Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) has obtained impressive drill results from the company’s ongoing step-out and in-fill drilling programmes on its 100% controlled Tonopah West project located in West Central Nevada along the Walker Lane trend.
Initial results successfully expand the Denver vein one kilometre beyond the boundary of the April 2022 maiden resource estimate, effectively doubling the footprint of mineralisation.
Highlights:
- Core hole TXC22-052 intersected 4.6 metres of the Denver vein grading 0.63 grams per tonne (“g/t”) gold (“Au”) and 148 g/t silver (“Ag”) or 211 g/t silver equivalent (“AgEq”) including a 0.7metre zone grading 1.89 g/t gold and 513 g/t silver or 702 g/t AgEq one kilometre northwest of the DPB resource area (AgEq_= Ag_g/t + Au_g/t*100);
- TXC22-052 has doubled the strike potential of the mineralized Tonopah West vein system;
- TXC22-054 was a 200 metre step out to the west of the DPB resource area and returned 0.3 metres grading 1.81 g/t gold and 127 g/t silver or 308 g/t AgEq;
- TXC22-051 and -053 intersected elevated gold and silver along with high values of copper, lead and zinc within the projected Denver vein zone;
- In-fill drilling has encountered quartz-vein stockwork and breccia zones that are within 200 metres of the surface on the southern edge of the DPB resource. Handheld XRF evaluation shows the zones are mineralized; however, assays are pending; and
- A granodiorite intrusive was drilled in TXC22-051 which may have spatial and genetic links to understanding the Tonopah district mineralization, elaborating on the structural architecture and ultimate upside potential of the system.
“As the highest-grade undeveloped silver project in the sector[1], initial results from our 2022 step-out drill programme have more than doubled the mineralized footprint of the vein system on our Tonopah West project, alluding to substantial resource expansion potential,” President and CEO, Andrew Pollard, said.
“Drillhole TXC22-052 intercepted a thick, highly mineralised section of the Denver vein roughly one kilometre beyond our maiden resource envelope, indicating we’re still in the very early stages of defining Tonopah West’s full potential.
“With our resource expansion programme roughly 50% complete, in-fill drilling has encountered a shallow new zone of stockwork quartz-veins and breccias that could point to near surface potential for the southern portion of the property, of which assays are pending at this time.”
Step Out Programme
Blackrock kicked off the 2022 exploration programme with highly aggressive step-out drilling that was guided based on the company’s learnings from drilling out the Tonopah West resource (2.9M tonnes at a block-diluted grade of 446 g/t AgEq or 42.6 Mozs of AgEq).
Core hole TXC22-052 intersected 4.6 metres of the Denver vein grading 0.63 g/t gold and 148 g/t Ag or 211 g/t AgEq including a 0.7metre zone grading 1.89 g/t gold and 513 g/t silver or 702 g/t AgEq. TXC22-052 is located one kilometre northwest of the northwest corner of the DPB resource area.
TXC22-052 is significant as it effectively doubles the strike potential of the Tonopah West vein system. The Denver vein, or its equivalent, has now been encountered at high grades over 2,500 metres of strike. The Company’s April 2022 maiden resource estimate incorporated drilling that covered1,300 metres of strike. Core hole TXC22-052 demonstrates that substantial upside potential exists along 1,200 metres of additional strike.
TXC22-051 was drilled 650 metres north-northwest of TXC22-052. The drillhole encountered the Denver vein geology and intersected elevated gold and silver along with high values of copper (up to 541 ppm), lead (up to 532 ppm) and zinc (up to 10,000 ppm) within the projected Denver vein zone starting at 1,112 metres down the hole. Immediately beneath the Denver vein, the drillhole interested a granodiorite intrusive. The granodiorite could be important and may have a genetic and spatial link to the source of the Tonopah district gold and silver mineralization as well as provide understanding on the structural architecture observed in the district.
TXC22-053 was drilled 330 metres north of TXC22-052. The core hole targeted the down dip projection of the Denver vein. The core encountered elevated gold and silver along with anomalous copper (808 ppm), lead (up to 395 ppm) and zinc (up to 688 ppm) over 5.52 metres interval at the projected depth (764 metres) of the Denver vein.
TXC22-054 was a 200 metre step out to the west of the DPB resource area and was drilled to understand the structural orientations where the Denver vein rotates from east-west to northwest. TXC22-054 returned 0.3 metres grading 1.81 g/t gold and 127 g/t silver or 308 g/t AgEq.
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