Lansdowne House
The large 66 claim (930 units totalling 14,880 hectares) Lansdowne House property is located approximately 80 kilometres west of the recently discovered McFaulds Lake high-grade, nickel-copper-precious metal deposit. The Lansdowne House property covers a large mafic-ultramafic complex that is a typical host of magmatic copper-nickel-precious metal sulphide deposits. The complex can be broadly subdivided into three zones: 1) a predominantly ultramafic basal zone comprising layered peridotite-pyroxenite sequences, a classic nickel sulphide target; 2) a middle zone, comprising predominantly cumulate gabbroic and gabbroic breccias zone, a classic precious metal and/or nickel target and 3) an upper zone, consisting of predominantly diorite-leucogabbro-anorthosite-gabbro-magnetite-cumulate.
In the 1970's Inco discovered copper-nickel mineralization in the middle zone of the complex, drilling 47 holes totalling 5,839 metres. Drilling was concentrated on a three-kilometre long trend of electromagnetic anomalies coincident with magnetic highs. Broad zones of highly anomalous mineralization were encountered, with intersections ranging from weakly anomalous to an average of 0.30% copper and 0.12% nickel over 33.3 metres and 0.74% copper and 0.40% nickel over 17.7 metres in one zone and ranging from 0.32% copper and 0.13% nickel average over 4.6 metres to 0.79% copper and 0.64% nickel over 21.5 metres in another zone (Ontario assessment files). In 1992 a subsequent explorer, Blue Falcon Mines Ltd., estimated a resource on these zones however the historical estimate cannot be relied upon as a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and INV is not treating the historical estimate as current as it is not NI 43-101 compliant. Nonetheless INV considers these intersections significant as they demonstrate the copper-nickel sulphide potential of this large intrusive complex.
Higher in the middle zone of the complex, work by Aurora resulted in the discovery of broad zones of highly anomalous precious metals. Intersections range from only weakly anomalous to those quoted above (Aurora Platinum Corp., April 12, 2002 NI 43-101F1 report "Lansdowne House Property, Bartman Lake Area, northwestern Ontario"). INV considers the amount of metal in the system to be very significant, with potential for structural traps which could enhance the grade and for high-grade reefs.
In 2006, FNX carried out a modern airborne geophysical survey of the property ("AeroTEM"). Numerous untested conductors were detected along the trend of the Inco discovery, and more importantly, a number of discrete conductors were located associated with magnetic highs in the basal ultramafic zone.
INV management has suspended its exploration programs at Lansdowne in response to the current uncertain market conditions.
