Rockland Resources Ltd. has reported visible gold in the first two drill holes completed as part of its ongoing 3,000-metre diamond drilling program at the 100%-owned Cole Gold Mines Project in Ontario's Red Lake Mining District. The discovery in initial holes RR-26-01 and RR-26-02 represents a significant early indicator for the exploration program aimed at confirming gold mineralization at the historic Cole Gold Mine site.
The importance of these findings lies in their potential implications for resource development in a historically productive mining region. Visible gold was intersected at multiple locations in both drill holes, with hole RR-26-02 representing the deepest drilling completed to date and containing what the company describes as the best occurrence of visible gold obtained so far. This intercept occurs beneath existing Cole Gold Mine workings, suggesting mineralization continues at depth—a critical factor for assessing the project's economic potential.
According to the company's technical observations, gold mineralization is hosted in deformed quartz veins, veinlets and stockwork that cross-cut broad zones of intense silicification measuring 7 to 30 metres in width. These zones contain lesser biotite and subordinate garnet, with quartz veins also containing fine-grained arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and locally tourmaline. The silicified zones contain disseminated chalcopyrite, pyrite and arsenopyrite in seams and fracture fillings, suggesting appreciable potential widths for gold mineralization should assays confirm favorable results.
Company CEO Mike England stated that multiple occurrences of visible gold in each of the two initial drill holes represents "a very exciting start to this drill program." He emphasized that the deepest hole completed contains the best visible gold occurrence to date and occurs beneath the Cole Gold Mine workings, indicating gold mineralization continues to depth. The company also noted the close spatial association between veins containing visible gold and prominent altered ultramafic and mafic dikes, a geological relationship well known in the Red Lake district that augurs well for the Cole property.
Readers interested in viewing sample pictures of visible gold from the current program can visit https://www.rocklandresources.com/colegoldmines for additional information about the Cole Gold Mines Project. The company has cautioned that visible gold observed in drill core does not on its own indicate the grade, continuity or economic viability of mineralization, with full assay results pending.
The exploration program's initial objectives included confirming the style and nature of gold mineralization at the historic Cole Gold Mine location and establishing alteration styles, lithologies and structural controls associated with precious-metal mineralization to assist in current and future exploration efforts. The Cole Gold Mine features a shaft sunk to 160 metres with levels established at 90, 120 and 150-metre levels, though it is currently considered a non-producing historic mine aside from gold recovered from underground development.
For the mining industry and investors, these early results from a historically significant district could signal renewed exploration potential in established mining regions. The Red Lake district has long been recognized for its gold production, and successful confirmation of mineralization at the Cole property could contribute to regional resource development. The company has indicated plans to drill several other high-priority targets containing high-grade gold mineralization that have never been drill tested, suggesting additional exploration upside beyond the initial findings.
