- Benchmark Metals (BNCH) is planning 20,000 metres of Mineral Resource expansion drilling at its Cliff Creek and Dukes Ridge deposits
- The drill program has the potential for expansion of high-grade contiguous zones below the existing deposits that could provide the potential for underground mining in a future economic study
- Drilling will include a combination of step-down and infill drilling for resource expansion
- Benchmark Metals Inc. (BNCH) was up 4.05 per cent, trading at $0.385 at 9:35 am ET
Benchmark Metals (BNCH) is planning 20,000 metres of Mineral Resource expansion drilling at its Cliff Creek and Dukes Ridge deposits.
The drill program has the potential for the expansion of high-grade contiguous zones below the existing deposits that could provide the potential for underground mining in a future economic study.
Drilling plans include step-out and infill drilling below the open pits in areas that were not included in the 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The potential for expansion at depth is noted with selected drill intersections, including 21.00 metres at 4.04 g/t gold and 84.12 g/t silver or 5.09 g/t AuEq in drill hole 21CCDD049 and 13.74 metres at 6.43 g/t gold and 378.59 g/t silver or 11.16 g/t AuEq in drill hole 22DRDD003.
Cliff Creek extends across a 1.6-kilometre strike length where mineralization plunges to depth with high-grade zones that remain open metres open greater than 550 metres vertical depth at Cliff Creek North and greater than 450 metres vertical depth at Cliff Creek South.
The company’s CEO, John Williamson, stated that the deposits are open for additional resource growth with high-grade gold and silver mineralization below the existing deposits.
“Expansion drilling is anticipated to significantly improve the Project economics by adding more high-grade mineralization to the mine schedule. The areas below the deposits contain four- to 15-metre-wide zones of consistent high-grade gold and silver mineralization. The plunging high-grade mineralized zones appear to be 50 to more than 100 metres in length, and in some areas, the length is still unconstrained. Both Cliff Creek and Dukes Ridge are open at depth.”
Drilling will include a combination of step-down and infill drilling for resource expansion. A machine learning artificial intelligence model has predictively outlined grades which further characterize the resource to depth.
Benchmark Metals Inc. (BNCH) is a Canadian gold and silver company advancing its flagship Lawyer’s Gold-Silver Project located in the prolific Golden Horseshoe of north-central British Columbia, Canada.
Benchmark Metals Inc. (BNCH) was up 4.05 per cent, trading at $0.385 at 9:35 am ET.