White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) has identified six new mineralised volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) targets during the follow-up of stream sediment anomalism identified at its Red Mountain Project in Alaska.
Several the magnetic features coincident with VMS lenses can be interpreted over strike lengths of 1-1.5 kilometres, similar to the VMS deposit dimensions that make up the project’s VMS JORC-compliant resource further east at Dry Creek and WTF.
More detailed ground magnetics, mapping and systematic surface geochemical sampling is being planned for early during the 2021 field season with drill testing potentially to follow.
“Different but equally exciting metal systems”
White Rock technical advisor Dr Quinton Hennigh said: “White Rock’s strategic district-scale tenement package covers covering approximately 798 square kilometres, is the focus of two different but equally exciting large metal systems, one gold and one silver-zinc polymetallic (with lead, gold and copper).
“The company’s large Last Chance gold project, which has yielded a multitude of highly prospective stream sediment gold anomalies and early promising drill results, sits right next door to the company’s Red Mountain project which hosts a maiden VMS JORC Resource of 9 million tonnes at 157 g/t silver, 5.8% zinc and 0.9 g/t gold, for a 13.2% Zinc equivalent (or 609 g/t (19 ounces/tonne) Silver Equivalent) grade.
“As part of last summer’s field campaign, follow up prospecting of stream sediment samples has led to the discovery of multiple new high priority VMS targets.”
Regional rock chip sampling
Highlights of regional reconnaissance rock chip sampling from outcropping massive sulphides include:
- Horseshoe - up to 8.3% zinc, 0.3% lead, 1.1% copper, 12 g/t silver and 3.6 g/t gold;
- Bib - up to 7.3% zinc, 5.1% lead, 0.3% copper, 40 g/t silver and 0.3 g/t gold
- Bib West - up to 5.7% zinc, 1.4% lead and 0.2% copper;
- Grapple - up to 3.6% zinc, 1.9% lead, 0.7% copper and 40 g/t silver;
- Peaches - up to 2.9% zinc, 2.8% lead, 0.2% copper, 46 g/t silver and 1.5 g/t gold; and
- Ringer - up to 1.0% copper, 26 g/t silver and 0.4 g/t gold.
Location of VMS prospects with respect to the Last Chance gold target and regional geology after Wahrhaftig, 1970.
“Parallel exploration potential”
White Rock is planning to complete follow-up surface geochemistry and geophysics prior to the likely drill testing of the best VMS targets during the 2021 field season.
The company is also considering a parallel follow-up drill program at its large Last Chance Intrusion Related Gold System (IRGS) target , where collectively, there are around 30 square kilometres of drainages shedding anomalous gold across the Last Chance property – which it believes indicates excellent potential for discovery.
Hennigh said: “Given these new discoveries, the company’s robust cash balance and recent market appreciation of silver and base metals, White Rock is seriously contemplating a parallel exploration program in Alaska in 2021 to focus on both the Last Chance gold and the silver-zinc VMS targets at Red Mountain.
“2021 should be a very exciting time for the company.”