Fireweed Zinc cuts first copper discovery

Fireweed Zinc Ltd. Nov. 18 reported significant copper mineralization encountered in a step-out hole drilled in the Boundary Zone at Macmillan Pass, bringing a new metal into play at this zinc-rich project in eastern Yukon.

A road-accessible project next to the Northwest Territories border, the 940-square-kilometer (363 square miles) Macmillan Pass property covers a 55-kilometer (34 miles) trend of potential zinc-lead-silver and now copper mineralization.

First drilled in 2019, the Boundary Zone has since been found to have three distinct zones of zinc, lead, and silver, including a newly discovered zone of high-grade laminated stratiform mineralization similar in style to two other deposits on the property just 15-road-kilometers (nine miles) to the east – Tom and Jason.

To date, 11.2 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 6.59% (1.63 billion pounds) zinc, 2.48% (620 million lb) lead, and 21.33 grams per metric ton (7.7 million ounces) silver; plus 39.5 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 5.84% (5.08 billion lb) zinc, 3.14% (2.73 billion lb) lead, and 38.15 g/t (48.4 million oz) silver have been outlined in the Tom and Jason deposits.

In addition to the zinc, lead, and silver typical for Macmillan Pass, this year's drilling has now intersected a new copper-rich style of mineralization at Boundary.

Drilled as a down-dip step-out to the known zinc mineralization at Boundary Main, hole NB21-005 cut two meters averaging 1.54% copper, 5.42% zinc, 0.04% lead, and 5.6 g/t silver.

At a depth of 110 meters, NB21-005 cut 203 meters averaging 2.35% zinc, 0.01% lead, and 4.6 g/t silver. This longer intercept included a 34.45-meter higher grade section averaging 4.61% zinc, 0.01% lead, and 8.9 g/t silver.

The copper-rich intersection is located at a vertical depth of only 60 meters from surface, with NB21-005 confirming a large width for the zone of zinc mineralization that was originally intersected in down-dip hole NB20-002, a 2020 hole that cut three zones of zinc-silver mineralization.

"These intriguing drill results show a new style of mineralization and brings copper into the mix at Boundary Zone. This is an encouraging sign of the system becoming hotter as we continue to expand the known zone of mineralization with more and more step-outs," said Fireweed Zinc CEO Brandon Macdonald. "This is the first discovery of meaningful copper grades in core at the Macmillan Pass project and we are excited to follow up on this new style of copper-zinc mineralization in the coming drill programs."

Boundary Zone has now been tested to a vertical depth of approximately 350 meters with mineralization remaining open at depth.