Scottie Resources Corp (TSXV: SCOT) had a strong 2020 at their properties in Canada’s Golden Triangle. Last month, the British Columbia-based mining company announced details of its drilling results for the year at its M-Zone site, and a week later the assay results were back for drilling results taken from the Blueberry Zone, both of which are located in the company’s flagship Scottie Gold Mine property. These results came hot on the heels of announcements made at the end of last year and the beginning of 2021 regarding the bonanza results from the O-Zone and the potential multimillion-ounce new Domino Zone, respectively.
During 2020, the company completed 7,040 metres of drilling in a total of 46 holes, and took 921 surface samples from Scottie Gold Mine projects. Both sets of newly released results indicate strong mineralization in both zones, which bodes well for current and future investors.
Ample gold and silver at the M-Zone
Last year, the company completed an extensive drilling campaign at its Scottie Gold Mine property, which is located 40km north of the town of Steward, British Columbia. “The 2020 drill programme at the Scottie Gold Mine Project continues to deliver strong results that indicate that the gold mineralization at Scottie is more extensive than previously tested,” said Bradley Rourke, CEO, Scottie Resources.
The Scottie Gold Mine has a rich history of gold production. When it originally operated between 1981 and 1985 before being closed due to unfavourable market conditions, it produced 95,426 ounces of gold from 183,147 tonnes. The property contained 13 distinct gold-bearing vein zones, and mining production was primarily focused on the M-Zone.
In February 2021, however, the latest results for the M-Zone include impressive intercepts of 12.6 g/t gold and 4.43 g/t silver over 5.22 metres, as well as 10.7 g/t gold and 5.38 g/t silver over 5.70 metres. For Rourke, these results come at an expedient time as the precious metals market embarks on what could be a significant upswing. “Past mining practices used a historical cut-off grade of 10 g/t gold, and with the current market conditions the opportunity to expand the mineralizing system is excellent, as our recent results indicate,” he said.
Best drill intercepts at the O-Zone
The Scottie Gold Mine’s O-Zone is the northernmost of six mineralized structures which were identified during previous activities at the site. It is also another area of the property that has produced some startling results. Last year, assay results from the O-Zone contained and impressive 109.4 g/t gold and 32.4 g/t silver over 2.53 metres.
Assay results from the Scottie Gold Mine O-Zone target (Scottie Resources Corp/6 October 2020 press release)
Golden opportunities at the Blueberry Zone
In late 2019, Scottie Resources discovered the existence of a north-south-oriented mineralizing system at its Blueberry Zone, which is a contiguous part of the Scottie Gold Mine property lying 2km to the north east and just 20km north of the Ascot Resources Premier Mill. In 2020, 1,609 metres were drilled at the Blueberry Zone across 11 holes. Assay results from last year’s drilling campaign show intercepts of 10.2 g/t gold over 3.21 metres and 1.31 g/t gold over 22.13 metres. This new discovery is open along strike and depth, and extensive surface work has established a zone exceeding 800 metres long, according to the company.
“Now that we have got a handle on the geometry of the system, drilling in 2021 will focus on increasing the vertical and lateral extent of this zone,” said Rourke. “The [Granduc] road is accessible, and near-surface mineralization present at the Blueberry Zone complements the high-grade mineralization we continue to discover around the Scottie Gold Mine.”
Indeed, Rourke intends to extend drilling work at the location in 2021, with substantial drill step outs over 200 metres planed along strike to test the continuity of the north-south structure. Additional drilling will also take place to take the vertical extent of 2020’s gold-bearing intercepts, and an induced polarization survey and trenching programme will help delineate targets in the mineralized corridor at the Blueberry Zone.
Unprecedented discoveries at the Domino Zone
Perhaps the most exciting development at the property was the set of results from the newly discovered Domino Zone, which lies 2km due west and along strike of the Scottie Gold Mine in an area of glacial retreat and exhibits similar mineralization, grade, and orientation as the original site.
Assay results for the Domino Zone’s first ever drill programme include a high-grade intercept of 12.4 g/t gold and 8.7 g/t silver at 2.69 metres, and near-surface mineralization of 19.9 g/t gold and 71.6 g/t silver over 0.94 metres. Rourke comments that “these results confirm our hypothesis of a high-grade gold mineralizing system occurring along strike from the past-producing Scottie Gold Mine,” and supports the theory of a multimillion-ounce deposit for the whole property.
Even more in the pipeline for 2021
While these newest results from the Scottie Gold Project M-Zone, O-Zone, Blueberry Zone, and Domino Zone will be welcome news to shareholders and potential investors alike, Rourke has plans for further drilling at all sites, which will bring the total drilling distance for 2021 to approximately 12,500 metres. It is expected that activity will commence in June this year at the Blueberry Zone, according to Rourke.
But for now, the company must wait patiently for the harsh Canadian winter to loosen its grip on the mountains in British Columbia before any drilling can take place. And with results like these coming back from the assay lab, anticipation at Scottie Resources headquarters must be high indeed.
