Apollo (Au)

Apollo Project Overview

LOCATIONMatagami area, Québec
METALSGold
STAGEExploration
OWNERSHIP100% Tarku
LAND POSITION96 claims (52.7 km2)
EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTSGold mineralization similarities with Detour Lake Mine and the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp

The Apollo project is part of the "Three A's" 3 projects 100% owned by Tarku in the Matagami region (Amiral, Apollo and Atlas) totaling 248 mining titles centered on the eastern extension of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SLDZ) and including the Waswanipi River Ductile Shear (RWSZ). Apollo consists of 96 claims (5,273 ha) centered on the SLDZ.

The Matagami Mining District has always been conventionally explored for Zn.

After the understanding that the Detour Lake Mine area, which now holds > 20Moz of gold of reserves along the regional SLDZ, can be easterly extended to Quebec, Tarku’s management believes that the gold potential of the Matagami area has been poorly understood, creating an exciting opportunity for our Company.

The Apollo Project has strong similarities with the geology found at the Detour Lake Mine and the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp and Tarku controls 100% of more than 20km length of the regional SLDZ, where no exploration has ever been reported for gold.

  • The Quebec Government first mapped the area around 1947 and subsequently compile and add geological and geophysical data. The area was rapidly recognized for its Copper and Zinc potential as the nearby Matagami district.
  • From 1969, several exploration companies have succeeded one another exploring for geophysical conductors, the common method for base metals exploration at the time. UMEX, James-Bay Canico, Shell Canada, Société d'exploration Minière Vior, drill tested some anomalous zones on the south part of the property.
  • Over 5 years starting in 1987, Ressources Williams undertakes Gold exploration including drilling.
  • 1987, Inco’s till sampling program yielded several gold values exceeding 0.5 g/t Au in the heavy mineral fractions, including a maximum value of 4.94 g/t Au (GM 48222).
  • Over 5 years starting in 1987, Ressources Williams undertakes Gold exploration including drilling
  • In 2003 the Quebec Government completed a Geological survey of the Olga Lake area including hundreds of geochemical analyses (RG2003-09). The compilation and interpretation of this regional map allows repositioning the Waswanipi Shear Zone at it’s actual location and north of all historic work.
  • In 2015, geologists Benoit Lafrance and Julien Davy of Eureka Exploration understood the Gold potential of the sector and acquire over 20km along the regional structure that was first interpretated has the eastern extension of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone. In 2017, Tarku Resources acquired Eureka Exploration.

Geological Context

The Apollo Project is centred on the Rivière Waswanipi Shear Zone, the eastern extension of the Sunday Lake Fault. This regional structure is characterized by the presence of alkaline rocks, polygenic conglomerates (Timiskaming type) and porphyry intrusions bearing anomalous gold values on the order of hundreds of parts per billion (GM 52712). This corridor, altered to carbonate-hematite-magnetite, contains the Rivière Waswanipi gold showing (2.36 g/t Au over 1 m; GM 51193) hosted in a porphyritic dyke and tuffs altered to pyrite-fuchsite, as well as several porphyry intrusions bearing anomalous gold values on the order of 0.1 g/t Au to 0.9 g/t Au over 0.6 m to 5 m (GM 52712).

Collectively, these geological features suggest a favourable setting for orogenic gold mineralization associated with alkaline rocks and porphyry intrusions, which Tarku interprets as being similar to those of the regional Sunday Lake Fault, host of the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp. 

Tarku cautions that the mineralization at the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake mining Camp may not be indicative of the mineralization that may be identified on the Company’s Matagami projects and is used as a conceptual exploration model only.

Previous Exploration Programs

Tarku carried out a till, humus and rock sampling survey in autumn 2017. The gold grain counts for samples collected on both projects ranged from 1 to 47, with 18 samples containing more than 15 gold grains, which is above the regional background level. 

The results also reveal strong zoning and the presence of two areas with elevated gold grain counts (>15), and identified a 6 km wide favourable zone along the regional Rivière Waswanipi Shear Zone (RWSZ) that may be the source of the gold grains sampled.

In April 2019, Tarku completed a 271 line-km geophysical high-resolution magnetic survey along the 6 km wide section of Rivière Waswanipi Shear Zone (see press release dated January 31, 2019). Magnetic data showed the historical gold values in historic drill holes was associated with porphyritic and alkaline rocks that are dominantly located at the edge of magnetic highs and none of the historic drill holes directly intersected these high-magnetic anomalies (Figure 1).

