for approximately 9.4 pounds of Nb2O5 per ton of ore in situ.
Other zones within the property have also indicated smaller, but meaningful niobium mineralization. Another area of mineralization of Niobium and rare earths called the 'South-East' Area was previously outlined on the property. It occurs 1500 metres south east of the Hawke zone (formerly called 'D' Zone). From the 1955 and 1956 drilling program by Dominion Gulf, plus re-assaying of nine drill holes by Musto Explorations in 1988 which covered this area, a historical resource of Niobium mineralization was indicated to exist within an area of some 700m x 250m to a depth of 200m having a weighted average from the assays of all drill holes of 0.35% Nb2O5.
2008-2009 Drill Program 1st Phase: During late 2008 and early 2009 Sarissa drilled nine diamond drill holes in the D Zone portion of the property, totaling 1,842 metres, to seek confirmation and depth extension of the niobium mineralization previously identified by Dominion Gulf Company ("Gulf"). Notably, all the holes returned significant niobium mineralization, averaging 0.4% Nb2O5 over the entire 1,728 metres that were sent for assaying.
It should be noted that the drilling program successfully confirmed both the mineralized zone data historically reported, and that the mineralization continues below what had previously been identified as the depth of the mineralized zone. It has also demonstrated that the mineralized zone increases in grade and depth towards the eastern portion of the zone.
The three drill holes on the eastern end of the current drill sections returned:
DDH-09-73 at 344,525E 5,320,425N includes 194m to 239m = 45m @ 0.77% Nb2O5
DDH-09-74 at 344,550E 5,320,475N includes 167m to 179m = 12m @ 0.71% Nb2O5
Note: DDH-9-74 was stopped at 197m.
DDH-09-77 at 344,575E 5,320,525N includes 131m to 260m = 129m @ 0.56% Nb2O5
2008-2009 Drill Program 2nd Phase This program involved further diamond drilling to continue to expand on the mineralized niobium resource in the Hawke (D) Zone. It was targeted to test the eastern extension, and is conducted under the guidance of Hillar Pintson M.Sc., P.Geo. In addition the Company has opened up 4 trenches in the SE Zone. Scintillomoter readings taken within the trenching area have provided significant readings. The trenching program was conducted initially under the supervision of the late Alan Hawke, and followed up on by geologist Hillar Pintson. It was conducted in the middle of the SE Zone, where forty-nine 2.5 metre continuous channel samples were collected along the northern side of trench 09-5A and submitted for assaying. The average grade over the full 122.5 metre length of the trench was 0.35% Nb2O5. In the 49 samples submitted for assay, highlights included 2 samples of greater than 1% Nb2O5 and 10 samples greater than 0.5% Nb2O5. As well as the significant Nb2O5 results, the samples returned anomalous values of tantalum and uranium, along with 2 samples of greater than ten thousand ppm total rare earth elements.
Of additional significance is that this trenching program was carried out in an area of the SE Zone that had not previously been drilled, so continues to expand the area of potential mineralization in this area. A follow-up drilling program has been initiated to test the areas underneath the zone exposed during the trenching program.
Exploration History
