Tuesday March 23, 2004
TRIBUTE INTERSECTS HIGH GRADE ZINC AND COPPER MINERALIZATION IN ARROW ZONE - FOURTH HOLE CUTS 4.25 METRES OF 17.41%Zn, 0.68%Cu
Tribute Minerals is pleased to report on the results of the fourth hole (GL-2004-04) from its four hole - 2,280 metre Phase 1 diamond drilling program on the Arrow zone of the Garnet Lake Property in the Confederation Lake area, Red Lake Mining Division, northern Ontario. The program was designed to test targets identified by the Quantec Geoscience Inc. Titan-24 IP/MT geophysical survey around significant drilling results reported during 1997 and 1998.
Tribute intersected the zinc-copper-gold-silver mineralization of the Arrow zone within a sequence of felsic tuffs and pyroclastics. The drilling encountered massive, semi-massive and stringer sulphide zones, and up to 50 metres of intense footwall alteration, accompanied by intense Na depletion and Fe-Mg enrichment. The Zn-Cu-Au-Ag mineralization also contained elevated values of Pb (to 0.76%), In (to 110.5 ppm), Cd (to >500 ppm), Bi (to 120 ppm), As, Sb, Co and Tl.
The fourth hole (GL-2004-04) encountered the Arrow zone approximately 100 metres updip from drill hole 97-4 and approximately 100 metres west of Tribute's GL-2003-01. The drilling intersected a 4.25 metre sulphide section containing sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite from 421.5-425.75 metres over an intensely altered footwall zone from 392.0-421.0 metres with stringer zinc and copper mineralization. The 12.75 metre section from 413.0-425.75 metres reported 6.63% Zn, 0.31% Cu, 0.22 g/t Au and 13.20 g/t Ag. The high grade section from 421.5-425.75 metres reported 17.41% Zn, 0.68% Cu, 0.32 g/t Au and 28.00 g/t Ag, with a massive sulphide section, primarily ferroan sphalerite (Zn, Fe)S, from 423.5-425.75 metres containing Zn values to 40.02% and Cu values to 3.39% over 0.5 metre sampling intervals. The sulphide mineralization was similar in ore mineralogy, texture and grade, to the 97-2C and 97-4 intersections, which reported 19.1% Zn, 2.2% Cu, 1.6 g/t Au and 35.1 g/t Ag over 6.3m, and 14.99% Zn, 1.77% Cu, 0.41 g/t Au and 24.5 g/t Ag over 3.5m, respectively.
The split core samples were submitted to ALS Chemex and SGS Lakefield Research for assay and multielement analysis using standard QA/QC protocols. The Confederation Lake exploration programs are under the direction of Greg Davison, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice-President Exploration, Tribute Minerals, and a qualified person (QP) for the purposes of NI 43-101.
The intensity of VMS style alteration, commonly with the distinctive dalmatianite texture, and high grade and thickness of stacked, Au-bearing, Zn-Cu sulphide lenses and stringer zones, are indicative of a large hydrothermal system. The Arrow zone remains open to the east, west and downdip; the western Arrow zone, tested only by widely spaced drilling, is along strike from several sulphide lenses located in Tribute's adjacent Copperlode property.
Tribute will conduct downhole geophysical surveys (pulse electromagnetics - BHPEM) on the Arrow zone of the Garnet Lake property, and the Dixie property, during the first two weeks of April 2004. Tribute will implement Phase 2 drilling on the Arrow zone upon completion of the BHPEM surveys.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Ian A. Brodie-Brown President & C.E.O.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tribute Minerals Inc.
Ian Brodie-Brown
President and C.E.O.
(416) 368-2929
(416) 601-1450 (FAX)
info@tributeminerals.com
www.tributeminerals.com
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