Olympio Metals (ASX:OLY) has commenced its maiden diamond drilling program at the Jacknife Silver Project in Idaho, US.
The 1,500m program targets silver mineralisation across the historical Conjecture mine, lateral continuity of the Conjecture shear zone, and high-priority exploration areas within patented claims at Jacknife.
Private US exploration company Scout Discoveries is Olympio’s in-country technical and operational partner. Jacknife comprises 135.6 hectares of patented mining claims, allowing rapid advancement to drilling.
Managing Director Sean Delaney says the program marks a new phase for a project with minimal modern exploration.
“We are very excited to begin the next big chapter in the history of the Jacknife Project. This project has produced more than 3.2 million ounces of high-grade silver over its history and has practically no modern exploration over the area,” Delaney notes.
“With a Scout Discoveries drill rig now mobilised to site and a modern-day, district-scale exploration strategy in place, Olympio is well positioned to develop the full potential of this critical minerals project.”
The program is the first modern drilling in the Lakeview Mining District since 2012, and the first on the consolidated claims that comprise Jacknife. It will test between historical underground drives to establish vertical continuity at the Conjecture mine and the western strike extension of the Conjecture shear zone.
Olympio is targeting a 520m extension that could take mineralisation to about 1km of strike.
Six mines, one system
Jacknife hosts six historically significant mines with combined production of more than 3.2 million ounces (Moz) of silver and over 8km of underground workings, including a 610m vertical shaft at the Conjecture mine.
The Conjecture mine produced 2.08Moz of silver between 1913 and 1964, at average grades of 217.72 grams per tonne silver in the earlier period and 684.28g/t in the later period. The Weber mine produced 886,556 ounces between 1901 and 1981 at an average grade of 248.83g/t.
The project covers the Conjecture, Weber, Bellville, and Hewer shear zones, with a combined strike length of about 7km. Antimony and silver are included on the 2025 US Geological Survey critical minerals list.
Olympio expects rock chip and soil sampling results from the laboratory, with drilling ongoing and results expected in the coming weeks.
Olympio Metals is an Australian explorer advancing a portfolio of silver and critical minerals assets in the US.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Olympio Metals
