Aura Silver Resources has identified possible distinct sources of the high-grade gold and high-grade silver surface samples found in close proximity to Aura Lake on its wholly-owned Greyhound project in Nunavut, Canada. Aura Silver’s prospecting has identified multiple surface rock samples ranging up to 5,300 g/t Ag carrying little gold and up to 28 g/t Au with negligible silver. However, drilling to date of structural, geophysical and geochemical targets has been unable to locate a source of these high grade samples. A possible cause is believed to be due to glacial transport.
The difficulty in finding a source of the high-grade gold and silver samples through traditional geophysical and geochemical techniques prompted Aura Silver to employ an interpretative study referred to as Soil Gas Hydrocarbon (SGH) to unravel anomalous trends in the entire area and to pinpoint drill targets. SGH is a deep penetrating organic geochemistry developed by Activation Laboratories (Actlabs) that involves the analysis of surficial samples prospected over potential mineral or petroleum targets (see: http://www.actlabs.com/files/SGH_-_NEW_.pdf). The analysis involves the testing for 162 hydrocarbon compounds in the C5-C17 carbon series range in a wide variety of sample types. The observation of a specific set of hydrocarbon classes provides a forensic signature of mineral identification related to the hydrocarbons synthesized by bacteria that are in contact with the mineral target at depth. The geochromatographic dispersion of the SGH classes in the overburden has been successful in delineating mineral targets found at over 700 m in depth. Over 14 years of research, Actlabs has conducted over 800 SGH surveys with an 85% repeat client base including some of the worlds’ largest mining companies.

The Aura Lake SGH analysis provides compelling results and has defined a separate gold and two separate silver targets. The targets identified reside to the east and southeast of Aura Lake in areas where no previous drilling has occurred. These targets are sufficiently definitive to outline drill targets and have been rated by Actlabs as high-priority targets; with gold receiving the second highest rating of the gold pathfinder class maps and silver of the very highest confirmation level. The results also indicate that gold and silver samples originated from two different mineralising systems with most samples being transported on a north to southerly path.