- RC drill hole CNR-22-001 returned 67.06 m of 0.10% copper with 114 ppm molybdenum from surface in the first ever drill hole targeting porphyry mineralization (Figure 2);
- Additional RC drill holes at Connaught returned broad intervals of anomalous copper, silver and molybdenum at two target areas, confirming multiple porphyry targets exist on the project (Figure 2);
- Prospecting of silver-lead-gold-copper veins at Connaught (Figure 3) returned the highest silver and lead grades to-date on the project in an underexplored area: 4,410 g/t silver with 76.2% lead, 1.04 g/t gold, and 0.23% copper; and 4,250 g/t silver with 82.5% lead, 0.18 g/t gold, and 0.17% copper (Figure 4); and
- Prospecting at the PIL South target on the PIL Property (Figure 5) returned samples grading 0.70% copper and 0.64% copper in outcrop located 700 m north of the previously defined target area (Figure 6).
"The initial drill results from the porphyry targets at Connaught are encouraging. Identifying porphyry copper deposits often requires dozens of drill holes and the intersection of 0.10% copper from surface in our first drill hole confirms the porphyry potential on this large property. Additional work is required to vector towards higher grade portions of the porphyry system. In addition to the porphyry targets, there is an extensive network of silver-lead-gold epithermal veins across the property that continue to deliver very high-grade results," stated
Figure 1 – Connaught Molybdenum-in-Soil Overview Map
Figure 2 – Connaught Drill Plan Map
Figure 3 –
Figure 4 – Connaught Vein Map
Figure 5 – PIL Overview Map
Figure 6 – PIL South Copper-in-Soil
Exploration work at Connaught consisted of prospecting, mapping and RC drilling. A total of 64 rock samples were collected, and 8 RC holes were drilled, totaling 2,164.08 m. These were the first drill holes on the property to target copper porphyry mineralization, with 6 holes at Target Area A, and 2 holes at Target Area C (see Figure 2). Highlights of the Connaught drilling are provided below.
Drill Hole | From | To (m) | Interval | Copper | Molybdenum |
CNR-22-001 | 0.00 | 67.06 | 67.06 | 0.10 | 114 |
CNR-22-002 | 0.00 | 134.11 | 134.11 | 0.04 | 40 |
incl. | 94.49 | 100.58 | 6.09 | 0.10 | 131 |
CNR-22-003 | 0.00 | 73.15 | 73.15 | 0.04 | 23 |
CNR-22-004 | No significant results | ||||
CNR-22-005 | 18.28 | 85.34 | 67.06 | 0.05 | 17 |
CNR-22-006 | 134.11 | 277.37 | 143.26 | <0.01 | 179 |
CNR-22-007 | 179.83 | 231.65 | 51.82 | <0.01 | 137 |
CNR-22-008 | 161.54 | 259.08 | 97.54 | <0.01 | 81 |
* The reported intersections are drilled thicknesses. True widths are unknown. |
Holes CNR-22-001 through -006 were drilled at Target Area A, following up on surface trenching results and geophysical anomalies identified in 2021. Hole CNR-22-001 targeted an undercut of trench 21-E (which graded 0.07% copper with 139 ppm molybdenum over 84 m) and returned 0.10% copper with 114 ppm molybdenum from surface to 67.06 m depth (see Figure 2).
Holes CNR-22-007 and -008 were drilled at Target Area C, to evaluate a strong molybdenum-in-soil anomaly coincident with copper anomalism. While these holes returned broad zones of elevated molybdenum, no significant copper mineralization was encountered.
