Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSX-V:BNCH, OTCQX:BNCHF) has announced new results from infill and expansion drilling at the Dukes Ridge Deposit at the Lawyer's Gold-Silver Project in British Columbia.
The company highlighted drill hole 21DRDD016 which saw 54.60 metres (m) core length of 2.51 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 97.05 g/t silver or 3.73 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq), including 9.60m of 13.39 g/t gold and 480.26 g/t silver or 19.39 g/t AuEq.
It noted that the deepest holes drilled at Dukes Ridge to date have extended mineralization, which remains open, to nearly 300m vertical depth and more than 110m below the existing 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) pit shell.
These results continue to demonstrate strong similarities to typical mineralization at the Cliff Creek and AGB deposits, with broad bulk-tonnage style intercepts enveloping high-grade zones, the company said.
In a statement, John Williamson, Benchmark CEO, commented: "We are very pleased with these latest results from Dukes Ridge as we continue to expand on areas of known mineralization outside of the 2021 MRE pit shell. We anticipate continued growth for the Dukes Ridge deposit, and for the other deposit areas at Lawyers, as additional drill results contribute to the upcoming mineral resource estimate update."
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The Dukes Ridge Deposit had until recently seen little drilling relative to the Cliff Creek and AGB deposit areas, and these latest results underscore the potential to add significant gold-silver ounces to the global resource at the Lawyers project as part of the imminent MRE update.
Highlights of the drilling showed plunging high-grade zones within large intervals of bulk-tonnage style mineralization are common at the Dukes Ridge Deposit area, including:
- 3.27m of 33.65 g/t Au and 1,215.00 g/t Ag or 48.84 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.51 g/t Au and 97.05 g/t Ag or 3.73 g/t AuEq over 54.60m in hole 21DRDD016
- 5.00m of 8.67 g/t Au and 162.82 g/t Ag or 10.70 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.01 g/t Au and 38.85 g/t Ag or 2.49 g/t AuEq over 40.16m in hole 21DRDD012
- 2.48m of 10.30 g/t Au and 454.16 g/t Ag or 15.98 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 1.41 g/t Au and 43.20 g/t Ag or 1.95 g/t AuEq over 48.16m in hole 22DRDD029
Benchmark said drilling at Dukes Ridge continues to intersect strong mineralization below the 2021 MRE pit shell, with confirmed mineralization now in excess of 100 metres outside of the existing pit shell, and multiple high-grade zones remaining open at depth.
The company has intersected plunging high-grade zones at Dukes Ridge that are interpreted to be the result of previously unrecognized cross structures. Future drilling will target these zones and potentially add additional high-grade mineralization to subsequent resource estimates.
Mineralization at the Dukes Ridge Deposit accounted for 109,000 AuEq Indicated ounces and 35,000 Inferred ounces in bulk tonnage zones in the 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate, including a significant portion at or near-surface
The company said it anticipates recently completed drilling to positively impact the total ounces contained at Dukes Ridge in the imminent MRE update.
Benchmark Metals is advancing its 100% owned Lawyer's Gold-Silver Project which is located within a road-accessible region of the prolific Golden Horseshoe area of north-central British Columbia, Canada.
The project consists of three mineralized deposits that remain open for expansion, in addition to 20-plus new target areas along the 20-kilometre trend.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com