The program was conducted this April and May by
We continue to receive impressive results from the RC program conducted at Storm by our partners America West Metals,' stated
The 4100N Zone sits directly above the largest of several geophysical targets recently delineated at Storm, adjacent to faults that may have served as conduits for the mineralizing fluids. Our exploration model suggests that the 4100N Zone may be the uppermost of a series of stacked mineralized zones. This would be a game-changing discovery, and we eagerly look forward to testing this hypothesis in the upcoming summer drill program.'
HIGH GRADES AND THICK INTERVALS CONTINUE
Assay results have been received and interpretation has been completed on drill holes SR23-07, SR23-08, SR23-09, SR23-13, SR23-14, and SR23-15. The drill holes are located within the central part of the 4100N Zone and have been prioritized to allow resource modeling on drill sections with complete data sets.
The drilling results continue to demonstrate consistent copper grades and excellent lateral continuity of the known copper mineralization. The mineralization is open along most sections and is defined by broad intervals of vein and fracture-style chalcocite, bornite and lesser chalcopyrite hosted within a distinct, horizontally extensive dolomite.
Multiple very high-grade lenses are located within the broader zones of mineralization, and these targets and further expansion of the mineralized footprint will be a focus for follow-up drilling in this zone.
DRILL HOLE SR23-14 and SR23-15 DETAILS
SR23-14 and SR23-15 were drilled to test continuity along the
The drill holes have successfully confirmed the consistency of the copper mineralization between the historical sections and increased the resource confidence in the central part of the 4100N Zone.
Drill hole SR23-14 has intersected a single, very wide interval of vein and fracture-style copper sulfide mineralization with individual assays up to 4.9% Cu.
Drill hole SR23-15 also intersected a wide zone (30m) of >0.5% Cu mineralization with higher-grade bands of >1% Cu mineralization toward the base of the interval.
The new drill hole data at the 4100N Zone is helping to further the understanding of the geological setting and mineralization processes of the Storm copper system. The drilling is revealing a laterally extensive zone of mineralization that displays many of the features of a typical sediment hosted copper deposit, including multiple stacked copper horizons. The recent gravity survey data has highlighted a large and dense body underneath the 4100N Zone which is interpreted to potentially represent a larger accumulation of copper sulfides.
Importantly, the geology of the 4100N displays marked similarities to that observed in drilling that has tested deeper parts of the system. Drill hole ST22-10, drilled to the west and below the stratigraphic level of the 4100N Zone, targeted a large EM anomaly and intersected 68 m of a typical sediment hosted mineral assemblage including chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, and galena. At the 4100N Zone and elsewhere at Storm, this mineral assemblage is located peripheral to a larger and higher-grade core dominated by chalcocite, bornite and covellite.
The geological similarities and spatial association between the 4100N Zone and ST22-10 suggest that the two types of mineralization may be related and form part of a large, stacked copper system hosted in several prospective stratigraphic horizons.
EVIDENCE OF A MAJOR COPPER SYSTEM
The drilling and geophysical evidence strongly support the potential for a large-scale copper system within the
The geology of the area displays all the elements required in the sediment-hosted mineralizing process: permeable carbonate rocks to act as a fluid conduit and host mineralization, hydrocarbons to reduce metal-bearing fluids and force metal precipitation, sulfur source from bitumen and sour gas, proximity to faults known to be an effective source for plumbing, all within a favourable structural setting.
A distinct zonation of metal and mineralogy is also observed at Storm. The zonation appears as a large copper-rich core (chalcocite, bornite and covellite) that gives way laterally and vertically to thinner peripheral zones of copper-iron (chalcopyrite), iron (pyrite), zinc (sphalerite) and minor lead (galena). This zonation provides a powerful vector for exploration.
These key features are similar to many of the world's major sediment-hosted copper systems, including the deposits of the Kalahari Copper Belt (
PLANNED PROGRAM
The drilling at the 4100N Zone will be followed by resource definition drilling at the 2200N and 2750N Zone, where drilling during 2022 intersected high-grade copper sulfides close to surface including 41m (core length) @ 4.18% Cu from 38m (ST22-05) downhole.
Processing and interpretation of the MLEM data is almost complete. Drilling is being planned to follow-up any new MLEM anomalies.
Diamond drilling has been scheduled to test the large geophysical copper targets below the near-surface mineralization defined in recent EM and gravity surveys.
Sorting, beneficiation and process optimisation continues on a range of mineralization styles.
An environmental baseline survey will begin in the Storm area during Q3 2023.
About the Storm Copper and Seal Zinc-Silver Projects,
The
Storm Discovery and Historical Work
High-grade copper mineralization was discovered at Storm in the mid-1990s by
Following the merger of
In 2016 Aston Bay entered into an earn-in agreement with BHP, who conducted a 2,000-station soil sampling program and drilled 1,951m of core in 12 diamond drill holes, yielding up to 16m @ 3.1% Cu. BHP exited the agreement in 2017. Aston Bay conducted a property-wide airborne gravity gradiometry survey in 2017 and drilled 2,913m in nine core holes in the Storm area in 2018 yielding a best intercept of 1.5m @ 4.39% Cu and 20.5m @ 0.56% Cu.
Agreement with
An earn-in agreement for the Storm and Seal properties was signed with
Recent Work
American West completed a fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground geophysical survey in 2021 that yielded several new subsurface conductive anomalies. A total of 1,534m were drilled in 10 diamond drill holes in the 2022 season, yielding several impressive near-surface intercepts including 41m @ 4.1% Cu as well as 68m of sulfide mineralization associated with a deeper conductive anomaly.
In
In
A summer 2023 program plans further delineation drilling of the near-surface high-grade copper zones to advance them toward maiden resource reports by late 2023. Diamond drilling is planned to test new high-priority gravity targets and environmental baseline studies will be initiated.
About
Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for high-grade copper and gold deposits in
The Company is 100% owner of the
About
Led by a highly experienced leadership team, our strategic initiatives lay the foundation for a sustainable business which aims to deliver high-multiplier returns on shareholder investment and economic benefits to all stakeholders.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements made in this news release, including those regarding the Option Agreement, grant of the Option and the expected closing date, American West's interest in the
Contact:
Tel: (416) 456-3516
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