Arizona Silver Exploration Inc (TSX-V:AZS) announced that core drilling has started at the Philadelphia gold project in Arizona.
The objective is to further demonstrate the continuity and extent of both high-grade and stockwork gold targets on the property, the company said.
The drilling contract provides for a minimum of 3,000 metres (m) of core drilling 12 hours/day, on a 20-day on, 10-day off schedule.
READ: Arizona Silver says drilling at its flagship Philadelphia project set to resume
“I am delighted to resume drilling on the property,” said Greg Hahn, vice president of exploration, in a statement. “This program is designed to demonstrate the real upside of the system, showing that we have continuity to depth and the potential to develop significant ounces. I expect some exciting results.”
Arizona Silver said the proposed drill holes vary in length from 150m to 300m with various angles of inclination. Drill core will be delivered to the ALS sample preparation facility in Tucson, Arizona for photographing, sawing, and sampling.
“We intend to deliver all available sample material to the lab after each 20-day drilling stretch. Results will be announced regularly to provide good news flow to investors,” the company said.
Meanwhile, the company said the first six holes of the program include:
- North Perry – Shark Fin Target Area. This is a priority target as previous drilling has demonstrated the presence of both a high-grade vein and stockwork mineralization. This drilling will demonstrate continuity to depth and strike continuity to the 'Shark Fin' – a prominent cliff of quartz breccia mineralization
- Drilling will commence at the north end of the Perry patented claim where drill holes PRC21-81 thru PRC21-83 intersected high grades in a hanging wall vein up to 3.3m thick at 16.9 grams per tonne (gt) gold and 51.15 gt silver. Stockwork mineralization up to 47.3m thick at 1.63 gt gold and 7.74 gt silver was intersected between the vein and a footwall calcite-cemented quartz vein breccia
Also, four core holes will be drilled on one section line, immediately down dip from previous reverse circulation drill holes to test:
- The down-dip continuation of the high-grade vein
- Mineralization in the hanging wall (above) of the high-grade vein intersected further to the south
- Stockwork mineralization footwall (below) to the high-grade vein
- Increasing gold content with depth in the calcite-cemented quartz vein breccia below previous gold-bearing intercepts
The Shark Fin outcrops 50m north of the four holes described above on a patented claim named the Rising Fawn. The Shark Fin is interpreted to be the same footwall calcite-cemented quartz vein breccia as we will drill to the south. The company said the feature will be tested by two angle holes collared from the first drill pad to the south.
Once the drilling at the north end of the Perry claim is completed, the company said the drill rig will move some 300m to the south end of the Perry claim to test the down-dip and immediate strike extensions of mineralization in that area. The untested area between these two targets is referred to as the 'GAP' where drill roads must first be established.
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