The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News – April 26, 2024
Seabridge plans to complete roughly 15,000 meters of drilling to test for deeper porphyry copper-gold mineralization at its Iskut project in B.C.'s Golden Triangle.
Seabridge Gold Inc. April 23 reported that it is gearing up for a roughly 15,000-meter drill program at its Iskut porphyry copper-gold project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle.
Iskut shows all the signs of hosting large porphyry copper deposits similar to Seabridge's world-class KSM mine project, which lies about 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the east.
The 1980s-era Johnny Mountain mine produced gold, silver, and copper from high-grade skarn mineralization.
The Bronson Slope target adjacent to Johnny Mountain hosts 187 million metric tons of measured and indicated resource averaging 0.36 grams per metric ton gold and 0.12% copper, based on drilling carried out prior to Seabridge's 2016 acquisition of the Iskut property.
Over the previous two years, Seabridge has expanded upon the mineralization at Bronson Slope. Highlights from 2022 and 2023 drilling at this deposit include:
• 88.5 meters averaging 0.7 g/t gold, 0.28% copper, and 4.1 g/t silver in hole SGS-22-05.
• 10 meters averaging 6.36 g/t gold, 0.02% copper, and 4.7 g/t silver in hole SBS-23-11.
• 437.3 meters averaging 0.36 g/t gold, 0.03% copper, and 6.1 g/t silver in hole SBS-23-17.
• 551.8 meters averaging 0.36 g/t gold, 0.02% copper, and 2.6 g/t silver in hole SBS-23-18.
• 252 meters averaging 0.87 g/t gold, 0.02% copper, and 29.2 g/t silver in hole SBS-23-19.
• 320.4 meters averaging 0.49 g/t gold, 0.03% copper, and 3.1 g/t silver in hole SBS-23-21.
The company cut similar mineralization during its 2023 drilling at the nearby Snip North deposit. Highlights include:
• 252 meters averaging 0.61 g/t gold, 0.07% copper, and 1.36 g/t silver in hole SN-23-04.
• 277 meters averaging 0.8 g/t gold, 0.07% copper, and 1.19 g/t silver in hole SN-23-05.
• 201.1 meters averaging 0.48 g/t gold, 0.02% copper, and 2.41 g/t silver in hole SN-23-06.
The mineralization drilled at Bronson North and Snip North targets are interpreted to be high-level expressions of intrusive-related porphyry mineralization.
"Last year we discovered extensive gold-dominated epithermal-style mineralization that is consistent with the upper parts of significant porphyry copper-gold mineral systems," said Seabridge Gold Chairman Rudi Fronk. "The expansion of the Bronson Slope mineral resource and the new discoveries at Snip North have given us clear direction on where to focus our efforts."
Regional geophysical surveys and surface geology have confirmed a district-scale structural corridor that connects the Quartz Rise, Bronson Slope and Snip North targets. These targets have only recently seen deep drilling, and 2024 is planned to better evaluate their deeper porphyry potential.
"These intrusive targets appear to be embedded in a district-scale structural trend that is reminiscent of our KSM deposits and this year's work is dedicated to realizing the porphyry potential we had in mind when we acquired the Iskut project," Fronk continued.
Seabridge has budgeted C$12 million (US$8.8 million) for the 2024 exploration program at Iskut.
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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