Several newly discovered large elongated km-wide magnetic-highs are interpreted to be syn-deformation alkaline buried dykes swarms or stock intrusions (see zones [1] and [2] on Figure 1). Major NE-SW cross-cutting faults has been interpreted as offsetting other older structures and rocks within the Rivière Waswanipi Shear Zone (see zones [3] on Figure 1).

In May 2021, Tarku completed a 750 line-km combined magnetic (MAG) and time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) helicopter-borne survey over the main targeted areas of the Apollo and Atlas Projects, further refining targets for drilling. A new interpretation of the survey data has generated many high-priority drill targets focusing on structural intersections, interpreted intrusions and historic untested geophysical anomalies.

In May 2022, Tarku completed a ground 14.5-line km IP survey. Eight (8) lines were completed over the priority area of the Rivière Waswanipi Shear Zone. The results of this Induced Polarization (IP) survey were combined with the existing IP and magnetic data to ensure the maximum amount of information could be used in the targeting process for our maiden drill program at the 3As Projects.

The resistivity data has defined a number of local structures and geological features, including a series of ENE-WSW dykes and NW-SE oriented faults. The chargeability data has defined nine areas of potential sulphide mineralization covering a total strike length of 5.35km, that appear to be associated with these the dykes and faults (Figure 1). These targets are near-surface, up to 400 meters below the surface (Figure 2). The targets generated fall into two broad groups:

Strong IP responses associated with low/moderate resistivity values. The responses in this group are interpreted to be consistent with sulphide mineralization, usually offset from structures. The anomalies in this group are potentially associated with gold mineralization hosted by porphyritic and alkaline rocks at the edge of magnetic highs.

Strong IP responses associated with high/moderate resistivity values. The responses in this group are interpreted to be consistent with gold mineralization within shear zones and porphyritic dykes bearing anomalous gold values.

In November 2022, Tarku intiated its maiden drill program on Apollo

Tarku completed its maiden drill program on it’s Apollo Gold Project. Eight holes, for a total of 3,048m were completed on a 4km wide priority area of the east extension of the Sunday Lake Fault. Assays are still pending for all holes and are expected to be received during Q1 2023.

  • Eight (8) holes, with lengths between 217m and 577m, totalling 3,048m were completed.
  • From east to west, the area covers a 4km long section of the Sunday Lake Fault.
  • Visual inspection of the core reveals both intensive hydrothermal alterations, similar in style to Orogenic Gold Deposits, as well as magmatic alteration including; hematization, carbonatization and sericitization.
  • Fine grained disseminated pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite and copper are observed over intervals up to 45 metres thick.
  • The drill core has now been prepared and sent for assay, with results expected in the first quarter of 2023.

Apollo Project Overview

LOCATIONMatagami area, Québec
METALSGold
STAGEExploration
OWNERSHIP100% Tarku
LAND POSITION96 claims (52.7 km2)
EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTSGold mineralization similarities with Detour Lake Mine and the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp

The Apollo project is part of the “Three A’s”, 3 projects wholly owned by Tarku in the Matagami area (Admiral, Apollo and Atlas) totaling 248 mining titles centered on the Eastern extension of the Sunday Lake regional fault including ductile shear of the Waswanipi River (RWSZ). It consists of 96 claims (5,273 ha) centred on the Rivière Waswanipi ductile shear zone which has been interpreted by management as the eastern extension of the Detour Belt.

The project has been acquired in 2016 by “Project Generation” based on several points of geological interests. These include information provided by the most recent mapping of the area and historical results that identified gold grains in glacial deposits.

Apollo has strong gold mineralization similarities with the geological context found at the Detour Lake Mine and the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp and Tarku’s management believes that the gold potential of the Matagami sector has been undervalued and uses today modern geological models and exploration techniques to aid in the discovery of gold mineralization

Project History

In 1987, during an exploration work, Finnith Exploration found that more than 60% of their till samples contained gold grains (from 1 to 19 gold grains; GM 46862). In 1988, Inco’s till sampling program yielded several gold values exceeding 0.5 g/t Au in the heavy mineral fractions, including a maximum value of 4.94 g/t Au (GM 48222). All these historical results are down-ice from the Rivière Waswanipi shear zone that hosts the Rivière Waswanipi showing (2.36 g/t Au over 1 m; 1991, GM 51193).

