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

Grande Portage Resources Ltd. Nov. 3 announced the completion of a nearly 10,000-meter 2022 drill program and eagerly awaits the ensuing assays to continue upgrading and expanding the high-grade resource at its Herbert Gold project in Southeast Alaska.

According to a calculation completed in 2021, Herbert Gold hosts 3.64 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 10.23 grams per metric ton (1.2 million oz) gold and 5.87 g/t (686,700 oz) silver; plus 1.14 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 8.91 g/t (325,900 oz) gold and 4.63 g/t (169,300 oz) silver.

The 2022 program included both infill and step-out drilling from this resource.

"The 2022 diamond drill season has been completed and we await the assay results which are expected over the balance of the year and into early 2023," said Grande Portage Resources President and CEO Ian Klassen. "Our 2022 program began late due to unforeseen contractor and supply chain delays. This, coupled with unseasonably poor and foggy weather, further interrupted the company's original drill plan."

Despite the hiccups, Grande Portage was able to garner new insights into its deposits and is already funded for next year's program.

"Our geological team has certainly gained more knowledge into the resource at the Herbert property," Klassen added. "Grande Portage is funded for next year's program and management looks forward to adding 2021 and 2022 drill results to the Herbert Gold database."

Final sample results are expected throughout December and into next year due to ongoing delays at assay labs.

Aside from the drilling, the company has been conducting environmental studies in preparation for permitting a mine at the high-grade gold project.

Admiralty Environmental, a Juneau-based environmental consultant and water quality laboratory, has continued its program of gathering baseline water sampling, adding to the company's expanding database from previous years.

Results were received this year from several environmental water samples collected in 2021 and submitted to the laboratory to test for environmental effects after mining commences. Specifically, the tests determine the potential for mine waste rock to generate acidic run-off and/or harmful concentrations of toxic metals – in other words, acid mine drainage.

These, and previous test results conducted in 2020, were extremely positive environmentally, showing no tendencies to produce acid rock drainage due to the high inherent carbonate content and the low sulfide content of the host rock.

This will be valuable data for when the time comes to begin final permitting a mine at the Herbert Gold project.