VANCOUVER, BC, July 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Norden Crown Metals Corp. ("Norden Crown" or the "Company") (TSXV: NOCR) (OTC: NOCRF (Frankfurt: 03E) has begun an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 metre diamond drilling program at its 100% owned Burfjord Copper Project ("Burfjord" or the "Project") in northern Norway, in partnership with Boliden Mineral AB ("Boliden) in northern Norway. A variety of anomalous geological, geochemical, and geophysical targets have been identified which have potential to host economic copper-gold mineralization. The primary objective of the drill program is to evaluate the copper-gold grades and test the continuity of newly established targets within an area of extensive historical mining and trenching. Stratigraphic drill holes are also planned to supplement targeting and expand prospectivity along the axis of the Burfjord anticline.
Previous drilling by Norden Crown (see News Release dated March 20, 2019) at Burfjord returned compelling results including an intercept of 32 metres averaging 0.56% copper and 0.26 g/t gold (including 3.46 metres of 4.31% copper and 2.22 g/t gold) at shallow depths below a cluster of historic mine workings1,2. Historical drilling on the Project (Cedarsgruvan) was reported to have returned 7.0 metres averaging 3.6% copper3.
Patricio Varas, Chairman and CEO of Norden Crown stated, "The joint Norden-Boliden exploration team has leveraged results from last year's drilling which combined with the recently completed TEM-geophysical survey, new geological mapping and geochemical sampling, have defined numerous high-potential drill targets on the West and East limbs and the Hinge of the Burfjord Anticline". "We are excited to test these new targets and feel confident that the summer 2022 drill program will advance the Burfjord Project substantially."
DiamondDrilling
Norden Crown has engaged Arctic Drilling AS (Norway) to complete a minimum of 3,000 metres of diamond drilling at Burfjord that is designed to test geological, geochemical and geophysical targets identified in the 2020 and 2021 field programs. Arctic Drilling has mobilized to the first target site and drilling has now commenced.
2022 Exploration Targets
The 2022 exploration drilling program at Burfjord is focused on several copper targets that are surrounded by historical adits, pits, trenches, and workings within the extensively iron-carbonate altered Burfjord Anticline (Figure 1).
These targets have been identified and prioritized based on lithological and structural mapping, rock and soil geochemistry, airborne magnetic geophysics and ground based electromagnetic geophysics. High priority target areas for this summer are presented below.
West Limb (Kisgangen and Peninsula target areas)
The geology of West Limb is dominated by a 3,000 meter by 400-metre albite-iron carbonate-magnetite alteration assemblage in clastic sedimentary rocks (L-Unit; Figure 1) that is locally brecciated and contains disseminated copper sulphides (chalcopyrite) and chalcopyrite bearing quartz-carbonate veins. Extensive historical pits, trenches and adits are present along a strike length of at least 800m along the trend of several shale horizons adjacent to the L-unit which represent attractive traps for copper-gold mineralized fluids (Figure 1).
Field exploration programs in 2020 and 2021 delineated an intense magnetic anomaly, several conductive ground conductors (TEM) (Figure 2), rock samples with elevated copper, a copper soil anomaly, and several faults thought to be possible fluid conduits.
The drill program will test both strike and depth continuity of mineralization along the western limb of the Burfjord anticline (Figure 2).
East Limb (Gamlegruva and A-Gruva target areas)
The East Limb of the Burfjord anticline constitutes a ~5 kilometre-long trend of discontinuously outcropping copper occurrences and historical mine adits that contain disseminated copper sulphide mineralization (chalcopyrite and sporadic bornite) associated with hematite-jasper breccia and carbonate vein stockworks hosted in potassic altered pillow basalts and albitized black shales.
The objective of the current drill program is to follow up on 2021-hole BUR-21-005 which returned 1.35m averaging 8.67% Cu and 0.69 g/t Au (see News Release dated April 11, 2022). Drilling will aim to intersect carbonate veins bearing high-grade copper within a gabbro unit which hosts a trend of historical pits, adits and trenches (Figure 1).
