The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Mining Explorers 2024 - January 15, 2025
Blue Star Gold targeted 10 high-quality exploration zones across its Ulu, Hood River, and Roma properties for extensive examination during its 2024 exploration campaign.
Focused on unlocking the vast untapped mineral potential of Nunavut's High Lake Greenstone Belt, Blue Star Gold Corp. had a productive 2024, employing a balanced yet targeted exploration strategy that prioritized both breadth and precision to uncover new deposits while advancing known resources across its extensive landholdings.
"Our 2024 campaign leverages the results of a very successful 2023 program," said Blue Star CEO Grant Ewing. "Our large pipeline of high-quality targets has been refined as we prepare for the upcoming season."
Among the highlights of 2023 was an updated mineral resource estimate for the Flood and Gnu zones on the Ulu property. This calculation outlined 2.54 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 7.02 g/t (572,000 ounces) gold, along with 1.28 million metric tons of inferred resources averaging 7.34 g/t (303,000 ounces) gold.
As for the large pipeline of high-quality targets that have been prepared, 10 distinct exploration zones across Blue Star's Ulu, Hood River, and Roma properties, which together span over 45 kilometers (28 miles) of the High Lake Greenstone Belt in western Nunavut, were targeted for more extensive examination.
Exploration targets on the Ulu-Hood River properties include Mikigon, Central Zone, South Nutaaq, North Nutaaq, South Zone-Twilight, Rhonda, and Zebra – all of which are slated for exploration to expand known resources and identify new mineralization.
At the Roma property, another three targets – H101 Prospect, Marble Fold, and Roma D – offer additional opportunities for gold and critical mineral discoveries, further highlighting Blue Star's comprehensive and strategic exploration approach.
"Over the next few weeks our team will finalize preparation of several high-priority drill targets, with diamond drills scheduled to mobilize shortly after," said Ewing. "The emphasis of the upcoming drill program will be to evaluate high-potential gold targets that lie in close proximity to existing infrastructure, including the Mikigon and Central targets, and to assess our high-grade Flood deposit for resource expansion potential."
As the season progressed, initial data from fieldwork and geophysical surveys began to provide valuable insights into Blue Star's exploration targets.
Mapping, prospecting, and induced polarization (IP) surveys across targets such as Mikigon and the Central Zone revealed promising structural trends, while early results reinforced the potential for both resource expansion and new discoveries at these high-priority areas.
Following this, Blue Star shifted its focus to advancing drill-ready targets and prioritizing areas with the highest potential for significant discoveries.
By mid-year, diamond drills were mobilized to the Ulu-Hood River properties, with the Mikigon and Central Zone targets taking center stage due to their proximity to existing infrastructure and previous high-grade sample results.
Simultaneously, geophysical surveys at South Zone-Twilight and North Nutaaq refined the structural interpretations of these targets, revealing previously undetected features that could host new mineralization.
Over at the Roma property, groundwork and electromagnetic surveys at H101 Prospect and Marble Fold prepared the foundation for drill testing, marking a crucial step in the company's broader strategy to expand its portfolio of gold and critical mineral resources.
Soon enough, Blue Star began analyzing drilling results from its 2024 campaign, with standout performances from Nutaaq at the Ulu project and the Ataani discovery at Roma.
At Nutaaq, drilling confirmed higher-grade gold mineralization, including a 17.3-meter intercept averaging 2.6 g/t gold, with a higher-grade section of one meter at 23.5 g/t gold; surface sampling further supported this potential, returning grades as high as 23 g/t gold.
Over at Roma, follow-up drilling at Ataani unveiled a mix of copper, gold, and silver mineralization, highlighted by 26.9 meters averaging 0.42% copper, 0.1 g/t gold, and 10.93 g/t silver. The discovery of a massive sulfide lens and associated mineralization pointed to the potential for a larger, multi-lens system, reinforcing the property's promise for critical mineral and gold resources.
Additionally, the inaugural drilling at Zebra near the Flood Zone at Ulu yielded promising results with one drill hole intersecting 3.6 meters averaging 1.73 g/t gold, while surface sampling returned grades as high as 28.1 g/t gold. These findings suggest Zebra could evolve into a significant contributor to Blue Star's resource base.
As the season concluded, Blue Star turned its focus toward integrating extensive field data and refining geological models. With a pipeline of promising targets and new discoveries, the company is well-positioned to expand its resource portfolio during the 2025 campaign, further advancing its vision of unlocking Nunavut's vast mineral potential.
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