“There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills!”

By Ryan Weston, VP Exploration

Early last year, Noront began looking at the potential for gold mineralization in the Ring of Fire. The initial work involved reviewing the area’s geological and geophysical maps, and looking for key structures in the bedrock along which gold may have moved through the Earth’s crust billions of years ago.

Visible gold in drill core from Noront’s Triple-J occurrence

Almost all past exploration in the area focused on “base-metals” (nickel, copper, chromium, zinc). Virtually no attention was paid to the potential for gold mineralization. It’s easy to see why, given the tremendous base-metal discoveries made between 2002 and 2009! But, in our view, the Ring of Fire has many of the right ingredients to host a large gold deposit, including major faults and reactive host rocks. Our review identified four areas of interest which led us to stake an additional 150 mineral claims last fall.

Our next step is to find the right partner to help us explore these new gold targets. We are looking for a well-financed company with a successful track record for gold exploration and development. It must also understand and respect the process of engaging and employing First Nations people, and have a strong commitment to health, safety and the environment. Stay tuned as we work to bring the right partner onboard and begin exploring for gold in the Ring of Fire!