Lik partners to explore new zinc target

Solitario Zinc Corp. Feb. 19 announced that Teck American Inc., a subsidiary of Teck Resources Ltd., will manage a 2019 exploration program at Lik, a high-grade zinc project near the Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska.

Solitario acquired a 50 percent interest in Lik through the buyout of Zazu Metals Corp. in 2017. Teck owns the other half of the joint venture property.

Prior to Solitario's purchase, 17.3 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 8.1 percent zinc, 2.7 percent lead and 51 g/t silver; and 2.9 million metric tons of inferred resource at 8.6 percent zinc, 2.6 percent lead and 37 g/t silver had been identified at Lik.

Last year, Solitario and Teck entered into an agreement to explore the property during the 2018 season. This work included mapping and geochemical sampling over the deposit and potential extensions to the northeast; a ground gravity geophysical survey over prospective stratigraphy, mainly on the eastern half of the property; and the selection of core from 19 historically drilled holes for relogging this year.

The partners also refurbished the camp at Lik to support future programs on the property.

Solitario said the reconnaissance geologic mapping and geochemical sampling carried out last year identified a geochemically anomalous area within stratigraphic rock units that host Red Dog District mineralization, as well as pyritic shales at surface, about 1,500 meters north of the Lik deposit.

Although a gravity high is coincident with this area, being referred to as the North Area prospect, Solitario cautions that the geophysical anomaly could also be associated with overlying carbonate rocks or complicated by topographic effects.

During the 2019 field season, Teck and Solitario plan to carry out follow-up geologic mapping and geochemical sampling in the newly identified North Area Prospect.

This year's program will also include multi-element continuous scans of historic core with state-of-the-art X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning technology to further define the Lik deposit's geochemical signature and characterize its distal geochemical halo to potentially vector in on new drill targets.

The JV partners will also complete selective relogging of historic drill core from the Lik deposit to better understand its geologic characteristics.

The 2019 Lik exploration program will be jointly funded by Teck and Solitario and is expected to begin in April and be completed by the end of September.

Solitario said the Lik partners anticipate signing an extension to the 2018 exploration agreement to facilitate the 2019 program within the next 90 days.

–SHANE LASLEY