| April (and even some June) showers have turned to flowers, or in our case the mud has dried up and our trucks are out working again. We are excited to announce that the Hercules’ 2024 exploration season is underway! We are back at Cuddy Mountain to continue our search for copper and silver deposits. | | | Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to since you heard from Hercules last.
As mentioned, we have kicked off the next step of our exploration plan which is to build onto our initial findings from last year. When we first set out to explore this historic site, our sights were set on uncovering hidden silver deposits from a property that had last been mined in the 1920s. We had no idea that there was a porphyry copper deposit just waiting to be found until it was uncovered during our 2023 exploration. This is one of the most important discoveries in this region to date. Now, our focus has shifted from just silver to a new goal – to find the highest-grade core of this large copper system. | | | For the next few years, we will be focused strictly on exploration to see if the minerals found underground are economically worth eventually extracting.
This summer, my team and I will be back out to follow up on the new copper discovery we made just last year. It turns out that the historic silver deposits that were last explored in the 1960s to the 1980s was just the top of the mineral system, and a potentially significant copper discovery exists below all the silver. Our plan moving forward will be to determine if this new copper discovery is significant and viable. | | | The best way to find out more about these mineral deposits is to gather more data. To do that, Hercules has initiated an extensive 20,000-meter non-invasive, low impact drill program to extract small cylinders of rock core from different locations on the Hercules Silver Property.
As a geologist, this is my favorite part, and if you want to learn more about coring, read our Fast Facts below! | | | | We have three drills running 24/7, on pads roughly 40ft x 50ft, to pull rock core to the surface so we can analyze it for any concentrations of copper and/or silver. In our last newsletter, I mentioned that only 1 out of every 1,000 historical prospects turns out to be a good exploration target. | | | | So, in addition to a better understanding of the mineral deposits, we are also looking for some luck out here on Cuddy Mountain. | | | To close out spring and head into summer, the Hercules’ agenda is to continue to utilize modern and environmentally sound techniques to sample and map the property. In addition to drilling, my team and I will be doing some soil sampling with shovels, and geophysical studies that use cables and electrodes to measure the conductivity and chargeability of the ground. Hopefully, this will help us learn more about the size, grade, and economic viability of the porphyry copper deposit. | | | | The mission to explore this mineral discovery will continue to be our focus for the next five or so years as we slowly learn more about what’s hiding beneath our feet. We are still a long way from determining if these deposits are significant enough to develop this project even further. | | | To better reference where we are now, here is a quick look at the typical exploration to possible mine production timeline of a project. Please note, this is an estimate as every project is different based on a number of factors: | | | - Years 1 to 5:
Drilling and exploration to determine if/what kind of ore exits - Years 5 to 10:
Resource definition drilling is conducted to determine if an economically sufficient amount of ore exists - Years 10 to 15:
Economic and environmental feasibility studies begin following a rigorous process from the U.S. Department of Interior and Congress | | | | There is still a lot of work to be done, however, we’re extremely excited to be out in the field right now collecting more rock core samples. In the end, our priority is to be stewards of the land, and any earth we move, we pledge to restore back to its natural beauty and leave it better than we found it. | | Shifting the spotlight to all of you in the community, Hercules is proud to help support so many great community organizations and businesses, including, but not all: - Tri-Valley Little League Baseball
- Tri-Valley High School Sports Programs
- Midvale Pool
- Love INC
- Adams County Fair
- Washington County Fair
- Hells Canyon Days
- PTSA community projects
- Local 4-H and FFA groups
- Local fire and ambulance departments
It is an honor to be involved with so many impactful organizations that are giving so much back to this deserving community! | | | I would also like to thank those of you who have been supporting Hercules in and around the area. We are pleased to have hired some local talent from the community to help with our day-to-day operations, and we are eager to form more partnerships with local businesses to facilitate our exploration activities.
Stay tuned for more employment and community opportunities! | | | | We’ve only just started this exploration season and we have already made a tremendous amount of progress. Thank you for your interest in Hercules!
Chris Paul
CEO & Director
Hercules Silver Corp. | | Join us for a
Community Town Hall
Wednesday, June 26
7:00 PM
Washington County Fairgrounds
115 E Central Blvd, Cambridge, ID 83610 | | | | Bring your questions and hear directly from the Hercules team about their latest mineral exploration plans for copper and silver in 2024.
Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome! | | | Meet the Team: Ryan Barton | | | Ryan is your friendly neighborhood real-estate agent, Certified Land Consultant, and our new Hercules Silver Corp. Community Liaison. He also serves on several boards such as the Midvale Church of Christ, Love INC, Washington County Fair, Midvale FFA Alumni, and FCA. In his free time, Ryan is a volunteer coach for several sports and FFA teams, and volunteers with Midvale Fire and Ambulance. Even with all these roles, Ryan’s number one priority is being a caring father to his two sons, Wesley and Blake, and a devoted husband to his wife, Heather. With a strong faith in God and deeply rooted commitments to integrity, hard work, and education, Ryan loves dedicating his time to his family and community. | | | DID YOU KNOW? Coring, also known as core drilling or core sampling, is a crucial process in mining exploration and geology. It involves extracting cylindrical samples (core) from the subsurface layers of the earth for examination. | | | The process goes as follows: - Once a site has been chosen and the drilling equipment has been set up and stabilized, the drilling can begin.
- The drilling starts by inserting a hollow drill bit attached to a drill rod into the ground. The drill bit is rotated and driven into the earth's subsurface layers, gradually creating a cylindrical shaft. As the drill penetrates deeper, additional drill rods are added to extend the reach of the drill bit.
- As the drill progresses, the core barrel collects the core of the buried rock. This core is extracted periodically and brought to the surface for examination. Special care is taken during retrieval to ensure that the core remains intact and undisturbed.
- Once retrieved, the core is carefully handled to prevent damage or alteration. Geologists then examine the core visually, taking note of important information such as lithology (rock type), stratigraphy (layering), mineral composition, and structural features. This process, known as core logging, provides valuable insights into the geological characteristics of the area.
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