American West Metals (ASX:AW1) reports ‘significant’ assay results from exploration drilling at the West Desert Project in Utah, US.
WD22-19 has intersected ‘high-grade’ mineralisation 250m south-west of the West Desert deposit confirming the potential for a major new zone of mineralisation.
Assays for WD22-19 have returned:
- 4.58m @ 5.21% Zn, 0.46% Cu, 0.6g/t Au, 18.68g/t Ag, 88.05g/t In from 455.65m, including,
- 0.92m @ 20.42% Zn, 0.76% Cu, 1.04g/t Au, 33.13g/t Ag, 54.47g/t In from 459.31m
Exploration drillhole WD22-19 was designed to test a large magnetitic anomaly which is centred about 250m to the south-west of the existing West Desert Deposit and is the first exploration drill hole to be completed by AW1 at the West Desert Project.
American West reports the drillhole has intersected high-grade zinc and copper sulphides within a broad ‘lower-grade’ mineralised envelope. The style of mineralisation and host rock package is similar to that of the Deep Zone of the West Desert Deposit.
The observations from WD22-19 suggest that the drill hole may have hit the margin of another significant ore system, which likely lies to the north and closer toward the interpreted porphyry contact.
Addressing the results, American West Metals Managing Director Dave O’Neill commented: “We are extremely pleased to announce significant drilling results at the West Desert Project while we wait for the return of further assay results from the Storm drilling program.
The latest assay results continue to show the exciting growth potential of the West Desert mineral system.
“The latest assay results continue to show the exciting growth potential of the West Desert mineral system”
WD22-19 was our first drillhole exploring in areas away from the West Desert deposit and the assays confirm it has intersected high-grade zinc and copper. The mineralisation looks very similar to that on the margins of the Deep Zone at the existing deposit, so we believe we are on the edge of a major new zone of mineralisation.
WD22-19 is located over 250m south-west of the deposit, so this has huge implications for the growth potential along strike of West Desert.
Drillhole WD22-01C has also delivered for us with more than 400m of porphyry style molybdenum-silver mineralisation which remains open at depth. This is an exciting development as the style, thickness and grade of the mineralisation shows similarities to that of the giant Bingham Canyon deposit.
Importantly, the broad zone of mineralisation also contains a newly discovered high-grade copper, gold and silver lens which sits outside the current West Desert resource.
Work continues at West Desert and we are making excellent progress with the metallurgical test work and maiden JORC compliant resource estimate, which we hope to be able to provide an update on shortly.“
American West notes that WD22-19 was drilled to a downhole depth of 628.5m and was pushed beyond the planned depth due to the presence of continuing strong visual skarn/CRD mineralisation.
Skarn mineralisation was first encountered in WD22-19 at about 350m and is present as thin bands and brecciations within dolomite, and as massive magnetite dominant zones.
Sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, and pyrite are visible as disseminations and veinlets within a number of these zones. Whilst most of this mineralisation has returned relatively low metal grades, a stronger zone of zinc-copper-gold-silver-indium is present between 444.07 and 460.23m downhole.
The WD22-19 discovery has confirmed the potential for further significant resources to the west of the West Desert Deposit, and the prospective porphyry/skarn contact now has intersections of high-grade zinc and copper along 1.6km of strike.
This area remains underexplored and offers an excellent opportunity to further increase the scale of the resource footprint at the project.
The company reports that further exploration drilling will now aim to test to the north of WD22-19, and closer to the interpreted main mineral system.
The company reports that assay results from drillhole WD22-04, the final hole to be assayed, are expected shortly. Metallurgical test work continues on oxide, transitional and fresh ore samples from drill holes WD22-01, WD22-02 and WD22-03.
An update on the progress of this test program will also be given in the coming weeks.
Work also continues on the maiden JORC compliant resource estimate for the West Desert Deposit, which is expected to be delivered during early Q4 2022.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: American West Metals Ltd
