Expansion Potential of Near Surface Mineralization
This drill program has highlighted the continuity of the near surface copper mineralization and the potential for significant tonnages within the 2750N Zone. This zone is one of five major zones of high-grade mineralization that has been identified by historical exploration; four remaining zones await follow-up drilling to confirm potential additional copper mineralization.
The areas of immediate exploration interest are the 2200N and 4100N Zones, where thick intervals of copper mineralization have already been defined by historical drilling. Additional drilling at these zones is expected to significantly increase the scale of the near surface copper mineralization within the Storm Project area.
2200N Zone
The 2200N Zone is located approximately 540m to the south of the 2750N Zone and is characterized by extensive outcropping of chalcocite over several hundred metres. The 2200N Zone is also located within an area of faulting related to the main graben structures.
Historical drilling has intersected bornite and chalcocite mineralization including 6.4m* @ 7.38% Cufrom surface and 22.35m* @ 1.56% Cu from 22.9m downhole (ST97-03), similar to the 2750N Zone. Drill hole and geochemical data indicate that the main part of the 2200N Zone may be up to 300m long, 60m wide and 40m thick.
Extensions to this zone are supported by the presence of a shallow and strong Fixed Loop Electromagnetic (FLEM) anomaly that was defined in the 2021 survey (see December 14, 2021 news release) and historical Induced Polarization (IP) data.
Both the 2750N and 2200N Zones are located above a large, flat lying and deeper 1,800 x 1,000m Fixed Loop Electromagnetic (FLEM) anomaly that was also identified in the 2021 EM program. This feature is coincident with strong gravity anomalism between the major graben faults (Figure 5), which is an ideal location for the accumulation of sedimentary copper mineralization.