QC Copper and Gold Inc (CVE:QCCU) (OTCMKTS:QCCUF) has reported additional assay results from the recently completed drill program on its flagship Opemiska copper-gold project in Quebec, which included 64.0 metres of 0.54% copper equivalent as well as 23 metres of 1.58% copper equivalent.
Drill results were returned from Opemiska's Mill Zone, an area underlying the old mill operated by Falconbridge between 1953 and 1991, which the company said contains several high-grade veins extending to surface that were not mined due to the need to maintain thick crown pillars for ground stability.
“Previous 2021 drilling from this zone yielded similarly encouraging near-surface results including 140 metres grading 0.44% copper equivalent and 53.5 metres grading 0.56% copper equivalent,” QC Copper and Gold vice president of exploration Charles Beaudry said in a statement.
READ: QC Copper and Gold on the hunt for the red metal and eyeing consolidation in the famous Chibougamau district of Quebec
“The Mill Zone is significant as its near-surface mineralization includes both unmined high-grade veins and disseminated mineralization,” Beaudry added.
“Given its near-surface location and robust grade profile, the Mill Zone hosts the potential to be a high-margin starter pit as part of a larger open-pit mining scenario.”
The company noted that additional holes have been drilled into the Mill Zone for which assays are pending.
QC Copper and Gold said the Mill Zone's high-grade veins also feature halos of disseminated mineralization, which is essentially symmetrical around the veins and there is a high likelihood that a similar length of mineralization exists on the stopes' footwall side.
The company said that it plans to capture this footwall mineralization during the company's next drill program to increase its tonnes and reduce the strip ratio.
QC Copper and Gold’s flagship Opemiska Copper Mining Complex project is located near the town of Chapais, Quebec within the prolific Chibougamau region. The project consists of two past-producing mines, which were previously owned and operated by mining giant Falconbridge, then bought by Swiss firm Xstrata.
The company is targeting a mineral resource estimate to be published in August.
Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com