A Prince George mining company announced Tuesday that it had found signs of gold in a claim about 75 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake.

Barker Minerals Inc. said drilling on their Black Bear silver/gold project on the Providence prospect area "has discovered significant alteration and mineralization which is typical of epithermal style gold deposits," said company CEO Louis Doyle.

"The drill program was undertaken to test for shallow extensions of the high grade silver, gold and lead vein mineralization exposed in outcrop," he said. Two holes have been completed, supported by portable XRF readings from handheld mineral analysis machines.

"The top 90 metres of both holes were similar geologically and geochemically in alteration style and associated mineralization. Random spot checks with the portable XRF indicate that gold pathfinder minerals, together with the typical epithermal alteration patterns, continue to the bottom of BB12-07 and are still open at depth," said Doyle in a more technical explanation of the results.

The next step is to have the promising readings confirmed officially by an accredited laboratory.