Benz Mining Corp. June 21 said it plans to complete up to 8,000 meters of drilling this year at its Mel zinc-lead-barite property in southeastern Yukon.

The primary objective of this program is to confirm and expand a resource estimate calculated for Mel in March.

According to this estimate, the main zone at Mel hosts 5.28 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 6.51 percent zinc, 1.86 percent lead and 45 percent barite.

"The main goals are to confirm the continuity of grades and widths of mineralization within the Mel Main zone and to demonstrate areas with potential to expand the current resource, and secondarily to identify other targets within the property," said Benz Vice President of Exploration Michael Gareau.

Slated to start mid-July, the initial phase of the company's 2017 program at Mel will include soil sampling, mapping, and excavator trenching designed to identify targets for 3,000 meters of drilling expected to start in August.

Depending on the results from the first to phases, the company will drill another 5,000 meters this fall.

-SHANE LASLEY