The Ti-pa-haa-kaa-ning (TPK) gold property is 100% owned by Northern Superior Resources Inc. The property was originally a 50/50 joint venture between the Company and Lake Shore Gold Corp. However, during the first quarter of 2010, Northern Superior acquired Lake Shore Gold’s 50% of the TPK property through a purchase agreement.
In June 2010 Northern Superior signed an option agreement with Rainy River Resources Limited (Rainy River) (see press release, June 24th, 2010) on the eastern half of the property. Rainy River can earn a 51% interest in the eastern half of the TPK property by spending $11 million over three years. Rainy River’s participation in the project will add several key elements to the TPK exploration program including:
- additional source of funding for the project;
- additional expertise and experience from a company that has discovered significant gold mineralization using the same exploration approach as Northern Superior;
- heightened market awareness for the TPKJ project and Northern Superior through the association with Rainy River and its success; and
- demonstrated ability to work effectively with First Nations.
Eight claims are subject to an underlying 1.5% net smelter royalty payable to a third party, to a maximum of $2.5 million. The Royalty applies to all commodities on five of these claims and to diamonds only on the other three. The project was originally referred to as the Canopener Project, but the name was changed at the request of, and out of respect to, Neskantaga First Nation, within whose Traditional Territory the property occurs. Ti-pa-haa-kaa-ning means “that mining place” or “that exploration place” in Oji-Cree.
The Property
The property is located approximately 470 km northeast of Thunder Bay and 190 km northeast of Pickle Lake, Ontario. The property is located in the Traditional Area of the First Nations Community of Neskantaga, which is situated about 30 km southwest of the Property on the southwest corner of Attawapiskat Lake. The property currently consists of 85 claims covering an area of 18,189 hectares.
TPK Exploration History
Pre-2009
- Explored the region for diamonds but heavy minerals recovered from overburden collected from related exploration programs lead to the recognition of anomalous gold grain-in-till values.
- Signed joint venture agreement with Lake Shore Gold Corp. in January, 2007.
- Defined a gold grain-in-till dispersal apron with a potential fertile strike length of at least six kilometers, possibly as long as 10 km from till collected in 2007.
- Signed an Early Economic Benefits Agreement with Neskantaga First Nation in July of 2008.
- Identified several key structures that host, or have the potential to host, gold mineralization and are considered as the source of gold grains for the gold grain-in-till dispersal apron (diamond drilling program in 2008).
- Developed an understanding of the geological system associated with the newly discovered greenstone belt.
- Defined the lateral and up-ice boundaries of the gold grain-in-till dispersal apron from the distribution of anomalous gold grains recovered from till collected during a 2008 overburden sampling program.
- Discovery of new gold showing.
- Diamond drill program, fall of 2008:
- Tested gold mineralization in the eastern part of the property associated with historical trenches (25 holes, 3,925m);
- Tested an area associated with the head of the gold grain-in-till dispersal apron and the new gold showing (8 holes, 2,161m), intersecting gold- bearing ductile shear zones which positively demonstrated the areas potential to host a significant gold deposit(s).
2009
- Completed high resolution, low elevation, tightly spaced (50 m line spacing) airborne geophysical survey over the head of the gold grain-in-till dispersal apron.
- Identified several EM anomalies from an evaluation of all the proprietary, archived electromagnetic (EM) geophysical data.
- Planned winter trails and camp in support of 2010 drill program.
2010
- Completed the construction of the trails and camp for 2010 program.
- Completed a 75 hole, reverse circulation drill program, identifying 4 key gold mineralization targets (see press release, June 15, 2010).
- Acquired 100% interest in the TPK property, by acquiring Lake Shore Gold Corp.’s 50% interest through a purchase agreement (see press release, May 28th, 2010).
- Signed an option agreement with Rainy River Resources Limited (see press release, June 24th, 2010).
- Completed 76 of a scheduled 99 reverse circulation drill holes from a second phase, reverse circulation drill program (see press release, September 15th, 2010).
- Discovered mineralized boulders associated with two of the four gold mineralization targets and completed an extensive boulder prospecting program (see press release, September 15th, 2010).
- Completed a first phase diamond drill program, highlighted by an intersection of 25.9 g/t gold over 13.5 m.
2011
- Completed a second phase reverse circulation drill program, 2nd Quarter 2011 (see press release December 8th, 2011).
- Completed a second phase diamond drill program, 2nd Quarter 2011 (see press release April 13th, 2011).
Outlook
- Rainy River Resources Limited, the managing partner on the TPK property, initiated camp upgrades this quarter to accommodate drill crews and equipment for a $2.7- $3.3 million diamond drill program planned for Q1 & Q2, 2012. Number of targets to test, holes and meters to drill to be determined.
The Ti-pa-haa-kaa-ning gold property, Northwestern Ontario. The colored background represents the Company’s proprietary airborne geophysical data. The size of the property has dictated that it be subdivided into three sections in order to manage it more effectively.
Update - 2010
Northern Superior Resources Inc. filed a press release June 15th, 2010 highlighting the results of its 2010 spring reverse circulation (RC) drill program. The results highlighted in this press release are critical in moving the gold exploration program from a regional (6km x 2km) perspective over the head of the Company’s dispersal apron to more specific areas (0.52km) within the apron (refer to the following map; see press release, June 15th, 2010). Highlighted RC drill-hole numbers on the following map refer to RC drill holes with anomalous gold and arsenopyrite grain values, and gold and arsenic assay values (see press release, June 15th, 2010).
Update - Spring 2011
Northern Superior Resources and Rainy River Resources announced the initial assays and the completion of the winter diamond drilling on the TPK project (see press release April 13th, 2011). As part of this press release, a reference was made to the following “Plan Map”.
Drillhole Location Map (Magnetics Underlay)
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Geological Drillhole Section (Looking West)
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Target Area Location Plan Map
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Update - June 17th, 2010
Comparison of the strong similarities between Rainy River and Northern Superior Resources gold grain anomalies. Note that the southern half of the TPK anomaly has yet to be tested through reverse circulation drilling. At the time of posting this figure, the TPK anomaly (to the best of knowledge of management) is matched only at three other localities in Canada, all of which either have a new mining operation (Meadowbank) or are under consideration for development (Meliadine, Rainy River). Gold grain anomalies of this scale are amalgamated responses from a cluster of gold zones- they indicate a large gold system or district rather than a single gold zone.
Update - December 8th, 2011
Distribution of diamond drill hole targets (8) based on gold grain results derived from two phases of reverse circulation drilling. Bedrock geology now better defined.