White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX: WCN) has announced the first batch of assay results from rock chip samples collected during the maiden field programme at the company’s Great Bear Lake Project in northern Canada. These results have confirmed widespread high-grade precious and base metal mineralization associated with multiple IOCG and epithermal systems.
“This initial batch of rock chip assays from Phoenix, the first project area to be sampled due to its proximity to the existing large airstrip at Great Bear, has delivered outstanding initial results. Not only have we confirmed the historical results and sample locations, but we have also expanded the area of known mineralization at the project. This first success gives us great optimism regarding the other four project areas at Great Bear.” Stated Troy Whittaker, managing director.
The helicopter-supported sampling programmes initially focused on priority areas surrounding existing airstrip infrastructure, with the first results received for the Phoenix area. The results have confirmed widespread, high-grade copper, gold, and silver mineralization. Phoenix is a district-scale mineralized region, one of six major project areas sampled within the Great Bear Lake Project in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Initial assays have confirmed historical results and significantly expanded areas of known IOCG and epithermal mineralization. Mineralization has now been identified along more than a 3.4km east-west structural corridor, with extensive IOCG and phyllic characteristics identified along the entire length.
Better results from Phoenix include a 1.1km intensely mineralized east-west structure that returned impressive copper, gold, silver, and cobalt results, including:
- 42.60% Cu, 2.28g/t Au, 159g/t Ag, 0.36% Co (F005437)
- 39.50% Cu, 3.54g/t Au, 181g/t Ag, 0.23% Co (F005436)
- 39.50% Cu, 2.28g/t Au, 131g/t Ag, 0.20% Co (F005435)
- 3.08% Cu, 7.96g/t Au, 310g/t Ag, 0.16% Co (F005434)
- 5.70% Cu, 1.87g/t Au, 96.7g/t Ag (F005438)
A broad outcropping 785 x 460m epithermal alteration zone returned:
- 6.31% Cu, 28.2g/t Ag, 0.468g/t Au, 440 ppm Co (F005688)
- 3.00% Cu, 249g/t Ag, 0.717g/t Au, 888 ppm Co (F005646)
- 3.64% Cu, 4.73g/t Ag, 0.047g/t Au (F005632)
- 2.78% Cu, 25.7g/t Ag, 0.358g/t Au (F005633)
- 1.76% Cu, 1.29g/t Au, 10.1g/t Ag (F005694)
An additional nearby 215m north-south outcropping sulphide-rich quartz vein returned high-grade gold, silver, and copper with the best results of 38.2g/t Au, 76.5g/t Ag, 4.16% Cu (F005424) and 29.7g/t Au, 121g/t Ag, 2.55% Cu (F005426).
Further rock chip assays from the other six initial project areas sampled at Great Bear are expected over the coming weeks following QA/QC review and interpretation.
“This remote and previously underexplored area has turned out to be a much larger metal-rich hydrothermal system than previously thought. Historically seen as a series of sporadic high-grade results, this maiden mapping and sampling programme has confirmed for the first time a continuity and significant lateral extent of the known mineralization. Encouragingly, Phoenix, which is only the first of five project areas we have received assay results for, shows all the necessary characteristics of a major high-grade discovery with two major IOCG hydrothermal systems less than 2km apart with high-grade epithermal mineralization interspersed between these two larger areas and along a total strike length of 3.4km.”
“We anticipate continued assays over the coming month from the balance of work undertaken at Great Bear and I look forward to the release of these as they come to hand. Importantly, this first field programme validates our strategy to pivot to the untapped resources of Canada’s far north, in the ‘scramble for what’s left’. As resource nationalism creates and will continue to create uncertainty over future supply lines, operating in Canada allows us to sleep at night. We are doing what we said we would do – identifying opportunities and delivering results for shareholders.” Added Troy.
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