ASX-listed American West Metals has made a promising start to its US metals hunt after spotting extensive visual zinc and copper mineralisation in the first diamond hole at its West Desert project in Utah. The discovery forms part of an inaugural 7,500 metre probe at the project aimed at testing the continuity of the high-grade mineralisation in a major zone of the historic West Desert deposit.
The company says the maiden drill core from the campaign contains a total of 288m of zinc, copper, lead, and molybdenite mineralisation. The hits are scattered throughout 10 main intervals and give a favourable indicator of the historical resource's continuity and development potential according to the company.
In a result that appears to bode well for the project’s various prospects, management believes the mineralisation is comparable to strong historical results and says it has also identified a brace of new anomalous zones beyond the original resource. According to the Perth-based outfit, the two new zones underline the ground’s prospectivity and the growth potential of the project.
With assays from the program now pending, American West is currently sinking a second hole at the project that is looking to target potential zinc, copper, gold and molybdenum mineralisation beneath the original shaft.
The deposit boasts a historical resource base of over 59 million tonnes, including a high-grade core of 16.5 million tonnes grading 6.3 per cent zinc, 0.3 per cent copper, and 33 grams per tonne indium. The company has previously said the resource at the project is open at depth and along strike.
The ongoing field work at West Desert will see American West sink eight additional holes to assess zones with open mineralisation and minimal historical drilling. The campaign could add significant tonnage and grade to its increasing arsenal of transitional energy minerals by expanding its current non-JORC resource.
David O'Neill, Managing Director of American West Metals. said: “Importantly, with our first drill hole we have highlighted the scale and quality of the West Desert Deposit. It has significantly increased our confidence that West Desert will be amenable to high-grade development by indicating continuity of the orebody in this wide, previously untested drill section.
Copper in particular is very much a part of the new green energy revolution that is rapidly manifesting itself by way of a burgeoning electric vehicle industry. At present, the market for all things green energy is ravenous and American West’s now in-vogue asset base could prove to be key in contributing to a carbon-free economy with 10 major targets to chase.
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By Matt Birney
