The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Underground rigs grow deposits; surface drills test Lil'Sore North of 60 Mining News – September 17, 2021
Hecla's 2021 drilling at Greens Creek is expected to replace the reserves mined from this high-grade silver mine in Alaska.
Hecla Mining Company Sept. 14 announced that drilling at its Greens Creek silver mine in Southeast Alaska is on track to replenish the roughly 10 million ounces of silver expected to be mined from reserves this year and is confirming growth areas well beyond the deposit.
"At Greens Creek, both underground and surface drilling are giving results that should lead to reserve replacement and additional drilling in the Lil'Sore area," said Hecla Mining President and CEO Phillips Baker, Jr.
Two underground core rigs are focused on upgrading and expanding resources in the Upper Plate, 9A, and Northwest West zones of the underground silver mine.
Upper Plate drilling targeted the southern portion of the zone along 100 feet of strike length and expands mineralization to the west and to the south. Highlights from this drilling include an 8.1-foot (2.5 meters) averaging 28.29 ounces per ton silver, 0.01 oz/ton gold, 4.69% zinc, and 2.77% lead within a zone of multiple tight folds.
Drilling in the 9A Zone targeted the southern portion of the zone along 150 feet of strike length. One hole drilled here cut 24.3 feet (7.4 meters) averaging 20.1 oz/ton silver, 0.08 oz/ton gold, 9.83% zinc, and 6.09% lead. A second hole cut six feet (1.8 meters) averaging 40.81 oz/ton silver, 0.14 oz/ton gold, 3.96% zinc, and 1.51% lead.
Northwest West drilling focused on the northern portion of the zone along 150 feet of strike length and expands mineralization to the north. Highlights from this drilling include 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) averaging 24.99 oz/ton silver, 0.1 oz/ton gold, 3.89% zinc, and 1.76% lead over 11.5 feet at the targeted horizon.
In addition to the underground resource drilling, two surface rigs began drill testing the Lil'Sore trend target, which is located three miles northwest of the mine.
The second 2021 hole at Lil'Sore cut four zones of mineralized footwall rocks that Hecla says is consistent with volcanogenic massive sulfide feeder zone stringer style of mineralization. These intercepts include 6.6 feet (two meters) of mineralized sericite phyllite averaging 0.6 oz/ton silver, 12.2% zinc, and 0.8% copper; and 3.3 feet (one meter) of massive fine-grained base metal sulfide and mineralized chloritic rock averaging 1.7 oz/ton silver, 4.4% zinc, and 6.6% copper.
Hecla says these copper- and zinc-rich intercepts at Lil'Sore are hosted in footwall rocks showing a fertile feeder stockwork zone. As the entire stratigraphic package has been overturned after mineralization, these results indicate potential for a mineralized mine contact at depth or laterally.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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