Hinge Zone (Cedarsgruvan and Cedarelva target areas)
The Hinge Zone is a structural target in the hinge of the Burfjord anticline and is characterized by intensely albite altered black shales, breccias and albitized dolomite (Figure 2). Several significant historical mines are present within the target area, which targeted massive chalcopyrite and strong chalcopyrite dissemination within albitite (Cedarsgruvan) as well as high grade chalcopyrite veins (Cedarselva). Planned drilling aims to test strike continuity of mineralization at Cedarsgruvan (Figure 2).
Overview of the Burfjord Project
The Project, located in the Kåfjord Copper Belt near Alta, Norway, is highly prospective for Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) and Sediment Hosted Copper mineral deposits which contribute significantly to copper production globally.
Burfjord is comprised of six exploration licenses totalling 5,500 hectares. Within the license area, during the nineteenth century, copper mineralization was mined from over 30 historical mines and prospects developed along the flanks of a prominent 4 x 6-kilometre fold (anticline) consisting of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Many of the rocks in the anticline are intensely hydrothermally altered and contain sulphide mineralization.
The high-grade copper gold veins at Burfjord, that were historically mined at cut- off grades of 3-5% copper, are surrounded by envelopes of stockwork veins or disseminations of copper mineralization extending tens to hundreds of metres laterally into the host rocks. Norden Crown believes this mineralization has economic potential and represents an attractive bulk tonnage exploration drilling target. Copper bearing veins in the area are dominated by ferroan carbonate, sodium-rich minerals, and iron-oxide minerals (magnetite and hematite), but also contain the economically important minerals chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite in addition to cobalt-rich pyrite as generally coarse-grained (often 0.5 centimetre to multi-centimetre scale) disseminations in the veins. The sodium-rich styles of alteration and mineralization at Burfjord are also host to elevated levels of rare elements (e.g., Indium), which are critical "technology metals" that are important to the emerging green energy and other industries. Discrete zones of cobalt and nickel mineralization are also present at Burfjord.
Burfjord Joint Venture Terms
Norden Crown entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") with Boliden in respect to Burfjord (see June 10, 2020 News Release). To earn its 51% interest in the Project, Boliden must fund 100% of the exploration programs by spending US$6 Million over the next four years. Work on the exploration programs is directed by a join Norden-Boliden Technical committee.
About Norden Crown Metals Corp.
Norden Crown is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of Zinc, Copper, Silver, Gold, Cobalt and Nickel deposits in exceptional, historical mining project areas spanning Sweden and Norway. The Company aims to discover new economic mineral deposits in known mining districts that have seen little or no modern exploration. The Company is led by an experienced management team and technical team, with successful track records in mineral discovery, mining development and financing.
References
- Intercept reported as seen in drill core. The true width is estimated at 85-100% of the reported interval.
- See Norden Crown'sApril 11, 2022, News Release for discussion of analytical methods, QA/QC and core handling protocols.
- Source: NGU Deposit Factsheet, Deposit Area 1943-010, 1997. Norden Crown's property reviews have confirmed the geologic occurrence of mineralization on the Project and considers the historic exploration data to be relevant as reported in public disclosures and government reports.
Qualified Person
Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to Burfjord contained in this news release. Mr. MacNeil is Vice President Exploration for Norden.
On behalf of Norden Crown Metals Corp.
Patricio Varas, Chairman and CEO
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward‐looking statements". Forward‐looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to future outlook and anticipated events, such as the successful completion of the exploration program (consisting of diamond drilling, mapping, prospecting, outcrop sampling, airborne magnetic and ground electromagnetic geophysical surveys) and Norden Crown's belief in the economic potential and attractiveness of Burfjord as a bulk tonnage target as discussed herein, the dates the various segments of the exploration program will commence, the duration of various segments of the exploration program, the anticipated timing of the results of the exploration programs described herein and the planned uses of the resulting data. Although Norden Crown believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the various contracted entities to complete their duties within the time expected by the Company; inclement weather conditions that may impede, delay or stop all or part of the exploration program; the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic or other pandemics or epidemics; mechanical breakdowns of equipment used in the exploration programs, changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the ability of Norden Crown to obtain the necessary consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and, if obtained, to obtain such consents in a timely fashion relative to Norden Crown plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of Norden Crown to drill test its projects and find mineral resources; if any mineral resources are discovered or acquired, the Company's ability to monetize any such mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of Norden Crown management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Norden Crown undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
SOURCE Norden Crown Metals Corp.
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