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Eagle Plains/Shoshone Silver Sign Letter
of Intent for Yukon Silver/Base-Metal Deposit
Cranbrook, B.C.: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.
(EPL:TSX-V) announces that it has executed a Letter of Intent with
Shoshone Silver Ltd. (SHSH:OTC) whereby Shoshone may
earn a 60% interest from EPL in the Blende silver/base-metal
deposit located in the Wernecke Mountains, approximately
65 NE of Keno in central Yukon Territory. The property
is owned 100% by EPL (subject to a 1% NSR), and consists
of 16 quartz claims covering approximately 800 acres.
Shoshone has agreed to pay EPL a total of $25,000
cash and 100,000 common shares on signing of a formal
option
agreement. To complete its earn-in, Shoshone will
carry out $5,000,000 in exploration expenditures and
issue
a total of 1,000,000 voting-class common shares to
EPL by December 31st, 2008. EPL will remain operator
of
the project up to the completion of $800,000 in expenditures.
A 10% finders fee has been reserved for B. Kreft,
and will be paid by the vendor.
The Blende is a carbonate-hosted deposit on the south
edge of the Mackenzie Platform, hosted by Middle Proterozoic
Gillespie Group dolomite. Based on exploration work
completed by Billiton Metals Canada to the end of
1991, a drill-indicated resource was reported of 19.4
million
tonnes grading 55.9 g/t silver and 5.85 % lead-zinc,
located in two zones (though these estimates are considered
by Eagle Plains and Shoshone management to be relevant,
they were prepared prior to the institution of National
Instrument 43-101 standards. Their reliability has
not been confirmed, but will constitute a target basis
for
future exploration work).
On surface, the deposit is outlined by an open-ended
4.8km-long soil anomaly which contains values up to
10 000 ppm Zn. Most geophysical methods including
IP, VLF and Max-Min EM work exceptionally well due to
the
inert nature of the host dolomite. Diamond-drilling
carried out in 1991 delineated two separate zones
(East Zone and West Zone), and established that the
deposit
is non-acid generating and could be mined by open
pit methods, with a stripping ratio of 2.1:1. The deposit
consists of a near-surface steeply dipping tabular
body
which is conveniently located on a ridge crest. Preliminary
metallurgical studies indicated no significant concentrations
of deleterious elements.
Although initially explored as an open-pit target,
management of Eagle Plains and Shoshone feel that there
is good
potential to develop the property as an underground
operation. Numerous high-grade intersections have
been reported by past operators, including hole 88-02
which
assayed 282 g/t (8.22 oz/t) silver, 12.2% lead, and
4.4% zinc over 19.8m from a depth of 70.7 to 90.5m.
Hole 88-03 returned 8.5m grading 550.1 g/t (16.04
oz/t) silver, 15.3% lead and 4.6 % zinc from 118.0 to
126.5m,
and hole 90-15 intersected 9.5m grading 351.2 g/t
(10.24 oz/t) silver, 14.11% lead, and 6.59% zinc from
60.1
to 69.6m. Step-out drilling in 1994 confirmed the
continuation of ore-grade mineralization westward, with
the addition
of significant copper values. Hole 94-81 contained
14.9 m of mineralization which assayed 228.4 g/t (6.66
oz/t)
silver, 9.71% lead, 5.48% zinc, and 0.78% copper from
9.2m to 24.1m, while hole 94-84 intersected 8.5m which
returned 136.1g/t (3.97 oz/t) silver, 6.74% lead,
3.65% zinc, and 2.43% copper from 45.5-54.0m.
Mineralization at the Blende was originally noted
by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1961 and was first
staked in 1975 by Cyprus Anvil Mining Corp., which
carried
out mapping and geochemical sampling later in the
year. Archer Cathro & Associates (1981) Ltd. restaked
the property in April 1981 and conducted trenching and
rock sampling from 1981 to 1984. NDU Resources Ltd.
purchased the property in 1987, and in 1988 drilled
3 holes (718 m) and explored by mapping and hand trenching.
In 1989 NDU carried out mapping, road construction,
soil sampling, magnetic and VLF-EM surveys. Billiton
optioned the property in 1989 and as project operator
drilled 15 holes (3659.7 m) in 1990. Billiton’s
1991 work included completion of the soil geochemical
and geophysical coverage, drill-testing of the deposit
over a 3.3 km strike length, and preliminary metallurgical
tests. The 1991 drilling consisted of 62 holes totaling
11,525m, including 15 holes in the West Zone, 34 holes
in the East Zone and 13 holes in the central area between
the two zones. Billiton elected in 1993 to convert its
interest to a 10% net profits royalty. In 1994 NDU drilled
7 step-out holes (596m) which successfully extended
the West Zone 150m further westward (the West Zone remains
open in this direction). This activity is the last recorded
exploration of the property. In March, 1998 NDU merged
with United Keno Hill Mines Ltd. (UKHM) and the property
came under the control of UKHM, which subsequently went
into receivership. Eagle Plains consultants in Whitehorse
commenced staking in January, 2001, immediately after
the original claims expired.
EPL and SHSH intend to conduct a detailed validation,
compilation and re-evaluation of the historical data
and design a program for future exploration and development
that will conform to National Instrument 43-101 standards.
Eagle Plains Resources continues to conduct research,
acquisition and exploration projects in western Canada.
Through a network of experienced prospectors, consultants
and contractors in addition to seasoned employees
and a well-rounded Board of Directors, the Company has
assembled
a diverse portfolio of over 30 gold and base-metal
properties. Eagle Plains seeks to attract joint-venture
participation
on its properties, thereby leveraging exploration
spending to the ultimate benefit of the Company’s shareholders.
In recent years, Eagle Plains has completed option agreements
with Billiton, Rio Algom, Kennecott, NovaGold/SpectrumGold
Resources, Viceroy Resources and numerous other junior
exploration companies, resulting in nearly 13,000m (43,000’)
of drilling and over $5,000,000 in exploration spending
on its properties since 1998.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Tim J. Termuende, P.Geo.
President and CEO
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