Dolly Varden Silver Corp. continued to expand deposits of high-grade silver at its Dolly Varden project during 2017.

The deposits identified on this property exhibit both Eskay-like volcanogenic massive sulfide and Brucejack-like epithermal mineralization styles.

In 2015, Dolly Varden published a maiden indicated resource of 3.07 million metric tons averaging 321.6 grams per metric ton (31.8 million ounces) silver in four zones - Dolly Varden, North Star, Torbrit and Wolf.

The company started off with a 5,000-meter drill program for 2017, targeting extensions of these zones.

Drilling along the southwestern edge of Torbit cut 9.89 meters true thickness averaging 514.3 g/t silver in the deposit's Lower zone.

Drilling from the north side of the Dolly Varden deposit area cut even longer and higher grade silver intercepts as well as zones richer in base metals.

One such hole, DV17-048, cut three mineralized structures.

The upper structure returned 12.26 meters true thickness averaging 701.8 g/t silver, 1.05 percent zinc and 0.36 percent lead.

The middle zone yielded 19.6 meters true thickness grading 107.1 g/t silver, 3.52 percent zinc and 1.3 percent lead.

The lower zone returned 11.56 meters true thickness averaging 30.3 g/t silver and 1.6 percent zinc.

DV17-058, which discovered a new zone of mineralization dubbed Moose zone, cut 13.19 meters true thickness averaging 269 g/t silver.

DV17-063, drilled about mid-way between the Dolly Varden and Torbit deposits, confirmed the high-grade Moose zone.

Hole 63 cut 7.07 meters true thickness of 394.2 g/t silver and 2.27 percent lead in the Moose zone; and 21.37 meters true thickness of 433.33 g/t silver in the Torbit North zone.

Completing a C$5.7 million financing in September, Dolly Varden expanded its 2017 drill program to 12,000 meters, more than double the 5,000 meters originally planned for the year.

Dolly Varden also owns Big Bulk, a copper-gold prospect about 10 kilometers (six miles) southeast of the company's namesake project. In March, Dolly Varden and Hecla Mining Co. partnered to carry out an airborne geophysical survey covering Big Bulk copper-gold project and Hecla's neighboring Kinskuch silver project.

A Canadian subsidiary of Hecla owns roughly 12 percent of Dolly Varden's issued and outstanding shares.

-SHANE LASLEY