North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

Cantex Mine Development Corp. Oct. 29 reported spectacular zinc-lead-silver results from this year's drilling at the aptly named Massive Sulphide zone on the company's North Rackla property in the Yukon.

The zinc and lead grades for some of the samples from five of the holes drilled were so high – exceeding 30 percent zinc and 20 percent lead – that they topped the limits of the assay methods used.

These five holes were drilled in Extension zone, which is a section of Massive Sulphide zone. Drilling completed by Cantex in 2016 encountered zinc-lead-copper-silver-manganese mineralization in heavily weathered rock near the surface. The five holes drilled there this year cut higher grades in deeper fresh sulfide mineralization.

Hole YKDD18-012 cut two mineralized intervals. The highest grade intercept was 13 meters averaging 15.86 percent zinc, 7.85 percent lead and 150.6 grams per metric ton silver. A five-meter section of this intercept averaged 29.68 percent zinc, 13.39 percent lead and 277.8 g/t silver.

YKDD18-013 cut three mineralized intervals. The most significant was 12.37 meters of 16.96 percent zinc, 6.04 percent lead and 158 g/t silver. A five-meter section of this intercept averaged 29.2 percent zinc, 7.43 percent lead and 207.5 g/t silver.

Hole YKDD18-014 intersected two mineralized intervals. One of these intervals was 22 meters averaging 10.27 percent zinc, 6.74 percent lead and 122.6 g/t silver. Two higher grade two-meter zones within this intercept averaged 30 percent zinc, 6.93 percent lead and 158 g/t silver; and 13.73 percent zinc, 18.03 percent lead and 475.5 g/t silver, respectively.

YKDD18-015 cut a nine-meter interval averaging 9.87 percent zinc, 5.37 percent lead and 67.2 g/t silver.

Hole YKDD18-016 contained two mineralized intervals two meters apart. The most significant was 8.63 meters of 16.66 percent zinc, 10.19 percent lead and 142.1 g/t silver.

Every hole contained samples which exceeded the upper limit of the assay technique of 20 percent for lead or 30 percent for zinc. These samples are presently being re-assayed using titration, a method capable of analyzing up to 50 percent zinc and 70 percent lead.

With the results from this analysis pending, Cantex considers the current results provisional as the zinc and lead grades are expected to increase.

These holes tested the main mineralization along 56 meters of strike and to a depth of 190 meters at Extension zone.

Another four holes were drilled at Discovery Zone, which is located about 1,700 meters northeast of Extension.

Hole YKDD18-009 intersected 8.3 meters of oxidized mineralization, including a one-meter intercept averaging 7.18 percent zinc, 11.1 percent lead and 61.6 g/t silver.

Hole YKDD18-010 intersected a 12.1-meter mineralized zone, including 4.1-meter section averaging 14.27 percent zinc, 5.24 percent lead and 43.49g/t silver.

–SHANE LASLEY