American Goldfields Announces Interest in Gold Properties in Cortez/Pipeline Region

March 1, 2005

American Goldfields Inc. (OTCBB:AGFL) announced that it has entered into a formal agreement to acquire a 100% interest in three Nevada gold properties, currently controlled by MinQuest Inc., a natural resource exploration company. The properties collectively consist of 50 unpatented mining claims covering approximately 1,000 acres of land, all of which is in the Cortez/Pipeline region of Nevada. Mr. Richard Kern, who joined the Board of Directors of the Company on May 26, 2004, is the President of MinQuest. Additional details concerning the nature of the transaction are provided in this news release, and in the Company's EDGAR filings.

 

The Crescent Fault property (ìCrescent Faultî) is located in Eureka County, three miles from the Mill Canyon deposit drilled by Newmont and five miles from the Cortez mine. The property consists of 6 unpatented mining claims covering approximately 120 acres. It has been explored by Homestake from 1983 to 1986, Noranda from 1992 to 1994, and North Mining from 1995 to 1996, each of whom carried out drilling. Sampling and mapping has also been carried out. A total of more than 10,000 feet have been drilled. Mineralization encountered in drilling includes 20 feet grading 0.11 opt Au, 25 feet grading 0.05 opt Au and 20 feet grading 0.035 opt Au.

 

The Bankop property ("Bankop") is located in eastern Lander County, Nevada, approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Battle Mountain and four miles (6 km) northwest of the Pipeline Mine.  The property consists of 24 unpatented mining claims covering approximately 480 acres. The property is within the Bullion district, which includes the Tenabo and Mud Springs subdistricts to the north and the Gold Acres subdistrict to the southeast. The Bullion district was first prospected in the 1860ís.  Gold was discovered at Tenabo in 1905 and mined until 1912.  Placer gold mining was conducted at Mud Springs and Mill Creek in the early 1930ís and the first gold was mined at Gold Acres in 1935.  Although there has been no production from the Bankop property to date, recorded production for the district through 1977 is listed as 300,000 ounces gold and 1 million ounces silver. The Bankop property has been explored since 1965.  Exploration companies involved include US Mining and Exploration Company, Phelps Dodge, Placer Amex, Cyprus Exploration Company, Homestake Mining Company, US Borax, Placer Dome US, Noranda Exploration, (Hemlo Gold), Uranerz USA, and Minorca Resources. The company believes this volume of geologic information is a valuable tool for further study of the property. Regionally, the area is situated within the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend, a northwest striking 30 to 40 mile wide (45 to 60 km) belt. This trend defines the second most productive gold region in the United States. Gold Acres, located three miles (4.5 km) to the southeast of the Bankop property, is the closest Carlin type mine. Significant gold intercepts of Carlin style mineralization occur on the Bankop property around a trench where sampling detected up to 1.4 g/t gold. Several holes drilled in this area had a high of 0.7 g/t over 5 feet (1.5 m).

 

The Bullion Mountain property (ìBullion Mountainî) is located in Lander County, along the Pipeline trend, approximately 6 miles northwest of the Pipeline deposit and 12 miles southeast of Battle Mountain. The property consists of 20 unpatented mining claims covering approximately 400 acres, which include a group of claims known as the Bully claims and the Chief claims. The property may have been prospected as early as the 1870ís during the Utah Camp and Cortez boom, and it contains numerous prospect pits and shallow adits. It lies along the Pipeline fault zone, and has been previously explored by Placer Dome, Asarco, Hemlo, Lac, Barrick and Pallum. Drilling has been carried out on the claims by Asarco and also Placer Dome and Pallum. Surface samples have identified high grade gold (>0.5 opt) in fault zones in upper plate rocks. Drilling has encountered 3 meters of 0.204 opt Au on the Bully claims and 1.5 meters of 0.08 opt Au of 15 meters of 0.02 opt Au on the Chief claims. The nearby gold deposits of Hilltop and Dean occur within the same upper plate rocks, and both deposits contain significant high grade gold in veins with lower grade gold values hosted by breccia zones. Exploration work on the Bullion Mountain property has defined three targets. The property is situated along trend of numerous large mines and contains significant gold values.

 

Regionally, the properties are located within an area which includes the prolific gold-producing Pipeline / South Pipeline / Cortez Hills / Pediment deposits whose gold production is estimated at 15.7 million ounces over a projected 17-year mine life with 88% recovery [source:mining-technology.com re Cortez Gold Mine]).

 

Management of American Goldfields believes the Crescent Fault, Bankop and Bullion Mountain properties have significant potential and are initiating development of further exploration on the projects.

 

"These properties are exciting mineral exploration properties, in an area which we believe to be one of the highest-profile mineral regions in Nevada," said Donald Neal, President and CEO. "We believe that these projects, together with the Hercules, Imperial Mine and Gilman projects, comprise a significant foothold in what has historically been one of the most valuable and concentrated gold districts in the world."

 

 

Disclaimer: This announcement may contain forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, limited operating history, limited access to operating capital, factors detailed in the accuracy of geological and geophysical results including drilling and assay reports; the ability to close the acquisition of mineral exploration properties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. More information is included in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and may be accessed through the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

Back to news list

 

© American Goldfields Inc.. Legal Statement