Blackrock drills three m of 2,238 g/t AgEq at Tonopah Blackrock Gold Corp. has released additional high-grade gold and silver drill intercepts from its Denver, Paymaster and Bermuda (DPB) target on the 100-per-cent-controlled Tonopah West project located in the Walker Lane trend of western Nevada.
Highlights:
TW20-037 cut three metres returning 10.5 grams per tonne gold and 1,188 g/t silver, or 2,238 g/t AgEq, along the Merton vein and indicates 290 m of dip potential. Silver-to-gold ratio is 100:1 using a 200 g/t AgEq cut-off grade.
TW20-027 drilled 12.2 m grading 297 g/t AgEq at the Bermuda-Merton vein intersection.
TW20-022 intersected 4.5 m grading 285 g/t AgEq on the Paymaster vein.
Drilling defines mineralization over 300 m along the Paymaster vein.
All DPB veins are open to the east and west, as well as up and down dip.
A resource definition program is being co-ordinated to deliver an initial resource on DPB by year-end 2021.
Additional assays are pending from the DPB and Victor targets.
Andrew Pollard, president and chief executive officer, commented: "As more high-grade results continue to roll in from our DPB target, this zone is now really starting to take shape, highlighting significant resource potential. Drilling continues to confirm our geologic model and, as we're now establishing continuity and mineralization of the many tightly spaced veins in this corridor, all of which remain open, we're putting together an extremely aggressive plan that will see us fast track to deliver an initial resource estimate before the end of 2021. This is a transformational step for any project, and moving from a maiden round of drilling to resource delineation mode so quickly underscores the calibre of this target, providing investors with something compelling to look forward to over the next 12 months. With more drill results pending in the short term, from both our Tonopah West and Silver Cloud projects, we look forward to significant news flow to end the year."
NSV -- no significant values
Drilling at the DPB target continues to deliver significant gold and silver results. TW20-027 returned 12.2 m grading 297 g/t AgEq at the intersection of the Bermuda and Merton veins, and this intercept was followed by a three m interval yielding 312 g/t AgEq. The Bermuda-Merton intersection appears to have a series of stringer veins around the main junction, thus bulking up the zone.
On the Merton vein, TW20-037 cut another significant interval with gold grades above 10.51 g/t gold and 1,187.5 g/t silver over three m. This interval is up dip from the 4,643 g/t AgEq interval reported in TW20-017. TW20-035 was lost prior to intersecting the target, and a second drill hole is planned.
Drilling on the Merton vein has defined a zone striking 120 m east-west with a dip length of 290 m. The Merton vein is open to the northwest and southeast, while the Bermuda vein is open to the east and west. Mineralization on both veins is open up and down dip.
TW20-006, -022 and -023 define 300 m of strike along the Paymaster vein, and the next set of drill holes are chasing the vein to the west toward the TW20-016 stepout target. The Paymaster vein is open to the east and west.
TW20-030 and -033 drilled intercepts along the Denver vein, which is open to the east and west.
Twenty-three drill holes are completed at the DPB target, with assay results available for 19 drill holes. Drilling is progressing along north-south-oriented cross-sections that are 150 m apart.
Given the company's initial exploration success at Tonopah West, which demonstrates significant potential, the company is planning a resource development phase program for the DPB target, with a goal to have an initial resource estimate in Q4 2021.
Ohio target
Four drill holes are completed at the Ohio target, including TW20-028 and TW20-029, which intersected the Ohio vein; however, gold and silver assays ranged from 20 to 36 g/t AgEq and are below the 200 g/t AgEq cut-off grade in the included table.
TW20-032 intersected a historic underground working where the vein was projected (looks like they beat the company to it) and assays returned no significant values for TW20-025.
The drilling refined the location of the Pittsburg-Monarch fault zone, and an updated geologic interpretation is under way to find the offset portion of the Ohio vein.
Victor target
Initial core drilling intercepts at the Victor target were released on Nov. 23, 2020. Drilling encountered high-grade mineralization within a defined area of 210 m by 150 m. Assays for TW20-041C are pending, and TW20-061C is in progress.
Stepout
Drill hole TW20-039 is part of the stepout program following up TW20-016. TW20-039 encountered two zones with elevated gold ranging 0.74 to 1.1 g/t gold within three distinct intervals; however, silver values were not the usual 100:1 as seen in the rest of the district. Silver ranged from three parts per million to 65 ppm. The gold mineralization may represent a younger gold system similar to the Three Hills project located immediately south of and adjoining Tonopah West.
All sampling is conducted under the supervision of the company's project geologists, and a strict chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility is implemented and monitored. The core and reverse circulation samples are hauled from the project site to a secure and fenced facility in Tonopah, Nev., where they are loaded on to American Assay Laboratory's (AAL) flatbed truck and delivered to AAL's facility in Sparks, Nev. A sample submittal sheet is delivered to AAL personnel who organize and process the sample intervals pursuant to the company's instructions.
The core, reverse circulation and quality assurance/quality control samples are crushed and pulverized, then the pulverized material is digested and analyzed for Au using fire assay fusion and an induced coupled plasma (ICP) finish on a 30-gram assay split. Silver is determined using five-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Overlimits for gold and silver are determined using a gravimetric finish. Data verification of the assay and analytical results are completed to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Blackrock personnel insert a blind prep blank, lab blank or a certified standard approximately every 15th to 20th sample.