American West Metals has been buoyed by visual analysis of its five latest RC drill holes sunk at the company’s Storm copper project in Canada that show thick copper-sulphide intercepts.
The explorer says its initial phase of drilling is designed to define maiden JORC resources within the 4100N, 2750N and 2200N zones where high-grade copper mineralisation starts from surface. Assay highlights include a 16.7m hit of strong visual copper sulphides from 42.7m and a wide 32m section of strong visual copper sulphides from 56.4m.
While the company warns that visual estimates should not be considered a substitute for laboratory analysis, it adds that all nine drill holes completed have intersected thick intervals of visual sulphides confirmed to contain copper based on portable XRF results. All assays are now at the laboratory with results pending.
A moving loop electromagnetic survey across the 4100N zone is nearing completion and has already identified new conductors that are being assessed for drill testing. Once the analysis of the 4100N zone is complete, the company intends to move the survey to its Tempest prospect, about 40km south of Storm.
American West Metals managing director Dave O’Neill said: “The drilling at the 4100N Zone is progressing quickly and continues to deliver excellent results, with nine out of nine holes now hitting significant intervals of visual copper sulphides. The drilling is confirming our assumptions that the mineralisation is laterally extensive and flat lying at the 4100N Zone.”
The company is particularly impressed with the prospectivity of Tempest, which has a known copper gossan exposed at surface that has assayed up to 32 per cent copper.
The results from American West’s maiden probe at its 2750N zone identified an extensive package of near-surface copper and doubled the volume of the area’s mineralisation. Headline results include a 2m section going 15.98 per cent copper from 70m, inside a larger 19m intercept at 2.08 per cent copper from 58m downhole.
The Storm project lies within a 4145-square-kilometre land package that also includes the Seal zinc project on Somerset Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Together, Storm and Seal constitute the Nunavut projects and are currently owned by Aston Bay Holdings.
American West became the project operator under an option agreement that also gives it the opportunity to acquire an 80 per cent interest in the Nunavut projects.
The area has undergone extensive historical drilling and two separate copper sulphide systems have been discovered with multiple near-surface high-grade copper zones identified at several target zones in drilling across 15sq km. The area’s historical drill highlights include 19m at 3.41 per cent copper from surface and 110m at 2.45 per cent copper from surface.
A ground gravity survey at Storm has also been completed with data currently being processed to identify targets for an upcoming diamond drill campaign.
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By Michael Philipps
