Heatherdale Resources Announces Mobilization for Surface, Underground Drilling Program at Niblack Project
November 2020 planned drill holes
Heatherdale Resources
Heatherdale Resources announced that site preparations for its upcoming surface and underground drill program at its 100 percent-owned Niblack copper-gold-silver-zinc project, located near tidewater in Southeast Alaska, are underway. Crews arrived on site in September to rehabilitate site roads and prepare the barge camp. Drilling is expected to commence in mid-November, initially on surface using a tracked diamond drill rig with underground drilling to commence later in the program. Subject to the Heatherdale board of directors’ approval of a final, comprehensive budget, at least 3,000 meters of surface and underground drilling is anticipated to be completed prior to the end of 2020, recommencing early in 2021.
Phase I drilling will test three priority areas: 1) surface drilling targeting the historic Niblack Mine, 2) down-dip Lookout extension and 3) Lookout Deposit Resource Expansion to the west.
“Subsequent to the last drilling program at Niblack in 2012, relogging, mapping, age dating, and compilation efforts have resulted in a significant geologic reinterpretation of the mineralizing system, opening multiple areas to target for exploration and resource expansion,” says Robert McLeod, president and CEO of Heatherdale. “The new structural interpretation at the historic mine, which direct-shipped high-grade copper ore and the down-dip extension of the Lookout Zone are compelling targets; in both areas, we will be following up on previous, high-grade copper, gold, silver, and zinc drill results. Finally, step out drilling at the Lookout Zone will be completed with the objective of expanding Mineral Resources.”
COVID-19 Protocol
Heatherdale has implemented a Community Protective COVID-19 Plan to protect workers at the Niblack Project and nearby communities, as recommended and accepted by the State of Alaska.
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April 2024
2020 Niblack Project Drill Targets
Historic Niblack Mine
The fall 2020 drilling program will commence at the Historic Niblack Mine, located several hundred meters north of current Mineral Resources at Lookout and Trio Zones. Direct-shipping copper mineralization was discovered at Niblack Anchorage in 1899 with production commencing in 1902 and operating until 1908. According to Alaska Territorial Government Records, 30,000 tons was mined averaging 3.2% Cu, 1.3 g/t Au, and 21 g/t Ag. 22 holes were completed by previous operators. Previous drill intercepts include: LO-065 which intersected 4.6 meters averaging 5.8% Cu, 2.3 g/t Au, 3.8% Zn and 63.2 g/t Ag, as well as LO-067 which intersected 4.9 meters averaging 5.1% Cu, 13.1 g/t Au, 4.0% Zn and 149.1 g/t Ag.
High-grade VMS-style mineralization outcrops along the shoreline adjacent to the historic workings. A geologic reinterpretation of the host-rock units, together with by radiometric age-dating has suggested that the mineralization is hosted within an overturned antiform type fold. This structure appears to plunge to the east, suggesting mineralization is wide open for expansion along trend and plunge from the historic stopes and high-grade historic intercepts. A minimum of four initial holes are planned at the historic mine area.
Highlights of previous drilling include:
|
Hole-ID |
From |
To |
Width |
Cu |
Au |
Zn |
Ag |
|
NIB-3 |
158.5 |
160.3 |
1.8 |
3.16 |
1.21 |
0.07 |
23.8 |
|
LO-064 |
45.6 |
46.4 |
0.9 |
8.36 |
0.84 |
0.82 |
36.1 |
|
LO-065 |
18.9 |
23.5 |
4.6 |
5.77 |
2.31 |
3.81 |
63.2 |
|
and |
31.1 |
39.0 |
7.9 |
2.97 |
1.67 |
1.54 |
20.6 |
|
LO-066 |
128.0 |
145.5 |
17.5 |
1.46 |
0.87 |
0.65 |
14.5 |
|
and |
162.8 |
167.3 |
4.6 |
1.53 |
2.34 |
13.11 |
17.6 |
|
and |
183.2 |
187.2 |
4.0 |
3.26 |
1.19 |
0.34 |
25.1 |
|
LO-067 |
239.3 |
244.1 |
4.9 |
5.08 |
13.15 |
4.01 |
149.1 |
|
and |
256.3 |
257.9 |
1.5 |
2.49 |
10.63 |
9.11 |
36.6 |
|
LO-169 |
124.4 |
126.0 |
1.6 |
11.64 |
5.14 |
2.62 |
89.9 |
Lookout Deposit Down-dip
The Lookout deposit is accessed through a production-sized underground ramp that was driven in the 2000’s by previous operators. Lookout is the largest copper-gold-silver-zinc deposit on the property. Massive sulphide mineralization through the core of the deposit is very thick, ranging up to 100 meters in true width, with a drill-weighted average thickness of 15 meters and potentially amenable to bulk underground mining methods. Mineralization is open at depth.
Drilling will step out from previous underground hole U074, which intersected 1.5 meters of massive sulphide averaging 2.0% Cu, 3.25 g/t Au, 23.3% Zn and 90.0 g/t Ag. Significantly, this intersection is stratigraphically underlain by a broad interval which is enhanced in gold, silver, and zinc with 17.3 meters averaging 0.05% Cu, 0.46 g/t Au, 0.71% Zn and 5.5 g/t Ag. It is interpreted that this is a proximal geochemical signature that could develop into another significant massive sulphide zone. The purpose of this round of drilling is to vector towards large accumulations of mineralization.
Lookout Deposit Far West Extension
Underground drilling is also planned to step-out from the current resource, targeting a significant gap in drilling that has potential to add significant tonnage at above average grades. Drill holes will target an area measuring 100 meters along strike by 75 meters of dip length, adjacent to wide and high-grade mineralization previously encountered through drilling at the Lookout Deposit. Due to the size of this area, additional step-out holes will also be completed targeting this area during early 2021.
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