Irving Resources’ subsidiary, Irving Resources Japan GK, has secured a 62.18sqkm land position encompassing the past producing Omui gold-silver mine and surrounding areas on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Irving recently announced the purchase of a 298 hectare mining right, the Omui mining licence.

Provisional title transfer for this purchase has recently been received by Irving from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Hokkaido Bureau.

To augment its land position, Irving recently filed 17 prospecting licences covering an additional 58.20sqkm of prospective ground in the vicinity of the Omui mine and including another past producing gold-silver mine, Hokuryu, situated about 7km west of Omui. Applications for rights to alluvial materials were filed at the same time.

Acceptance of all prospecting and alluvial applications was recently granted by METI and a multi-step review now begins for final approval. Mitusi Mineral Development Engineering Co, Ltd (MINDECO) is assisting Irving throughout the process.

“We are excited to acquire our second precious metals project in Japan,” said Irving Resources president and CEO Akiko Levinson. “Our new Omui project encompasses two past producing mines, Omui and Hokuryu, each of which produced significant amounts of gold and silver in the early 1900s. Little work has been done here since. We look forward to commencing our first work program in early October.”

Irving’s Omui project covers an area underlain by Tertiary aged volcanic and sedimentary rocks deposited in a rift setting situated near the north end of Hokkaido.

Irving staff recently collected grab samples from a surface outcrop of the Omui main vein and another from a subordinate parallel vein situated immediately north. An assay of the main vein sample returned 192 g/t gold and 5240 g/t silver while one from the subordinate vein returned 6.9 g/t gold and 1345 g/t silver.

Deposition of bonanza grade gold and silver mineralisation such as this is sometimes a product of processes associated with boiling in hot spring environments.

Boiling profiles can extend to depths of over 200 metres in such systems.

Due to strong evidence of a vigorous boiling system, the presence of bonanza grades and an apparent lack of significant erosion, Irving thinks that there is good potential for discovery of significant epithermal mineralisation at depth.

To better understand this potential, Irving plans to undertake reconnaissance level prospecting and mapping across the Omui property in October.

“We are highly encouraged by bonanza grade gold and silver results recently returned from samples taken from Omui,” said Irving’s director and technical advisor Dr Quinton Hennigh. “Coupled with compelling field evidence, we think we are at a high level in a hot spring system that experienced vigorous boiling and mineral deposition. Therefore, we think Omui has good potential for discovery of high grade epithermal gold-silver veins.”