Mackay Gold & Silver (TSX-V:MACK) has commenced its inaugural 20,000m drill program at the Comstock District property in Nevada, US.
The phase one program marks the first large‑scale systematic exploration drilling along the Occidental‑Brunswick Lode, a multi‑kilometre vein system running parallel to the historic Comstock Lode.
The company has mobilised the first drill rig to site, with drilling now underway at the 100%‑owned property.
Phase one includes shallow reverse circulation drilling over a 1,000m-by-400m area at Occidental South, targeting ‘high‑grade’ oxide gold‑silver mineralisation associated with ‘strong’ gold‑in‑soil geochemistry.
Deeper core drilling will test the depth projection of the Occidental‑Brunswick Lode near where the historic Sutro Dewatering Tunnel reportedly crossed a 30m-thick interval of the lode at approximately 450m vertical depth.
CEO Darwin Green says the program represents a ‘significant milestone’ for the company after assembling the largest consolidated land package in the district’s history.
“The Occidental‑Brunswick Lode is a 3‑mile‑long mineralised structure, with the same strike, dip, and overall geological setting as the neighbouring Comstock Lode that was mined to depths of over 3,000 feet,” Green notes.
This program consists of approximately 15,000m of RC drilling and 5,000m diamond core drilling across 80‑100 drill holes. The RC drill rig arrived on site on 17 June, while the core drill rig is scheduled to arrive in early August.
At Occidental South, drilling will include step‑outs at 50m to 100m spacing along 1,000m of strike and 300m down dip. Most RC drilling is planned with hole depths from 100m to 250m.
Initial core drilling is designed to test the depth projection of the Occidental vein‑structure at 100m spacing.
The 4‑mile Sutro Tunnel, built in the late 1870s, crosscut a 30m wide interval of the Occidental‑Brunswick Lode that was reportedly mineralised but considered below the cut‑off grade at the time.
Assays will be reported as they are received, with first results currently projected for late summer.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Mackay Gold & Silver
