Maverick Gold and Silver (CSE:MAV) says initial sampling at its Jericho property in Nevada, US, has confirmed silver as the dominant element in the mineralised system.
Results have been received for 153 of the 171 samples collected across the Lincoln County property, returning gold grades of up to 7.21 grams per tonne and silver grades of up to 644g/t.
The results include grab samples collected from mineralised dumps near historic workings, which the company says provide an indication of the style and tenor of mineralisation.
“At this early stage of exploration, it is the only way to get a view into the third dimension other than drilling,” Vice President of Exploration Ian Foreman says.
According to Maverick, the results confirm the widespread distribution of silver and gold along two subparallel structural corridors previously identified across the property.
The western trend has been traced for more than 4km and is characterised by higher-grade mineralisation hosted in large low-sulphidation epithermal quartz veins and stockworks within the Helen and Tempa zones.
The eastern trend has been traced for approximately 2km and hosts the President’s Zone, where the company has identified higher gold grades.
High silver-to-gold ratios
According to Maverick, the Helen Zone hosts the largest past-producing workings on the property, while the Tempa Zone has returned particularly high silver grades.
Across both zones, the company highlights high silver-to-gold ratios that in many samples exceed 1,000:1.
Maverick says it is not aware of another deposit in Nevada with comparable ratios, though further work will be required to understand their significance.
The company plans to study the silver-to-gold relationship further to determine its implications for exploration and help identify the most favourable targets for future drilling.
In the meantime, Maverick will continue exploration at Jericho with additional sampling and mapping programs.
Maverick currently holds an option to acquire 100% of the Jericho property through cash payments totalling US$250,000 ($348,957) over four years.
Maverick Gold and Silver is an exploration-stage company advancing a portfolio of high-potential gold, silver, and copper properties.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: Maverick Gold and Silver
