Snowline Gold Corp. (CSE: SGD) has obtained promising additional preliminary assay results from its 2022 drilling programme at the Valley Zone, Rogue Project, Yukon and reported the commencement of metallurgical testing.
Holes V-22-026 and V-22-027, drilled to the southeast of previously announced holes V-22-014 (285.2m @ 1.45 g/t Au) and V-22-007 (410.0m @ 1.89 g/t Au), extend the strike length of the near-surface, well-mineralized corridor at Valley by 172m to at least 550m (open).
V-22-027 returned the longest mineralized intersection seen at Valley to date, with potential for higher grades immediately above this hole based on nearby results. Assays remain pending for 6,003m of the 2022 Rogue drill programme.
“Each round of Valley drill results has increased not just to the known extent of mineralization at the target, but to our understanding of its geology and the geometry of its highest-grade zones,” CEO and Director, Scott Berdahl, said.
“The most robust and consistent mineralization we have seen so far at Valley begins in a broad zone at surface, lending itself to promising potential economics for the project, and reducing the drill metres required to advance the discovery.
“We eagerly await remaining 2022 drill assay results that will shed additional light on this substantial gold discovery. Our current metallurgical program will provide additional value in outlining gold recoverability, an important milestone as the project moves forward.”
Mr Berdahl said visual results indicate the presence of a large central zone within the broader Valley intrusion bearing higher vein densities. Initial analytical results for this zone consistently carry unusually high grades for a reduced intrusion-related gold system.
HOLE V-22-026
Hole V-22-026 was collared within the Valley intrusion, along strike with the intrusion’s well-mineralized corridor and 172m from the collar site for V-22-014 (285.2m @1.45g/t Au including 128.2m @2.48 g/t Au.
The hole encountered moderate to dense quartz veins and abundant visible gold in its upper sections, returning 1.25 g/t Au over 189.2m from bedrock surface at 10.8m depth, within a broader interval returning 0.90 g/t Au over 289.7m. The hole cut through the western margin of the intrusion and entered lightly mineralized (generally <0.1 g/t Au, with local hits up to 0.34 g/t Au over 1.5m) hornfels at 314.8m downhole.
The hole extends the known strike length of broad, near-surface, gram to multiple gram per tonne gold mineralization at Valley to >550m from mineralization encountered in 2021 drilling. This zone of mineralization remains open in multiple directions.
As with previous holes at Valley, gold grades are carried across broad intervals, and they are not heavily affected by local high-grade (>10 g/t Au) intersections.
HOLE V-22-027
Hole V-22-027 was collared in the Valley intrusion as a step back to the northeast to test the well-mineralized central corridor between holes V-22-014 and V-22-026 at depth. The hole encountered widespread light to dense quartz vein mineralization from surface bearing bismuthinite and visible gold, before exiting the western boundary of the intrusion into hornfels at 594m downhole depth.
Analytical results for the top 551m of 677m total have been received at this time. Local zones of up to 1.90 g/t Au over 51.0m (from 268.5m downhole) were encountered, within a wide zone of moderate to strong mineralization averaging 1.01 g/t Au across 250.0m from 102.0m downhole.
More broadly, mineralization at grades >0.1 g/t Au is nearly continuous from 11.5m to 493.0m downhole, averaging 0.69 g/t Au over the 481.5m interval and making for the longest continuously mineralized intersection (no gaps >4.5m at <0.1 g/t Au) at the bulk tonnage Valley deposit to date. Local zones of mineralization occur below this interval, and the company awaits analytical results for the final 126 m of the hole.
Results from surrounding holes, including V-22-007 and V-22-014, suggest that the trace of V-22-027 would have passed underneath the southwestern extension of the near-surface, multiple-gram-per-tonne gold zone encountered in those holes. Drilling in 2023 will test shallower parts of this area.
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