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Northern Lion Explores in the Republic of CyprusLocation
The Island of Cyprus is located in the Eastern Mediterranean 64 kilometres south of Turkey and 97 kilometres west of Syria. The population is approximately 1.0 million and the island covers an area of about 9000 km2 making it the third largest island in the Mediterranean. Formerly under British rule, Cyprus gained its independence from Britain in 1960. Civil unrest between the island's Greek and Turkish communities and a coup against the Cypriot government backed by the Greek military, culminated in an invasion by Turkish forces in 1974. The country remains split with the Turkish forces occupying approximately 36% of the island. The "Green Line", or buffer zone, is monitored by the United Nations (UN). This buffer zone cuts through the capital of Nicosia. Geological Setting The island's morphology features a central plateau surrounding Nicosia, with mountain ranges to the north and south. The Troodos Ophiolite Complex trends southeasterly through the center of the island and has hosts all of the known Volcanogenic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) deposits. The Troodos Ophiolite Complex represents a preserved section of ancient oceanic crust along with underlying upper mantle rocks. Uplift and unroofing of the complex has produced a symmetrical batholithic plutonic body flanked by volcanic units of the Lower and Upper pillow lavas and overlying sediments. The volcanic units are believed to be around 100 million years old (Late Cretaceous). The Ophiolite formed along the edge of the northward moving subduction zone where the African plate encountered the Eurasian plate. The Troodos Ophiolites are unique in that they display a complete sequence of ultramafic plutonic rocks through the dyke complexes to the marine floor pillow lavas and overlying sediments.
Economic Potential The structural environment facilitated the movement of hydrothermal fluids and resulted in the emplacement of significant base and precious metal ore deposits. Cyprus boasts rich and abundant natural resources including gold, copper, zinc, pyrite, asbestos, gypsum and chromite, which have been mined since antiquity.
The history of mineral exploitation (copper, gold and other metals) on the island of Cyprus dates back to the Bronze Age, approximately 5,000 years ago, and has continued through the ages, by the Phoenicians and then the Romans. The evidence of this long history of mining is seen by the extensive slag heaps and numerous ancient surface and underground workings. The main economic base metal deposits of Cyprus are the copper-bearing volcanogenic hosted massive sulphide "VHMS" deposits. These deposits are hosted within the pillow lava sequence of the Troodos Volcanic Complex. The pillow lava sequence is divided into Upper and Lower Pillow Lavas, with the majority of massive sulphide bodies occuring in the Lower Pillows, or near the contact between the two pillow lava sequences. All of Northern Lion's permits and applications overlie this stratigraphy. Ochres are manganese poor ferruginous sediments generally associated with sulphide ores located between the Lower and Upper Pillow Lavas and are known locally to contain high grade gold values. The umbers are manganese rich ferruginous mudstones overlying the Upper Pillow Lavas. Umbers and ochres have historically been mined for dyes.
Northern Lion Gold has optioned 2 exploration permits from Katla Exploration Ltd. covering 5.4km2 area near the village of Asproyia in the Paphos District of the Republic of Cyprus. It has also optioned a 100% interest in 2 permits in the Klirou district from M. Poullaides covering 0.83km2. In addition the company has applied for and been granted an additional 5 permits covering 20.75km2 adjacent to and surrounding the existing permits. A further 10 permit applications are currently in process over prospective areas. 2010 Exploration Program Field crews were mobilized to Cyprus in late January 2010 and exploration commenced on the Philani and Kokkinovounaros (Red Hill) projects. This work consists of detailed geological mapping, soil and rock sampling, to be followed by geophysical surveys. At Philani a small high grade body of massive sulphide mineralization has been identified through drilling by BRGM in the early 1980's and confirmed by the property owner in 1 hole in 2008. Sampling of the chips from the 2008 hole by the company confirmed a 6m thick interval of massive sulphides which grades 6.4% Cu, 11.6% Zn, 1.4g/t Au and 38g/t Ag. None of the early drilling by BRGM was analysed for gold and so the company plans to twin several of the earlier holes to confirm grades and test for gold content. Surface grab samples from a gossan adjacent to the massive sulphide body returned 4g/t gold. At Kokkinovounaros some pre-WWII gold workings focused on a substantial gossan covering the peak of a small hill. In the 1950's Hellenic Mining acquired this area under an exploration Permit and through a combination of geochemical and geophysical techniques identified a massive pyrite body approximately 500m to the northwest of Red Hill. This became their main focus of attention and was ultimately mined and contained a copper rich zone at the northwest edge of the main body of pyrite. During this period 5 holes were drilled on the Red Hill workings and analysed for gold, all of which assayed over 1g/t for the entire hole to a maximum depth of 50m below surface. None of the other holes drilled in the area by Hellenic or the Geological Survey were analysed for gold. Other significant results from this area include 143m of 0.4% copper to the south of Red Hill and 40m of 1% copper in a hole to the northwest of the open pit. Refs.:
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