White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has reached the halfway point of its 2021 field season at Red Mountain Project with three diamond drill rigs on the go supported by two helicopters as part of its biggest exploration program undertaken yet in Alaska.
Two remote camps with more than 40 personnel have been established at the project site in the prolific Tintina Gold Province where the company is exploring for intrusion-related gold system (IRGS) mineralisation and high-grade silver-zinc-gold-lead volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits.
Key field activities completed to date include drilling for down-dip extensions to the Dry Creek VMS deposit, drill testing new VMS targets in the Red Mountain area as well as along the newly identified Keevy VMS trend, and drill testing the Last Chance gold target.
Testing as many targets as possible
Speaking to the exploration update, technical advisor Dr Quinton Hennigh said: “Before the company’s 2021 field program commenced, many VMS targets were identified for field examination.
“Six high-priority VMS targets were quickly identified along the Keevy VMS trend immediately south of Dry Creek.
“Recent samples collected from these areas include massive sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite, a very promising indication these targets are potentially high grade.
“These targets are drill ready, and in addition to the already aggressive exploration plans, White Rock will attempt to test as many of them as possible this season.”
Other field activities
Surface reconnaissance of numerous VMS targets in both the Red Mountain and Last Chance areas has been a key focus with detailed soil sampling, ground magnetics and CSAMT geophysics completed and/or underway at:
- Jack Frost and Easy Ivan - both new prospects identified during the 2021 field season that are now drill-ready in less than seven weeks of fieldwork;
- Yogi, Kiwi and Yeti, all on the newly identified Keevy VMS trend; and
- Horseshoe, Ringer, Bullseye, Bib, Bib West, Copper Creek and Peaches.
Surface reconnaissance of new gold stream anomalies identified during 2020 has also been occurring with detailed prospect soil sampling and ground magnetics at the newly identified Pepper prospect, east of the Last Chance Gold Target.
In total, across both the VMS and gold targets more than 5,000 soil samples and 200 rock chip samples have been taken, plus more than 70 line kilometres of ground magnetics and 10 line kilometres of CSAMT surveyed.