Minto Metals Corp. (TSXV:MNTO) has received high-grade final results from its 2022 exploration drilling programne at the Minto Mine located within the Selkirk First Nation’s Territory in central Yukon, Canada.
Drill hole 22EXP058 cut 11.40% Copper (Cu), 0.51 grams per tonne (g/t) Gold (Au), 43.93g/t Silver (Ag) over 4.00 metres (m) at approximately 100m vertical depth in a newly discovered mineralized zone between the Minto North and Main open pits.
Highlights:
Hole 22EXP053: 2.19% Cu, 0.24g/t Au, 14.02g/t Ag over 7.31m at approximately 450m vertical depth and 150m north-west of the Minto Main pit;
Hole 22EXP055: 1.66% Cu, 1.31g/t Au, 12.10g/t Ag over 1.24m at approximately 250m vertical depth and immediately south of the Minto North II orebody; and
Hole 22EXP057: 1.33% Cu, 0.35g/t Au, 19.22g/t Ag over 3.12m at approximately 300m vertical depth and 200m north of the Minto Main pit;
“We are very pleased with the results from the last batch of drilling and assays returned. The high-grade mineralization reported for drill hole 22EXP053 are some of the highest grade copper assays returned in the history of exploration at the Minto Mine,” Vice-President Exploration, David Benson, said.
“Drill holes 22EXP053 and 22EXP058 were drilled in an area of complex geology between the Minto North and Minto Main Pit testing geophysical anomalies at depth below the “Inferno” prospect, a near-surface, undefined prospect.
“The 2022 exploration drilling campaign is now complete and we consider it a great success with the discovery and confirmation of two new mineralized zones (Minto North West and Minto East 150 Deep) and numerous other very significant mineralized intersections, as reported in 2022-2023. Future drill campaigns will be designed to follow up on Minto West and Minto East.”
In 2022, Minto completed 53 holes for 28,438m. Previous results for 2022 were reported in press releases dated April 28, 2022, October 20, 2022, February 2, 2023 and February 28, 2023.
As with previous drilling, all drill holes reported here intersected typical Minto-style, stacked, lensoidal mineralization of varying thickness and sulphide content. Mineralized host rocks (quartzo-feldspathic migmatite and gneiss) and sulphide speciation (bornite and chalcopyrite) are consistent in all holes reported with a direct correlation between sulphide content, speciation and Cu grade.
Drill hole 22EXP058 was drilled testing a chargeability anomaly between 100m and 300m below surface. The hole intersected semi-massive bornite with stringer and blebby chalcopyrite over 4m.
The core of the high-grade mineralization included continuous individual assays of 25.5% Cu over 0.5 m, 38.27% Cu over 0.75m and 4.37% Cu over 0.84m. The former first two assay results were among the 99th percentile of drill hole assays that exist in the extensive Minto diamond drill hole database.
This new zone occurs immediately to the east and less than 100m below the near-surface Inferno prospect, occurs along a prominent northwest-trending geophysical lineament and remains open to the south-southeast. Spatially, this mineralized interval occurs approximately 450m south of planned development at Minto North II and 300m north of the Minto Main open pit.
Drill hole 22EXP053 was drilled to follow-up on mineralization intersected in drill hole 21EXP007 of 1.15% Cu over 6m. Two mineralized zones were intersected: 1) from 395.43m downhole, 8.41m of 1.07% Cu; and 2) 2.19% Cu over 7.31m from 478.21m downhole.
The upper interval, spatially, appears to be the SW continuation of the mineralized zone intersected in 21EXP007. The lower interval appears to be a new lens approximately 80m below the upper mineralized zone. Both mineralized zones appear open along strike to the south-southwest towards the Minto Main Pit.
Outlook
The company continues working with ALS Goldspot Discoveries on 3D geology modelling and 2D/3D prospectivity targeting for the Minto Mine site property. Preliminary machine learning generated lithological modelling, structural interpretation and 2D prospectivity results have been reviewed and the company has authorised Goldspot to integrate these results for final 3D prospectivity and targeting.
For further information please visit: https://mintometals.com/
