A scout drilling program at WCB Resources’ Misima porphyry copper prospect on Misima Island continues to provide encouragement. The company is testing a potential tier-1 copper-gold porphyry target.

An initial program of up to 4000 metres of reconnaissance scout diamond drilling commenced in mid-September targeting deep strong magnetic features beneath an extensive 1sqkm copper-soil anomaly at the Misima prospect which coincides with extensive rock chips, shallow drilling and skarn mineralization and halo veining at surface.

An initial diamond hole was completed to a depth of 723.3 metres down-hole and encountered alteration and geochemistry consistent with the margin or shoulder of a porphyry system, providing an excellent vector for the second hole.

This diamond hole was collared on section 240 metres to the southeast and encountered interbedded skarn and marble to a depth of 85 metres. Beneath the skarn zone the sequence was interbedded Ara Schist and intrusives to a depth of 550 metres when the hole intersected a post mineral intrusive to 768 metres.

Importantly, visible secondary copper including well developed gossanous zones were observed in the upper skarn zone. Minor visible gold was also observed in selected zones over several metres. Beneath the skarn, the interbedded intrusives and Ara Schist contained well developed sulphide including pyrite and accessory chalcopyrite to 550 metres. Included in this zone are three discrete zones totalling 180 metres downhole in which magnetite chalcopyrite stockwork of variable intensity is developed.

WCB is encouraged by these observations, which suggest that the second hole has encountered a major structural zone with alteration, veining and mineralization consistent with the upper levels of the porphyry system.

WCB’s president and CEO Cameron Switzer says: “This scout drill program continues to provide encouragement. The second hole has intersected a broad zone of sulphide development including magnetite alteration which has previously returned high grade results on surface. The third hole has commenced and will drill beneath well-developed surface geochemistry and geology.”

Misima Island has previously demonstrated mineral deposit pedigree through the past production of 4.0 million ounces of gold and 20 million ounces of silver from various operations but most recently the Misima Mine owned by Placer Dome Asia Pacific. This mine ceased open pit production in 2001 and closed in 2004. WCB released a NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource containing 1.57 million ounces of gold and 8 million ounces of silver associated with extensions of the previously mined zone.