Commencement Of Drilling At [0 Copper-Gold-Silver-Zinc Project In Alaska
VANCOUVER - Heatherdale Resources Ltd. reported that surface diamond drilling has commenced at its 100%-owned Niblack copper-gold-silver-zinc project, located near tidewater in southeast Alaska. Work is also well underway on underground rehabilitation of the production-size exploration tunnel to enable underground drilling. At least 3,000 meters of surface and underground drilling is planned for 2020, recommencing early in 2021.
"Our initial four to six drill holes will target extensions to high-grade copper-gold mineralization at the historic Niblack Mine with the objective of developing an initial resource estimate in this area," said Robert McLeod, President and CEO. "Underground drilling is expected to commence in early December, targeting wide, high-grade extensions to the Lookout Deposit, the largest resource on the Property."
Fall 2020 Drilling will test three priority areas: 1) surface drilling targeting the historic Niblack Mine, 2) down-dip Lookout extension and 3) Lookout Deposit Resource Expansion to the west. Initial focus of the fall 2020 drilling program will be the Historic Niblack Mine, located several hundred meters north of current interal Resources at Lookout and Trio Zones. Direct-shipping copper mineralization was discovered at Niblack Anchorage in 1899 with production from 1902 through 1908. According to Alaska Territorial Government Records, 30,000 tons were mined averaging 3.2% Cu, 1.3 g/t Au, and 21 g/t Ag. 22 holes were completed by previous operators. Previous drill intercepts include: LO-065 which intersected 4.6 meters averaging 5.8% Cu, 2.3 g/t Au, 3.8% Zn and 63.2 g/t Ag, as well as LO-067 which intersected 4.9 meters averaging 5.1% Cu, 13.1 g/t Au, 4.0% Zn and 149.1 g/t Ag.
High-grade VMS-style mineralization outcrops along the shoreline adjacent to the historic workings. A geologic reinterpretation of the host-rock units, together with by radiometric age-dating has suggested that the mineralization is hosted within an overturned antiform type fold. This structure appears to plunge to the east, suggesting mineralization is wide open for expansion along trend and plunge from the historic stopes and high-grade historic intercepts. A minimum of four to six holes are initially planned at the historic mine area.
The Lookout deposit is accessed through a production-sized underground ramp that was driven in 2007-08 by previous operators. Lookout is the largest copper-gold-silver-zinc deposit on the Property. Massive sulphide mineralization through the core of the deposit ranges up to 100 meters in true width, with a drill-weighted average thickness of 15 meters and potentially amenable to bulk underground mining methods. Mineralization is open at depth.
Drilling will step out from previous underground hole U074, which intersected 1.5 meters of massive sulphide averaging 2.0% Cu, 3.25 g/t Au, 23.3% Zn and 90.0 g/t Ag. Significantly, this intersection is stratigraphically underlain by a broad interval which is enhanced in gold, silver and zinc with 17.3 meters averaging 0.05% Cu, 0.46 g/t Au, 0.71% Zn and 5.5 g/t Ag. It is interpreted that this is a proximal geochemical signature that could develop into another significant massive sulphide zone. The purpose of this round of drilling is to vector towards large accumulations of mineralization.
3) Lookout Deposit Far West Extension - Underground drilling is also planned to step-out from the current resource, targeting a significant gap in drilling that has potential to add significant tonnage at above average grades. Drill holes will target an area measuring 100 meters along strike by 75 meters of dip length, adjacent to wide and high-grade mineralization previously encountered through drilling at the Lookout Deposit. Due to the size of this area, additional step-out holes will also be completed targeting this area during early 2021.