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

Newcrest Minerals Ltd. and Imperial Metals Corp. Dec. 10 reported results from 12,652 meters of drilling completed at the Red Chris copper-gold mine property in Northern British Columbia since the end of September.

This drilling included six holes focused on the discovery of additional zones of higher-grade mineralization within the Red Chris porphyry corridor and two geotechnical holes. Newcrest reports that all six exploration holes encountered mineralization.

One of the most significant discoveries made by this drilling was the confirmation that high-grade mineralization at East Zone may continue beyond the South Boundary fault, which has historically been assumed to define the southern extent of mineralization.

Hole RC646, drilled across the fault, cut 606 meters averaging 0.37 grams per metric ton gold and 0.33% copper from a depth of 488 meters, including 70 meters averaging 0.58 g/t gold and 0.51% copper from 710 meters. This interval also includes a 22-meter intercept on the south side of the fault averaging 1 g/t gold and 0.62% copper from 858 meters. Drilling to define the extent and continuity of this mineralization on the southern side of the South Boundary fault is underway.

The drilling since the end of September has also continued to confirm the footprint of the western high-grade pod in the East Zone. This pod was first encountered in RC616, a hole drilled earlier this year that cut 514 meters of 0.81 g/t gold and 0.57% copper from 660 meters, including 104 meters of 2.7 g/t gold and 1.7% copper. This pod was confirmed with hole RC625, which cut 400 meters of 0.65 g/t gold and 0.51% copper from a depth of 640 meters, including 76 meters of 1.9 g/t gold and 1.2% copper.

A program of 100-meter spaced holes has been designed to confirm the lateral and vertical extent of the western high-grade pod at East Zone.

• Hole RC645, drilled 100 meters below RC625, cut 442 meters averaging 0.55 g/t gold and 0.45% copper from 714 meters, including 142 meters grading 0.94 g/t gold and 0.72% copper from 882 meters.

• Hole RC658, drilled 100 meters above RC616, cut 538 meters grading 0.41 g/t gold and 0.31% copper from 558 meters, including 88 meters grading 0.85 g/t gold and 0.57% copper from 632 meters.

The Red Chris partners said drilling to define the extent and continuity of this discrete high-grade pod is now complete and results from additional holes are pending.

A second campaign of drilling was also completed at the Gully zone, a potential mine expansion area about 800 meters southwest of the open pit at Red Chris.

Hole RC641, which tested the continuity in mineralization between historical shallow and more recent deeper drilling, cut 854 meters averaging 0.43 g/t gold and 0.30% copper from a depth of 66 meters, including 120 meters averaging 0.82 g/t gold and 0.87% copper from 612 meters.

Hole RC650, also drilled at Gully, cut 112 meters averaging 0.57 g/t gold and 0.45% copper from 530 meters, including 100 meters averaging 0.62 g/t gold and 0.50% copper from 532 meters.

Drilling is currently being carried out in a 500-meter gap between Red Chris Main zone and the Gully zone to test this largely unexplored area at depth.

More than 99,000 meters of drilling in 77 drill holes has been completed at Red Chris since Newcrest acquired a 70% joint venture in the mine from Imperial Metals in August 2019.

Author Bio

Shane Lasley, Publisher

Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.

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