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The Root Spring project consists of 62, 100% Redstar-owned unpatented claims on the west side of the East Range in Pershing County, Nevada, about 50 miles south of the city of Winnemucca and 16 miles east of the world-class open-pit Rochester silver mine operated by Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation. Mineralization at Root Spring consists of northwest-trending, low-angle southwest-dipping quartz veins and quartz-vein stockworks hosted within a poorly-exposed section of metavolcanic rocks which may be equivalent to the host Triassic volcanic section at the Rochester mine. The southwest-dipping veins and host volcanics are adjacent to a Triassic granitic pluton and within a northwest-trending alluvial-filled valley corridor along a range front which may mark a major structural zone. The quartz-vein system is at least 4,000 feet long. Veins are up to 15 feet thick, with two parallel veins exposed, separated by about 300 feet. Surface rock-chip values in veins reach 9.36 ppm gold (0.273 ounces per ton, opt) accompanied by high silver values reaching 1500 ppm (44 opt), with gold-equivalent (Au+Ag) values reaching 0.672 opt at current metal prices. Veins are variably oxidized and locally contain secondary copper minerals and traces of tetrahedrite, galena and sphalerite. Gold correlates strongly with Ag, Pb and As and silver correlates strongly with Zn, Sb, Cu, Hg and As. The geochemical relationships indicate that Ag resides in tetrahedrite. The two veins are surrounded by poorly-exposed silicified felsic(?) volcanic and metavolcanic rocks containing quartz-vein stockworks. A mafic sill or greenstone locally occurs in the footwall of one of the veins. The wallrocks locally contain low-grade gold reaching 0.862 ppm. Previous exploration is limited to a 1987 drilling program of seven shallow drill holes totaling 1,325 feet (deepest hole = 300 feet). The holes were incompletely assayed by atomic absorption only (no fire assay). Given the presence of sulfide, the assays probably underestimated grade, and with the limited sampling, the holes are of little value. The drilling, however, did return mineralized intervals, including 35.5 ppm Ag over 30 feet (with 0.333 ppm Au average) and 40.2 ppm Ag over 15 feet with a five-foot interval of 1.10 ppm Au (zone incompletely assayed). A composite sample collected from the quartz-vein cuttings of one of the holes returned 3.4 ppm Au with 191 ppm Ag. The 150-foot deep hole was incompletely assayed when drilled, and the original assay sheets note a high of only 17 ppm Ag. Other historic work on the project includes a small pit which reportedly yielded a shipment of 40 tons grading 14 opt Ag. Samples from the pit reach 9.36 ppm Au and 913 ppm Ag. Root Spring offers an opportunity to delineate gold-silver mineralization within large veins and surrounding wallrocks. The vein system is partly concealed by alluvium and is likely to extend significantly along strike beyond the limited vein exposures. Further, the two parallel veins indicate the potential for additional veins at depth and in areas covered by alluvium. The veins and host volcanics dip southwest under an area of Tertiary volcanic rocks which could conceal additional mineralization. Assay results also indicate potential for widespread low-grade mineralization within the volcanic section. This potential is also indicated by the geologic and mineralogic similarities to the nearby Rochester mine, although further work is needed to confirm the correlation of the rock package at Root Spring with Rochester. Map  Click to enlarge Location of the Root Spring project with respect to gold and silver deposits of the region and exposures of the Triassic Koipato Group (blue) and related intrusions (green). 
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