Constantine, Dowa to test new high-grade prospects at Palmer

Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. April 12 announced plans for 7,000 meters of drilling this year at the Palmer project, Alaska in Southeast Alaska. This will mark the first program under the newly formed joint venture between Constantine (51 percent) and Dowa Metals & Mining Alaska Ltd (49 percent).

The partners have developed a new multi-year plan for Palmer that includes exploration for new resources across the district-scale property, as well as expanding and upgrading the current inferred copper-zinc polymetallic resource of 8.1 million metric tons grading 12.6 percent zinc-equivalent.

The joint venture has budgeted US$7 million for this year's program, the majority of which will be invested in exploration drilling across the wider property.

Palmer is host to numerous high-quality prospects with large hydrothermal alteration zones and high-grade base and precious metal mineralization exposed at surface - most of which have never been drilled.

Property-wide airborne geophysical surveying, geological mapping and prospecting work are also included in the summer exploration plans.

"This is the first drill program of any real size to test property-wide targets and will also be the first airborne electromagnetic survey to be flown over the entire property. Meanwhile, we continue to systematically advance the exploration and assessment of the high-grade RW and South Wall zones," said Constantine President and CEO Garfield MacVeigh.

The work at the resource area - RW and South Wall zones - is expected to include drilling, road construction, engineering and environmental studies, and evaluation of a potential exploration drift for the purpose of continued expansion and drill definition on the deeper portion of the existing resource.

Program start-up is scheduled for early June.

-SHANE LASLEY