Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSX-V:CCW) has announced a continued expansion at Castle East in northern Ontario with three new, high-grade intersections.
The company said the intersections were as follows: silver (Ag) grades of 30,416.91 grams per ton (g/t) over 0.42 meters (m), 7,328.47 g/t over 0.38m, 1,883.21 g/t Ag over 0.42m, and with gold (Au) equivalent grades of 425.94 g/t, 102.62 g/t, 26.37 g/t Au equivalent, respectively.
“These three intercepts provide us with two newly discovered, high-grade vein systems,” said Matt Halliday, president and COO of Canada Silver Cobalt Works in a statement. “We continue to have excellent results from the 60,000m drill program at Castle East, with 40,000m completed to date. There is now a total of eight distinct high-grade veins to be included in the Q1 2022 resource update.”
READ: Canada Silver Cobalt Works poised to start drilling at the Graal-Nourricier - Lac Suzanne property in Quebec
Halliday added: “The initial estimate in May 2020 for Castle East was based solely on the Robinson Zone vein system but recent drilling has discovered an even higher-grade vein (Big Silver grading 89,853 g/t Ag over 0.30m) in addition to six other new vein structures, and our exploration program has expanded the overall area to be included in the resource estimate.”
More specifically, Canada Silver Cobalt Works said the drilling highlights included:
- Hole CS-21-61 with an exceptional intercept grading 30,416.91 g/t Ag over 0.42m at a downhole depth of 449.55-449.97m with an Au equivalent grade of 425.94 g/t Au. The company currently believes this intercept belongs to a brand-new vein structure, independent from both the Robinson Zone and the Big Silver vein
- The first intercept in hole CS-21-65 contains 7,328.47 g/t Ag over 0.38m at a downhole depth of 254.03-254.41m with an Au equivalent grade of 102.62 g/t Au. To date, this is the closest high-grade intercept to surface and is located within Archean lithologies
- The second intercept in hole CS-21-65 contains 1,883.21 g/t Ag over 0.42m at a downhole depth of 421-421.42m with an Au equivalent grade of 26.37 g/t Au
Geological implications of the vein system
Canada Silver Cobalt Works said the geological implications of the veins are threefold.
Firstly, the addition of another exceptionally high-grade vein in CS-21-61 puts the company much closer to significant expansion of the resource at Castle East. Secondly, the high-grade silver vein in CS-21-65 (that is 230m below the surface) confirms the existence of much shallower silver mineralization at Castle East. And thirdly, it greatly expands the potential for silver mineralization to occur across the entire property because it occurs within the Archean lithologies.
“Most of our high-grade or notable veins are located within the younger Nipissing Diabase sill which is intruding into the older Archean rocks,” the company said. “This means that it is possible for further silver mineralization to occur in the same Archean lithologies both above and below the Nipissing Diabase, similarly to the vein found in CS-21-65 that is located above the intrusion.”
As further proof of concept, the company said both the Beaver Mine and Temiskaming Mine had significant production both above and below the Nipissing diabase intrusion, which is encouraging for future exploration.
Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham