Nevada Pacific Gold Ltd. (TSX Venture Exchange -- Symbol NPG) ("the Company") is pleased to announce the signing of binding letter agreements with Placer Dome U.S. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Placer Dome Inc. ("Placer Dome") (NYSE, TSX, ASX; PDG) whereunder Placer Dome U.S. Inc. will fund a US$5 million exploration program on the Company's Keystone project and a US$4 million exploration program on the Company's Limousine Butte project in Nevada. In addition to the two joint ventures, Placer Dome will invest US$1 million in the Company through the purchase of common shares.
Placer Dome U.S. Inc. has the right to earn a 60% interest in the Company's Keystone Gold Project by spending US$5 million on exploration over a five-year period, including US$350,000 in year one. Placer Dome U.S. Inc. can earn an additional 15% interest (75% total) by completing a full feasibility study. Nevada Pacific will retain 100% of the base metal and silver rights subject and subordinate to Placer Dome's rights to develop the gold resources at Keystone.
The Keystone Gold Project is 100% owned by the Company and comprises 338 claims, some 6,760 acres. This project lies just 12 miles south and along strike of the northwest-trending corridor of gold deposits at the Cortez Joint Venture. The property includes base and precious metal mineralization that occurs along the edge of the Keystone window in both upper and lower plate rock, near the northern contact of a 33.4 Ma granodiorite stock. Historic drilling shows indications of Carlin-style gold mineralization with assays up to 4.3 g/t gold in lower-plate jasperoids. Geophysical surveys have recently been completed outlining a number of drill targets.
Geoff Handley, Placer Dome's Executive Vice-President of Strategic Development said; "Placer Dome applies a disciplined and successful approach in identifying, evaluating, acquiring and advancing projects in the world's premier mining belts. Recent efforts have focused particularly on the gold-rich districts of Nevada, where Placer Dome owns 60% and is operator of the Cortez Joint Venture. Placer Dome understands the district geology and the associated metal systems, and the Keystone property in particular fits our strategy to control prospective ground in the district."
Placer Dome U.S. Inc. has also signed an option agreement to earn a 60% interest in the Limousine Butte Project by spending US$4 million on exploration over a five-year period, including US$250,000 in year one. Placer Dome U.S. Inc. can earn an additional 15% interest (75% total) by completing a full feasibility study.
The Limousine Butte property is owned 100% by the Company and comprises 423 claims, some 8,460 acres. It is located in White Pine County, Nevada, approximately 20 miles due east of Placer Dome's Bald Mountain mine. The property consists of mineral rights covering approximately 13 square miles situated along the projected untested extension of the Carlin Trend. The property covers a very large hydrothermal gold system that exhibits alteration features indicative of sediment/structure hosted gold deposits found on the Carlin Trend and elsewhere in Nevada. Recent drill results included a 90-foot intersection grading 0.176 ounces of gold per ton.
Placer Dome will also invest CDN$1,300,600 (US$1,000,000) in Nevada Pacific Gold through a non-brokered private placement of 1,340,825 common shares at CDN$0.97 per share. The private placement will close immediately upon receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval. The shares will be subject to a 4-month hold. The net proceeds of the placement will be used to (1) advance exploration on the Company's other gold and silver properties in Nevada; (2) increase the reserve base and resource base through exploration at the Magistral gold mine in Mexico; and (3) for general working capital purposes.
Nevada Pacific Gold now has three projects joint ventured with Placer Dome U.S. Inc., including the BMX Project, which lies within the Battle Mountain Copper/Gold district in northeastern Nevada.
David Hottman, Chairman of Nevada Pacific Gold, said: "First of all, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome Placer Dome as a new and significant shareholder in the Company. Secondly, we believe that Placer Dome - with its history of discovering and developing world class gold deposits in Nevada as well as many diverse and challenging regions around the globe combined with its technical expertise and financial resources - is the ideal partner, through its subsidiary Placer Dome U.S. Inc., to join forces with Nevada Pacific to develop the Keystone, Limousine Butte and BMX Properties. This expanded business relationship will enable our technical team to focus on developing other prospective gold properties in our extensive exploration portfolio and evaluate other promising properties in Nevada."
Nevada Pacific Gold Ltd. owns and operates the Magistral Gold Mine in Mexico and an exploration property portfolio covering approximately 60 square miles of mineral rights including portions of two significant gold producing belts in the State of Nevada. A description of these projects, including maps and photographs can be viewed on the Company's website at: http://www.nevadapacificgold.com
ON BEHALF OF NEVADA PACIFIC GOLD LTD.
"Richard J. Barclay"
Richard J. Barclay
CEO and Director
Meldung vom 8.9. auf der Homepage von Nevada Pacific Gold
Bognair,
vielleicht erklärt dies das hohe Handelsvolumen ?
Gruß
Silbertaler