Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) (FRA: 4K2) reported results of its Phase 1 soil-geochemistry program at the past-producing Rowland Tungsten Property in Elko County, Nevada. The program confirmed a coherent, multi-element tungsten-skarn signature in soil over an approximately one-kilometre structural corridor, headlined by a peak of 1,425 parts per million (ppm) tungsten trioxide (WO3) in soil in the area of recently re-discovered historical workings.
The Phase 1 soil grid comprised 93 soil samples at nominal 25 m spacing over the central Rowland workings corridor. The results showed tungsten is strongly and discretely anomalous against baseline background values of approximately 2 ppm WO3. Multiple samples exceed 10 ppm, five above 50 ppm, and three above 100 ppm W. The peak value (1,425 ppm WO3) was returned directly over a zone of historical workings, while a second strong cluster (up to 517 ppm WO3) overlies the Rowland Main workings to the south.
Blake Morgan, President and CEO of Western Star, commented: “As far as we are aware, this is the first ever soil geochemistry survey completed by a public company at Rowland, and returning a high value result of 0.14% WO3 is an excellent start. The anomalous soil results provide a baseline to interpret the expanded soil results once they arrive. Crucially, the soils line up with the contacts our UAV magnetics are mapping, which is the strongest possible vector for where to look next.”
Anomalous geochemistry coincident with magnetic gradients will be used to map the prospective skarn horizon to establish a new search space for the expanded soil program. Tungsten is accompanied by coincident diagnostic W-Cu-Mo-Bi(-Be) skarn metals, with copper up to 1,185 ppm, molybdenum up to 35 ppm, bismuth up to 5.2 ppm, and beryllium up to 4.56 ppm.
The Rowland property is interpreted as a reduced tungsten (W-Cu-Mo-Bi) skarn, where tungsten-bearing fluids exsolved from a Cretaceous granite reacted with Ordovician–Cambrian limestone to deposit scheelite-bearing skarn at and near the intrusive contact. The Phase 1 soils sit directly on this carbonate host, and the strongest anomalies fall on magnetic gradients imaged by the Company’s UAV magnetic survey.
Western Star is mobilizing an expanded soil-sampling program to commence imminently, designed to trace the prospective skarn contacts outward from the known workings and potential mineralisation controlling faults. Results from the expanded program will be integrated with the UAV magnetic survey and field mapping to generate and prioritize drill targets for a maiden drill program at Rowland.
Soil samples were submitted to ALS, an accredited laboratory independent of the Company, and analyzed by method ME-MS41L (aqua-regia digest, 51-element ICP-MS) with gold by the same package. Tungsten values are reported in ppm; WO3 is calculated as W × 1.2611.
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jasper Mowatt, MIMMM and MAusIMM, a consultant to the company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
For more information, visit www.westernstarresources.com.
