American West Metals Limited (ASX: AW1) has commenced a 7,500m diamond drilling programme at the West Desert Project in Utah.
The West Desert Deposit is a large historical and foreign resource (Ni 43-101 compliant) of over 59Mt, including a higher-grade core of approximately 16.5Mt @ 6.3% Zn, 0.3% Cu and 33g/t In, which significantly, remains open at depth and along strike.
The drill programme results will be used to prepare an updated JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate. Drilling data will also be used to complete detailed mining studies for a potential mining proposal including the evaluation of a low footprint, high-grade development scenario.
Managing Director, Dave O’Neill, said Major Drilling Group International Inc. has been awarded the drilling contract.
“We are excited to kick-off the year with the first ever drilling program by American West at the West Desert Project,” Mr O’Neill said.
“The drilling is planned to test the West Desert resource in areas that already have some impressive zinc, copper and silver intercepts, and to confirm our assumptions that the continuity of these zones will support a range of development scenarios.
“The drilling will also be used to confirm the amenability of the shallow mineralisation to open-pit mining, further adding to the development optionality at West Desert.
“Whilst this drilling will focus on the West Desert resource, we are also working to secure a second drill rig to start drill testing of the exciting exploration targets that were defined in the recent gravity survey.
“Full credit must go to our US operations team for getting the program up and running immediately after the holiday break. We look forward to updating the market as the drilling progresses.”
The West Desert Project is located 160km southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, within the heart of the Sevier Orogenic Belt which hosts the world class Bingham Canyon copper deposit and Tintic Mining District.
The Project now comprises 330 acres of private land, 336 unpatented lode mining claims and a single State Metalliferous Mineral Lease, for a total land holding of approximately 32 sq km.
For further information please visit: https://www.americanwestmetals.com/site/content/