Geological Context

The Apollo project is centred on the Rivière Waswanipi ductile shear zone, the eastern extension of the Sunday Lake Fault. This regional structure is characterized by the presence of alkaline rocks, polygenic conglomerates (Timiskaming type) and porphyry intrusions bearing anomalous gold values on the order of hundreds of parts per billion (GM 52712). This corridor, altered to carbonate-hematite-magnetite, contains the Rivière Waswanipi gold showing (2.36 g/t Au over 1 m; GM 51193) hosted in a porphyritic dyke and tuffs altered to pyrite-fuchsite as well as several porphyry intrusions bearing anomalous gold values on the order of 0.1 to 0.9 g/t Au over 0.6 to 5 m (GM 52712).

Collectively, these metallotects present a favourable setting for orogenic gold mineralization associated with alkaline rocks and porphyry intrusions, which Tarku interprets as being similar to those of the regional Sunday Lake Fault, host of the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp. Tarku cautions that the mineralization at the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake mining Camp may not be indicative of the mineralization that may be identified on the Company’s Matagami projects and is used as a conceptual exploration model only.

Local Geophysics

In April 2019, Tarku completed a 271 line-km geophysical High-resolution magnetic survey was completed along the 6 km wide favourable zone along the regional Rivière Waswanipi shear zone (see press release dated January 31, 2019). That MAG survey demonstrates:

  • Magnetic data shows historical Au values associated with porphyritic and alkaline rocks in historical drill holes are mostly located at the edge of magnetic highs and none of the drill holes directly intersected high magnetic anomalies (see figure 1).
  • A correlation between magnetic highs and gold mineralization is interpreted as the nearest Au value to magnetic highs is also the highest Au results on Apollo to date, the Rivière Waswanipi gold showing (2.36 g/t Au over 1 m).
  • Several newly discovered large elongated km-wide magnetic highs are interpreted to be syn-deformation alkaline buried dykes swarms or stock intrusions (see zones [1] and [2] on figure 1).
  • Major NE-SW cross-cutting faults has been interpreted as offsetting other older structures and rocks within the Rivière Waswanipi shear zone (see zones [3] on figure 1).
  • A new interpretation of the survey data has generated many high-priority drill targets focusing on structural intersections, interpreted intrusions and historic untested geophysical anomalies.

In May 2021, Tarku completed a 750 line-km combined magnetic (MAG) and time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) helicopter-borne survey over the main targeted areas of the Apollo and Atlas projects. Flight lines were surveyed at a 100-metre spacing and were conducted by Prospectair (Gatineau, Quebec) and Dynamic Discovery Geoscience (Ottawa, Ontario) aided in interpretation of the mineralized systems and identified new gold and base metals targets within the favourable zone.

On Apollo, the preliminary analysis of the MAG and TDEM survey clearly demonstrated the extension of the Rivière Waswanipi Shear zone to the east and the west, and all reported metallotects present a favourable setting for Orogenic gold mineralization associated with alkaline rocks and porphyry intrusions, which Tarku interprets as being similar to those of the regional Sunday Lake Fault, host of the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp. As previously described, Tarku’s 2017 till sampling program identified a 6 km wide favourable zone along the regional Rivière Waswanipi shear zone (RWSZ) that may be the source of the gold grains sampled (see press release dated April 10th, 2019).

Exploration Results

To validate historical gold results and to locate the source of gold mineralization, Tarku carried out a till, humus and rock sampling survey in autumn 2017. The gold grain counts for samples collected on both projects ranged from 1 to 47, with 18 samples containing more than 15 gold grains, which is above the regional background level. The results also reveal strong zoning and the presence of two areas with elevated gold grain counts (>15), with one particularly significant area in the south-central part of the Atlas Project and identified a 6 km wide favourable zone along the regional Rivière Waswanipi shear zone (RWSZ) that may be the source of the gold grains sampled.

In 2019, following a 271 line-km geophysical High-resolution magnetic survey completed along the 6 km wide favourable zone along the regional Rivière Waswanipi shear zone (see press release dated April 10, 2019), several never drill tested gold targets were outlined in a favourable geological context: metallotects present a favourable setting for orogenic gold mineralization associated with alkaline rocks and porphyry intrusions, which Tarku interprets as being similar to those of the regional Sunday Lake Fault, host of the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake Mining Camp.

Tarku cautions that the mineralization at the Detour Lake mine or the Kirkland Lake mining Camp may not be indicative of the mineralization that may be identified on the Company’s Matagami projects and is used as a conceptual exploration model only.

Exploration Programs

The Apollo Project is ready to be drilled. Tarku is looking for partners to advance the project to the next stage.

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