Field crews also conducted prospecting while on-site, including follow-up on historical high-grade silver-lead-gold-copper veins. Samples collected from a vein located 500 m southeast of the camp (see Figure 4) returned the highest silver and lead grades to-date on the property, including 4,410 g/t silver with 76.2% lead, 1.04 g/t gold, 0.23% copper and 4,250 g/t silver with 82.5% lead, 0.18 g/t gold, and 0.17% copper. Sampling at this vein also returned strong gold grades, including 695 g/t silver with 15.4% lead, 2.53 g/t gold, and 0.11% copper. This vein, along with the majority of the 26 known epithermal veins on the property (see Figure 3), has not been explored with drilling or modern systematic trenching. Work is ongoing to digitize historical records and evaluate potential for additional high-grade vein-hosted mineralization across the property.
The phase two program at PIL had two objectives. The first was to conduct follow-up prospecting at the PIL South target, including collection of samples grading 0.70% copper, and 0.64% copper with 77 g/t silver and 155 ppm molybdenum in outcrop 700 m north of the previously defined primary target area. Follow-up sampling in the primary target area yielded samples returning 1.29% copper and 1.24% copper in outcrop. With the large extent of copper mineralization at PIL South in an area of very anomalous copper soil geochemistry, it is being prioritized for exploration in 2023.
Crews also sawed and assayed previously unsampled sections of historical drill core from the Atlas zone core, an epithermal gold-silver target. A total of 567.70 m of core, from holes AE-07-001 and AE-07-003 (3.33 g/t gold with 52 g/t silver over 10.0 m previously reported), was sawn and sent for assay. While elevated gold and silver were returned in these newly sampled areas, the resample yielded no significant additional intersections. The completed geochemical data is being used to refine modeling of trends to better target future drillholes.
The road-accessible Connaught property is located at the head of the Sixty Mile placer camp near
The property lies within the northeast-trending 150 km long Sixtymile-Pika fault system which controlled Late Cretaceous magmatism, hydrothermal activity and associated porphyry, skarn and epithermal mineralization in
The Late Cretaceous Prospector Mountain Suite rocks observed to date include multiple phases of intrusive stocks, dykes and breccias including: equigranular quartz monzonite, quartz monzonite porphyry, quartz feldspar porphyry and intrusion breccia. Copper mineralization observed to date includes disseminated and fracture coated malachite-tenorite ± azurite within a quartz monzonite porphyry, disseminated chalcopyrite-pyrite within an intrusion breccia and disseminated malachite-tenorite within a quartz latite dyke.
Known vein zones are hosted by dilatent fault structures up to several metres in thickness. Individual veins have been traced for lengths in excess of 260 m and most are open in both directions along strike and to depth. Typical vein exposures consist of multiphase quartz that is variable mineralized with blebby to massive arsenopyrite+galena ± chalcopyrite ± covellite ± stibnite ± sulphosalts. Massive galena ± anglesite lenses are intermittently exposed in the core of some veins. Gold is present in all of the veins but much of the historic work did not systematically evaluate it.
The PIL Property is located in the in the heart of the 90 x 20 km NW trending Toodoggone district in northern
The Toodoggone district is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Early to
The Property is under option from Finlay Minerals Ltd., and
Analytical work for samples was completed by
Overlimit values for copper, silver, and lead were determined by the ME-OG62 technique, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES. Overlimit values for lead by the ME-OG62 technique were determined by the Pb-VOL20 technique, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by titration. Overlimit values for silver by the ME-OG62 technique were determined by the Ag-GRA21 technique, which involves a fire assay preparation using a 30-gram charge with a gravimetric finish.
Rigorous procedures are in place regarding sample collection, chain of custody and data entry. Certified assay standards, duplicate samples and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream of drill samples to ensure integrity of the assay process. All drill samples included in this news release have passed the QA/QC procedures as described above. All assay intervals presented in this news release are uncut.
Results referenced in this release represent highlight results only and include results from 2022 and previous years. Below detection values for gold, silver, copper, lead and molybdenum have been encountered in samples in these target areas.
The technical information in this news release has been approved by
On behalf of
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This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by securities laws.
The mineral resource estimates included in this press release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Additional information about the Tiger Deposit PEA is summarized in
SOURCE
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