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Geologically, there is a highly altered, 177-to-223-metre-thick zone of volcanic rock sitting on relatively unaltered granitic rock within the Taseko property north of the volcanic-granodiorite contact. In the Empress area, the contact between the granitic and volcanic rock, with the granitic rock to the south, dips steeply north and then plateaus at a depth of about 213 metres. Copper-gold mineralization occurs within the altered volcanic rock. The three sub-zones within the Empress deposit are the 76, Upper North and Lower North. The highest grade mineralization of the three is in the Lower North zone, which ranges from 140 to 204 metres deep.
In 1991 Giles R. Peatfield, Ph.D., P.Eng., completed a pre NI 43-101 "mineral inventory" calculation for the Lower North Zone. His study showed a probable and possible inventory of 7,455,100 tons of 0.73% copper and 0.024 ounces per ton gold. This included a probable and possible core of 915,000 tons of 1.90% copper and 0.064 ounces per ton gold. The fact that high grade samples have been found on the surface (up to 7.14% copper) similar in mineralization to rock in the Lower North zone, indicates that there must be a zone similar in grade and mineralization to the Lower North Zone near the surface.
In the Empress area high grade copper-gold fragments similar to that found in the Lower North Zone occur on the surface on the southern limit of the zone. One of the objectives of the next drill program in the Empress area is to attempt to locate the source of these fragments.
Drilling in 2008 focused on 3 main objectives in the Empress area. The Upper and Lower North zones and the 76 zone are all open to the east. The Company drilled to the east of the Empress deposit to increase the mineral resource there. Drilling was carried out south of the Empress deposit to test one extension to the west of the 76 zone. The Company plans to make the Empress deposit NI 43-101 compliant.
In 2008, the Company carried out a 10 hole, 1,567 metre drill program on the Taseko Property. Below are the results of drilling of four of the holes, which took place east of the copper-gold Empress deposit:
| Drill Hole Number |
Interval (metres) |
Width (metres) |
Gold (grams per tonne) |
Copper (%) |
| 08-67 |
100.23 - 124.00 |
23.77 |
0.286 |
0.50 |
| Including |
102.00 - 110.00 |
8.00 |
0.724 |
1.08 |
| And |
116.00 - 124.00 |
8.00 |
0.115 |
0.32 |
| 08-68 |
100.00 - 103.14 |
3.14 |
0.075 |
0.26 |
| Dyke |
103.14 - 111.10 |
7.96 |
|
|
| |
111.10 - 186.84 |
75.74 |
0.149 |
0.20 |
| Including |
111.10 - 123.00 |
11.90 |
0.186 |
0.32 |
| And |
171.00 - 186.84 |
15.84 |
0.244 |
0.35 |
| 08-71 |
20.36 - 28.00 |
7.64 |
0.183 |
0.25 |
| |
85.85 - 106.00 |
20.15 |
0.290 |
0.41 |
| 08-72 |
18.00 - 84.73 |
66.73 |
0.174 |
0.16 |
| Including |
39.43 - 49.65 |
10.22 |
0.313 |
0.29 |
| |
122.00 - 133.26 |
11.26 |
0.228 |
0.33 |
| Dyke |
133.26 - 143.45 |
10.19 |
|
|
| |
143.45 - 168.58 |
25.13 |
0.207 |
0.27 |
| Including |
143.45 - 157.00 |
13.55 |
0.285 |
0.35 |
Drill Hole 08-67 was drilled 60 metres (m) east of Drill Hole 90-29, a 1990 hole, which intersected 5.49 m of 0.88% copper and 0.037 opt gold in the Upper North Zone and 38.10 m of 0.58% copper and 0.019 opt gold in the Lower North zone. Drill Hole 08-68 was drilled 60 m east of 08-67 and Drill Hole 08-71 was drilled 60m east of 08-68. Drill Hole 08-72 was drilled 60 m north and 30 m east of 08-68. All of these holes were drilled vertically.
All 4 holes drilled east of the Empress deposit intersected mineralization in the Lower North zone. The Upper North zone was not intersected in Drill Hole 08-67 and 08-68 but was picked up in Drill Holes 08-71 and 08-72. Both the Upper and Lower North zones remain open to the east.
Unlike the main part of the Empress zone to the west, the area drilled in 2008 has an inordinate number of dykes. The four holes had 10 intersections of dykes ranging from 5.17 to 47.60 m with most of the dykes in or adjacent to mineralization.
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