Kent Exploration Inc. (TSX
VENTURE:KEX)(PINKSHEETS:KXPLF)(FRANKFURT:7KX) (the "Company" or
"Kent") reports that it has applied for an Exploration Permit over
a portion of its already permitted Lyell Gold Project that lies
approximately 40 km north-east from the town of Westport in New
Zealand's ("NZ") highly prolific West Coast, South Island, gold
fields.
During the 2009 through 2011 work programs at Lyell, the Company
essentially confirmed that the area, including the historic Red
Queen Mine, the most profitable quartz gold mine in the area, is
highly prospective for high-grade gold mineralization. Intermittent
mining of the Red Queen Vein ("RQV") between 1885 and 1910
reportedly produced 3,104 ounces of gold from 2,243 tons of ore, at
an average grade of approximately 43 g/t (1.4 opt). Intermittent
mining also occurred in the mid 1930s to 1941. Since being closed
in 1941, the Red Queen Mine has received only minimal attention
from explorers. Historic mines in the area include the Red Queen,
Red Chief, Southern Light, Andersons Creek Reef, Nile, Swanston,
Swastika, South Pacific, Mokihinui, Lady Agnes and Halcyon
Mines.
The historic Red Queen Mine has good potential to host
significant gold mineralization. Historic production records from
early mining suggest that the RQV may possess average grades as
high as 42.86 g/t (1.4 opt) gold (Table 1).
Table 1
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Tonnes Ounces of Gold Average Gold Grade
Period of Ore Produced (g/t)
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1885-1886 1585 2262 44.39
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1902-1910 658 842 39.17
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Total 2243 3104 42.86 (weighted average)
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While production records for subsequent mining in the 1930s -
1940s are not available, assay results from sampling are. All
available historic assay results for the RQV to-date are listed in
Table 2. These assay results indicate bonanza grades of up to
171.48 g/t Au (5.48 opt Au) are present at the Red Queen Mine. Many
of the 50 lb representative samples assayed in 1938, and filed with
the now NZ Petroleum and Minerals, reportedly deliberately excluded
vein material that was seen to contain visible gold and therefore
the true gold grades, may be underestimated.
Table 2
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Sample Gold
Year ID Location Notes (g/t)
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1938 - Payne's Drive, 64ft along x-cut Grab sample 171.48
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1938 - Payne's Drive, 64ft along x-cut 50lbs rep. sample 18.14
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1938 - Payne's Drive, 64ft along x-cut 50lbs rep. sample 5.51
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1938 - Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 37ft Grab sample 10.17
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1938 - Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 40ft Grab sample 2.01
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1938 25ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 25ft 50lbs rep. sample 17.39
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1938 25ft-2 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 25ft 50lbs rep. sample 18.15
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1938 25ft-3 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 25ft 50lbs rep. sample 17.54
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1938 30ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 30ft 50lbs rep. sample 4.98
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1938 30ft-2 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 30ft 50lbs rep. sample 5.53
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1938 30ft-3 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 30ft 50lbs rep. sample 5.13
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1938 35ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 35ft 50lbs rep. sample 2.01
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1938 35ft-2 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 35ft 50lbs rep. sample 2.53
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1938 45ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 45ft 50lbs rep. sample 10.17
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1938 71ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 71ft 50lbs rep. sample 1.33
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1938 77ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 77ft 50lbs rep. sample 79.88
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1938 84ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 84ft 50lbs rep. sample 84.39
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1938 90ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 90ft 50lbs rep. sample 3.02
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1938 107ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 107ft 50lbs rep. sample 53.57
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1938 110ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 110ft 50lbs rep. sample 11.31
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1938 117ft-1 Payne's Drive, S-Drive - 117ft 50lbs rep. sample 3.84
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1939 - Lower Level Drive, x-cut B RQV Grab sample 65.84
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1939 - Lower Level Drive, x-cut B RQV Grab sample 91.44
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1971 M2 Lower Level Drive, x-cut B RQV Grab sample 74.96
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2009 RXHR00002 Lower Level Drive, x-cut B RQV Grab sample 69.40
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2010 RXHR00020 Lower Level Drive, x-cut B RQV Repeat: RXHR00002 28.90
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2010 RXHR00011 Lower Level Drive, x-cut C RQV Grab sample 2.94
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2011 57223 15m into x-cut A RQV 1m chip 6.87
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2011 57234 Lower Level Drive - 170m. RQV 1m chip 0.56
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The RQV is relatively extensive where it is exposed by the
historic workings, and can been traced over approximately 200m
along dip and 300m along strike. The RQV is structurally very
simple; being planar, trending sub-parallel to the host-rock
bedding/foliation (striking approximately north-south and dipping
70 degrees -80 degrees west), and featuring only minor amounts of
offset along cross-cutting faults. Gold mineralization remains open
both up-and down-dip and along strike to the north and south. The
two accessible drives, Paynes and Lower Level, were driven
approximately 5 - 10 m beside and parallel to the Red Queen vein
and have been characterized as production drives.
Characteristics of the Red Queen Mine indicate an orogenic,
Blackwater-type style of gold mineralization. (Blackwater, south of
the town of Reefton and central to the Reefton Gold Field, was
mined down to approximately 2,800 ft and reportedly produced
approximately 730,000 ounces of gold before it was shut down after
a shaft collapse. Historic reports indicate an approximately
300,000 ounce gold resource was identified at the time of the shut
down).
The Company advises that the grades reported prior to 2009 are
historic in nature, are not NI 43-101 compliant and should not be
relied upon. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to
classify historical estimates as a current mineral resource and the
Company is not treating the historical estimates as a current
mineral resource and any historical estimates should not be relied
upon.
Kent Exploration Inc. is a junior exploration company with a
100% interest in all its major projects, and is planning on
building shareholder value through establishing cash flow from its
Flagstaff Mountain, WA, barite mine, and then from its now wholly
owned bentonite property in Nevada. Any positive cash flow is
intended to reduce dilution and fund exploration on its three major
gold prospects (Alexander River, Paparoa and Lyell), in the highly
prolific West Coast South Island gold fields of New Zealand.
Additional shareholder value has been established through its
approximately 18% interest in Archean Star Resources Inc,
("Archean") which is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the
symbol ASP.
The Company has an experienced management and technical team
with extensive exploration expertise and offers investors the
potential for a major gold discovery on its New Zealand gold
projects.
This News Release has been prepared on behalf of the Kent
Exploration Inc. Board of Directors, which accepts full
responsibility for its contents. The contents of this news release
has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Clay Conway, P. Geol., a
Qualified Person as recognized by National Instrument NI-43-101 and
a director of the Company.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Graeme O'Neill, President
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange), has reviewed, nor do they accept responsibility
for, the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Contacts: Kent Exploration Inc. Graeme O'Neill President
604-684-3394 or Toll Free: 1-866-399-6539 1-888-282-7763 (FAX)
www.kent-exploration.com