King Global Critical Minerals (CSE:KING) reports gold grades up to 22.6 grams per tonne from systematic sampling of historic tailings at its Black Canyon Project in Arizona, US.
The company collected 76 tailings samples on a 9m grid across the Golden Turkey tailings, returning average grades of 3.85g/t gold (Au) and 76.2g/t silver (Ag). Individual results ranged from 0.08–22.6g/t gold and 6–601g/t silver.
17 samples returned greater than 5g/t Au, including six above 10g/t. The samples also averaged 0.44% lead (Pb) and 0.42% zinc (Zn).
Sample J454978 returned the ‘highest’ gold value at 22.6g/t Au with 300g/t Ag, 1.3% Pb, and 1.3% Zn. Sample J454974 returned 14.6g/t Au, 656g/t Ag, 2.6% Pb, 1.9% Zn, and 400 parts per million (ppm) antimony.
The 2026 program builds on sampling completed in April 2024 under independent qualified person Andrew Lee Smith. That program comprised 37 near-surface samples averaging 3g/t Au and 32g/t Ag.
King cautions the averages characterise only the sampled population and should not be interpreted as the average grade of the entire Golden Turkey deposit.
The samples represent near-surface tailings at sampled locations rather than continuous samples through the profile. Further vertical sampling and bulk-density measurements are required to determine representativeness at depth.
A historical 1996 survey by Arizona registered land surveyor Leslie Irwin estimated the physical quantity of tailings at Golden Turkey using surveyed 0.6m contours.
King plans to advance the opportunity through additional sampling, metallurgical testing, and permitting. It will pursue discussions with the US Forest Service and other regulators on a permitting pathway for removing historic tailings and transporting them for off-site processing.
The Black Canyon Project comprises 213 contiguous concessions covering 1,618 hectares and encompasses 15 former operating mines. It sits 100km north of Phoenix and targets copper-gold-silver-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralisation.
King Global Critical Minerals is a Canadian mineral explorer advancing silver, gold, copper, and base metal assets across Arizona, alongside gold projects in Québec and Newfoundland, Canada.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: King Global Critical Minerals
