Perth-based company and USA focused explorer American West Metals has posted a maiden resource for its multi-commodity base metal West Desert deposit in Utah which the company says continues to illustrate the project’s potential scale. The North American focused explorer believes the wholly owned zinc-copper-silver-gold deposit has the potential for open pit and underground mining and interestingly contains significant indium and molybdenum.
Stantec Consulting Services were engaged to complete the mineral resource estimation with a combined indicated and inferred base metal tonnage of over 33.7 million tonnes grading at 3.83 per cent zinc, 0.15 per cent copper and 9.08 grammes per tonne silver.
This includes 18.7 million tonnes at 2.8 per cent zinc, 0.12 per cent copper and 11 g/t silver contained within an open pit opportunity and 15 million tonnes at an enticing 5.2 per cent zinc, 0.18 per cent copper and 7 g/t silver contained within a possible high-grade underground mine in close proximity with the open pit.
The company has additionally identified a high grade copper zone which includes 17.22 metres at 1.04 per cent copper, 0.58 g/t gold and 12.46 g/t indium from 325.21 metres.
American West points out that the fresh resource estimate contains 1.3 million tonnes of zinc, 49 kilotonnes of copper and 10 million ounces of silver, which is a whopping 44 per cent increase over an earlier 2014 resource estimation. Over 80 per cent of the maiden resource estimate is classified in the high confidence JORC compliant Indicated category.
The company’s West Desert project is in a world class mining district with relatively low operating costs, access to excellent infrastructure and is amenable to bulk opencut and underground mining. Importantly there is strong local and federal government support for critical metal projects.
American West Metals Managing Director, David O'Neill said: “We are thrilled to announce a very significant milestone for American West Metals with the maiden JORC compliant resource for the West Desert deposit. The MRE has exceeded our expectations in delivering resource confidence and growth. This is a fantastic outcome for the company and highlights a significant development potential of the project the scale and quality of the resource suggests the potential for a globally significant mining operation.”
The company says its near-term focus will be on expanding mineral resources followed by economic evaluation of the project. Drilling is scheduled recommence during the second quarter of 2023.
Interestingly the deposit contains significant amounts of indium that has not been included in the resource estimate at this stage due to data gaps in the historical drilling, however American West consider West Desert could be the largest indium deposit in the United States.
The West Desert deposit has a premier postcode in Utah’s Sevier Orogenic Belt which houses the productive Tintic Mining district, about 160km south-west of Salt Lake City. The operation takes in more than 300 acres of private land, 336 unpatented mining claims and a single state mineral lease tallying up to about 32 square kilometres of ground.
The geology of the deposit displays typical features of most porphyry-related mineral systems characterised by an inner intrusive hosted zone and successive outward zones of skarn-hosted copper, then zinc, with an outer shell of lower temperature replacement style silver-lead mineralisation. American West have intersected significant intercepts of molybdenum within the porphyry intrusive stock and within the zinc copper skarn mineralisation.
According to the company, multiple historic and recent drill holes have intersected high grade zinc and copper with the discovery hole, WD22-19 hitting 0.92m at 20.42 per cent zinc, 0.76 per cent copper, 1.04 grams per tonne silver, a stunning 33.13 g/t gold and 54.47 g/t indium. The company says there are strong indications of skarn-type base metal mineralisation to the east and west of its project.
American West is planning on re-sampling and assaying historical core to fill in the indium data. Indium is one of the least abundant minerals on the planet and is typically found associated with zinc, copper and iron minerals and is commercially produced as a by-product of zinc refining. Because of its ability to conduct electricity, bond strongly to glass and is transparent it is an important component of touch screens, flatscreen TV’s and solar panels. Indium can be used to give a mirror finish to windows of tall buildings and is commonly used as a protective film on welders’ goggles.
With its first mineral resource estimate away, American West will now be keen to build on its numbers especially when it comes to adding in its indium figures. If it can sure out the deposit’s place on the indium podium it could prove a real wildcard for the explorer.
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