High-grade zinc, lead, silver, and potential byproduct critical minerals point to further resource growth at Macpass.

Fireweed Metals Corp. Oct. 30 announced a new batch of assays from this year's drill program at its Macpass zinc-lead-silver project in Yukon, Canada, reporting high-grade intersections that highlight the potential for a substantial increase in the overall tonnage at Boundary Zone.

Located approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Ross River and 223 kilometers (139 miles) east of Mayo, Macpass is a road-accessible project encompassing 977 square kilometers (377 square miles) that covers a roughly 55-kilometer (34 miles) trend of zinc, lead, silver, and copper mineralization in the under-explored terrain along the Macmillan-Hess fault corridor, adjacent to the Northwest Territories border.

In early September, Fireweed released an updated mineral resource estimate for the Macmillan Pass project, which marked a 300% increase in zinc-equivalent indicated resources.

Split between its Tom, Jason, Boundary, and End Zone targets, MacPass now hosts 56 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 5.49% (6.78 billion pounds) zinc, 1.58% (1.95 billion lb) lead, and 24.2 grams per metric ton (43.54 million ounces) silver; plus 48.49 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 5.15% (5.5 billion lb) zinc, 2.08% (2.23 billion lb) lead, and 25.3 g/t (39.42 million oz) silver.

Following the completion of a substantial 2023 drill program, Fireweed planned an ambitious exploration program for this year, aiming to drill 14,000 meters across its Macpass project. With 8,000 meters allocated for Boundary, Tom, and Jason and the remaining 6,000 meters focused on testing new exploration targets, the company sought to expand its known resources and identify new zones of mineralization.

As the 2024 exploration season progressed, Fireweed expanded its original plans, surpassing the initial 14,000 meters to more than 17,000. This included additional step-out holes that extended mineralization at three more advanced deposits, as well as the first tests of new prospects identified through geophysical surveys conducted earlier in the year.

Wrapping up field work late last month, the company made significant strides at its more advanced deposits, including Tom, Jason, and Boundary. Early results from this drilling revealed high-grade zinc, lead, and silver mineralization beyond the existing resource boundaries, particularly at Boundary, where step-out drilling extended mineralization by 45 meters outside the previously defined pit shell. Highlights from the first two holes reported include:

• 92.15 meters averaging 8.61% zinc, 2.6% lead, and 42.7 g/t silver from a depth of 428.05 meters in hole NB24-001, including 11.21 meters averaging 21.4% zinc, 6.66% lead, and 107.6 g/t silver.

• 3.05 meters averaging 2.23% zinc, 6.16% lead, and 80.3 g/t silver from 764.73 meters in NB24-008.

Cross-section at Boundary Zone showing recent high-grade intersections from holes NB24-014 and NB24-024, highlighting stratiform and massive sulfide mineralization along its main fault and ramp fault.

Receiving the next batch of holes from Boundary, Fireweed Metals reported significant results from an additional nine drill holes; highlights include:

• 54.58 meters (31 meters estimated true width) averaging 8.68% zinc, 3.68% lead, and 87.4 g/t silver from a depth of 311.5 meters in hole NB24-014, including 26.08 meters (15 meters true width) averaging 13.15% zinc, 6.35% lead, and 139.9 g/t silver.

• 19.73 meters (15 meters true width) averaging 9.4% zinc, 1.07% lead, and 49.7 g/t silver from a depth of 383.5 meters in hole NB24-024, including 10.79 meters (eight meters true width) averaging 13.39% zinc, 1.3% lead, and 70 g/t silver.

• 106.85 meters averaging 4.61% zinc, 0.52% lead, and 11.88 g/t silver from a depth of 146.95 meters in hole NB24-014, including 16.32 meters averaging 9.98% zinc, 0.28% lead, and 17 g/t silver.

The true width estimates are designed to offer a clearer measure of the actual thickness of mineralization within the deposit, providing a better understanding of its size and extent.

In addition to the appreciable zinc, lead, and silver results, significant concentrations of germanium and gallium were also identified within the sphalerite mineralization encountered in these holes, indicating potential critical mineral byproducts at Boundary Zone.

"Boundary zone continues to grow, delivering high-grade step-out intersections outside of the recently announced Mineral Resource of stratiform sulphide mineralization, along with notable vein and replacement mineralization," said Fireweed Metals President and CEO Peter Hemstead. "Step-out results from hole NB24-024 confirm significant extensions of the high-grade Upper Zone towards the East and down dip."

The infill drilling at Boundary Zone not only confirmed the continuity of mineralization but also unveiled a previously less defined area dubbed the "Prime Zone," which hosts massive sulfide mineralization.

These results suggest a potential thickening of high-grade mineralization, improving both grade and tonnage beyond the current resource estimates. The delineation of this zone underscores the possibility of further resource growth, particularly with the promising grades revealed in hole NB24-014, where infill drilling exceeded earlier projections.

"Additionally, infill drilling at the massive sulphide Prime Zone, including hole NB24-014, has delineated greater thicknesses and higher grades of this zone than those estimated in our current mineral resource," added Hemstead. "These results show great potential for a material increase in the high-grade tonnage at Boundary Zone."

With 17,740 meters drilled across 49 holes throughout its property this season, Fireweed still awaits assays from 32 remaining holes, which are expected to further delineate the mineral potential at Boundary Zone and other targets within Macpass.