The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Mining Explorers 2021 - January 27, 2022
Covering a trend of volcanogenic massive sulfide gold mineralization between Seabridge Gold Corp.'s KSM project to the east and Garibaldi Resources Corp.'s Nickel Mountain project to the west, Eskay Mining Corp.'s namesake project lies at the heart of some of the richest real estate in British Columbia's Golden Triangle.
And a roughly 23,500-meter drill program carried out by Eskay during 2021 indicates that this 52,000-hectare (128,500 acres) property is as well mineralized as its address suggests it could be.
Much of this program focused on expanding Eskay Creek-like VMS mineralization at TV and Jeff, which were first drilled by the company in 2020.
Some of the better intercepts from the 2020 drilling at TV include 10.1 meters averaging 4.17 grams per metric ton gold and 40.2 g/t silver; 17.5 meters averaging 2.58 g/t gold and 58.7 g/t silver; and 29.9 meters averaging 3.18 g/t gold and 25.7 g/t silver.
Highlights from the 2020 drilling at Jeff include 24.6 meters averaging 1.54 g/t gold and 31.3 g/t silver; 35.5 meters averaging 9.5 g/t gold and 70 g/t silver in J20-33; and 50.4 meters averaging 1.13 g/t gold and 43.5 g/t silver.
Located about 2,000 meters apart, TV and Jeff were previously considered as separate systems, but geophysical data indicates that they may be connected and part of a larger system.
The 2021 drill program has added credence to this theory.
One of the final holes drilled before a mid-September snowstorm brought an earlier than planned end to Eskay's 2021 program, cut an impressive 86 meters of replacement-style sulfide mineralization about 300 meters north of TV, and 1,700 meters south of Jeff.
Eskay says the mineralization in this hole corresponds closely to one of several discrete geophysical anomalies occurring between TV and Jeff, adding to the mounting evidence that these deposits are part of a larger mineralized system.
Late season drilling also discovered exhalative massive sulfide mineralization at the top of what is now recognized as an extensive feeder system at TV.
The company says several holes cut sulfide minerals such as pyrite and sphalerite in this horizon. Much like the hole between TV and Jeff, this newly discovered horizon corresponds closely to a discrete conductive electromagnetic geophysical anomaly. Eskay says multiple drill holes encountered long intercepts of intense stockwork feeder mineralization below this massive sulfide body.
A second, lower massive sulfide body discovered in 2020 was explored further in 2021 and is located at a distinct older seafloor position than the upper massive sulfide body. Eskay says these findings confirm that TV is a stacked VMS deposit similar to those in the Noranda Camp, Quebec.
"Discovery of massive sulfide mineralization atop the TV VMS system and sulfide mineralization in between TV and Jeff are a great way to end the drill season," said Quinton Hennigh, a director and technical advisor to Eskay Mining.
Late season drilling at C10, a target about eight kilometers (five miles) south of TV, encountered the same rocks that host the gold-silver deposits at Skeena Resources Ltd.'s Eskay Creek gold-silver mine project about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) to the north.
Several holes also cut broad sections of base metal enriched massive sulfide mineralization at Vermillion, a discovery east of C10.
In addition to the drilling, groundwork at Scarlet Ridge (previously known as New York) confirms that this area several kilometers northeast of Jeff hosts extensive rhyolite-hosted VMS mineralization over a strike length of at least 1,500 meters.
Despite snowstorms cutting the season short, the 23,500 meters of drilling in 98 holes represents 78% of the targeted 30,000 meters of drilling originally planned.
Like all projects in Alaska and northern Canada, the turnaround time for Eskay Mining drill results from assay labs is slow due to an extremely active exploration season; restrictions and protocols related to COVID; and a chronic shortage of labor, especially at sample preparation facilities.
As of Aug. 31, 2021, Eskay Mining held 23.7 million shares of Garibaldi Resources, or a roughly 19.5% stake in the company exploring the Nickel Mountain project on the northeast side of the Eskay property.
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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