Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQX: BNCHF) has obtained strong new results from infill and expansion drilling at the Dukes Ridge Deposit.
The highlight intersection was 57.00 m of core length of 1.72 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 64.41 g/t silver or 2.52 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq), including 9.06 m of 6.87 g/t gold and 182.72 g/t silver or 9.16 g/t AuEq in drill hole 22DRDD022.
Benchmark’s flagship Lawyers Gold-Silver Project is located within a road accessible region of the prolific Golden Horseshoe area of north-central British Columbia, Canada.
These drill results have extended known mineralisation to >170 m below the existing 2021 mineral resource estimate (MRE) pit-shell to over 325 m vertical depth from surface.
The Dukes Ridge Deposit remains a significant potential source for additional gold-silver ounces at Lawyers, as drill-indicated high-grade shoots within intervals of bulk-tonnage mineralisation continue to accumulate with each phase of drilling outside of the pit shell generated via the 2021 MRE.
The company has completed a +16,000 m infill and expansion drilling programme at the Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge, and AGB deposits and at the Marmot Lake area.
John Williamson, CEO, commented, “Dukes Ridge continues to deliver strong drill results and the continuity of high-grade mineralisation to depth is well below the existing 2021 resource pit-shell. We expect Dukes to contribute additional gold-silver ounces to the Project with continued drilling. The Dukes Deposit has sparse historical drilling relative to the AGB and Cliff Creek Deposits and this provides an opportunity to deliver more gold and silver. The imminent updated Mineral Resource Estimate will include these latest results from Dukes, and we are excited to see what these results contribute to the resource.”
Highlights
Targeted drilling of plunging high-grade mineralisation below the 2021 MRE pit-shell has yielded 9.06 m of 6.87 g/t Au and 182.72 g/t Ag, or 9.16 g/t AuEq, within a broader interval grading 1.72 g/t Au and 64.41 g/t Ag, or 2.52 g/t AuEq over 57.00 metres in hole 22DRDD022.
- High-grade zones within broad bulk-tonnage zones akin to mineralisation at Cliff Creek:
- 0.37 m of 65.60 g/t Au and 2600.00 g/t Ag or 98.00 g/t AuEq, and 2.52 m of 18.26 g/t Au and 552.85 g/t Ag or 25.17 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.17 g/t Au, 78.14 g/t Ag or 3.15 g/t AuEq over 38.22 metres in hole 22DRDD026.
- m of 9.43 g/t Au and 34.20 g/t Ag or 9.86 g/t AuEq, and 1.00 m of 6.41 g/t Au and 62.40 g/t Ag or 7.19 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 0.93 g/t Au, 8.46 g/t Ag or 1.04 g/t AuEq over 41.33 metres in hole 22DRD019.
These results confirm the validity and accuracy of geological modelling, with planned holes intersecting strong mineralization where expected.
Dukes Ridge Deposit
The Dukes Ridge Deposit accounted for 109,000 Indicated AuEq ounces in the 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate, with many of the gold-silver ounces beginning at or near-surface. The mineralised dimensions at Dukes now exceed 850 metres strike length and 325 vertical metres depth, and significant expansion potential exists as mineralisation remains open to the north, south, and at depth. Continuity of mineralisation to depth at Dukes is excellent, and the upcoming update to the MRE will include these latest drill results.
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