Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSX-V:BNCH, OTCQX:BNCHF) has told investors that the latest drill results from the AGB deposit at its Lawyers project in British Columbia (BC) have added near-surface, open pittable gold and silver ounces, which would potentially boost the economics of a mining operation there.
The latest assays - from last year's drill program - hail from three 'multi-purpose' holes, which continue to delineate high-grade near-surface mineralization at the southernmost extent of the zone, and provide the technical data necessary to design the overall pit slope.
Highlight results were a long interval of 101.60 metres (m), starting from just 3.40m depth, at 4.68 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 89.89 g/t silver in one hole. Another hole showed a width of 2.5m from 1.5m depth at 24.13 g/t AuEq (gold-equivalent).
"The 2021 drill program has intersected near-surface high-grade mineralization within the pit shells modeled in 2021 and could potentially add significant resources in the near-term mineral resource update," said John Williamson, Benchmark CEO, in a statement.
READ: Benchmark Metals posts more positive results from Lawyers project, this time from Cliff Creek North
"As these results continue to expand the limits of the mineralization, further drilling in 2022 will continue to expand resource potential in all directions," Williamson added.
In all, seven geotechnical drill holes were drilled last year at the Cliffs Creek and AGB deposits at Lawyers, totaling 2,415m, sunk to collect data for analysis and pit slope design that will impact the overall size and shape of the future pit design at the mine.
The latest assays are the last of the results from AGB that will go toward the updated resource estimate, noted Benchmark. Future drilling will go towards the feasibility study.
Benchmark Metals is advancing the wholly-owned owned Lawyer's project, which sits in the prolific Golden Horseshoe of northern BC, Canada. The project consists of three mineralized deposits that remain open for expansion, in addition to over 20 new target areas along a 20 kilometre trend.
Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com