The East Hilltop Zones were discovered while testing the eastern extension of the Hilltop fault structure where high-grade mineralization had previously been identified in the Upper and Lower Hilltop Zones. Permitting for additional disturbance was completed in mid-2023 and drilling from new drill setups resumed int the second half of the year. This program has confirmed high-grade mineralization in both the Carbonate Replacement Deposit type (CRD) and Skarn zones and step-out drilling is confirming significant growth potential with mineralization remaining wide open for expansion. Table 1 provides a summary of recent drill results and recent highlight results include:
East Hilltop (Skarn & CRD)
- 1.5 g/t Au, 274.6 g/t Ag, 4.7% Zn & 4.3% Pb over 13.2 m (iRH23-48)
- 22.4 % Zn over 5.8 m and 197.2 g/t Ag, 7.5% Zn and 5.0% Pb over 6.1 m (iRH23-49)
- 9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over 114.3 m (iRH23-50) including
- 17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over 36.6 m and
- 12.9% Zn, 0.6% Cu & 48.8 g/t Ag over 15.2 m
- 0.2 g/t Au, 36.3 g/t Ag, 7.1% Zn & 1.4% Pb over 6.1 m (iRH23-57)
Upper Hilltop (CRD)
- 2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over 10.0 m (iRH23-52)
- 14.7 g/t Au, 253.3 g/t Ag, 0.4% Zn & 8.7% Pb over 7.5 m (iRH23-52)
- 0.6 g/t Au, 332.9 g/t Ag, 8.8% Zn & 18.8% Pb over 32.0 m (iRH23-54)
- 1.0 g/t Au, 469.4 g/t Ag, 6.8% Zn & 15.6% Pb over 23.6 m (iRH23-56)
Exploration (Hilltop Corridor)
- 252.0 g/t Ag & 22.3% Zn over 1.5 m (iRH23-55)
- 1181.0 g/t Ag, 19.5% Zn & 10.2% Pb over 1.5 m (iRH23-55)
"Drilling continues to intersect extremely high-grade polymetallic base metal mineralization in multiple zones at Ruby Hill.", stated
The 2023 drill program at Ruby Hill was focused on defining mineralization in the Hilltop, Blackjack and FAD deposits for the completion of an initial NI43-101 compliant resource from these zones. Significant high‑grade mineralization was confirmed in all targets and the deposits remain wide open for expansion. In addition to drilling, geophysical surveys have recently been completed to cover the untested Hilltop Corridor to the FAD deposit located approximately 2 km to the south of Hilltop.
The ongoing drill program at Ruby Hill is focused on defining and expanding mineralization in the multiple zones that make the Property a core asset for i-80. This drilling will be included in an initial resource estimate for the polymetallic deposits. Some of the core from the program is being utilized for metallurgical testing in relation to a proposed partnership with a third-party that, upon Closing, will acquire a minority interest in the Property. Current drilling is being funded by this third party.
East Hilltop Zones – One of the final holes of the 2022 drilling program discovered high-grade skarn mineralization while testing the eastern extension of the Hilltop fault structure with an intercept of 12.3 % Zn over 39.6 m (see press release dated
The skarn mineralization at East Hilltop is located approximately 300 metres to the south of, and in a near-identical geological setting as, the Blackjack deposit adjacent to the Graveyard Flats intrusive. The area between Blackjack and East Hilltop remains untested. CRD mineralization is located along strike from the
iRH23-48 East Hilltop – 4 zones of CRD mineralization:
- 2.6 g/t Au, 344.0 g/t Ag, 5.8% Zn & 6.0% Pb over 2.7 m
- 1.1 g/t Au, 174.4 g/t Ag, 3.8% Zn & 2.0% Pb over 15.8 m
- 1.5 g/t Au, 274.6 g/t Ag, 4.7% Zn & 4.3% Pb over 13.2 m
- 1.2 g/t Au, 171.0 g/t Ag, 6.9% Zn & 3.6% Pb over 3.0 m
iRH23-49 –
- 14.3% Zn over 2.7 m
- 22.4% Zn over 5.8 m
- 10.9% Zn over 3.0 m
- 111.9 g/t Ag, 4.8% Zn & 2.5% Pb over 4.6 m
- 197.2 g/t Ag, 7.5% Zn & 5.0% Pb over 6.1 m
iRH23-50 – East Hilltop (2 zones) step-out with the best copper mineralization to-date:
- 9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over 114.3 m including
- 17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over 36.6 m and
- 12.9% Zn, 0.6% Cu & 48.8 g/t Ag over 15.2 m and
- 9.5% Zn, 0.8% Cu & 18.6 g/t Ag over 7.6 m
iRH23-53 East Hilltop CRD infill (2 zones):
- 2.8 g/t Au, 230.3 g/t Ag, 0.3 % Zn & 1.1 % Pb over 3.0 m
- 0.2 g/t Au, 317.1 g/t Ag, 9.6 % Zn & 14.3 % Pb over 3.2 m
iRH23-57 East Hilltop skarn and CRD, 50 m step-out south of iRH22-61 (3 zones):
- 8.6% Zn, 0.2% Cu & 6.0 g/t Ag over 18.3 m
- 2.1% Zn, 0.1% Cu, 1.3% Pb, 146.5 g/t Ag & 0.2 g/t Au over 12.2 m
- 7.1% Zn, 1.4% Pb, 36.3 g/t Ag & 0.2 g/t Au over 6.1 m
iRH23-52 Upper Hilltop infill (2 zones):
- 2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over 10.0 m
- 14.7 g/t Au, 253.3 g/t Ag, 0.4% Zn & 8.7% Pb over 7.5 m
iRH23-54 Upper Hilltop Infill:
- 0.6 g/t Au, 332.9 g/t Ag, 8.8% Zn & 18.8% Pb over 32.0 m
iRH23-56 Upper Hilltop infill:
- 1.0 g/t Au, 469.4 g/t Ag, 6.8% Zn & 15.6% Pb over 23.6 m
Hilltop Exploration – At the end of the 2023 drill program, and following the receipt of approvals for drilling within the Hilltop Corridor, one RC exploration hole was drilled to test for potential mineralization along the intrusive contact. This hole (iRH23-55) successfully intersected 60 metres of skarn mineralization including 4 narrow high-grade intercepts. This is the only hole drilled south of Hilltop within the Hilltop Corridor and is the first where extremely high-grade silver is associated with skarn mineralization. No other holes have tested this contact horizon other than at Blackjack and East Hilltop. Highlights from iRH23-55 include:
- 252.0 g/t Ag & 22.3% Zn over 1.5 m
- 1181.0 g/t Ag, 19.5% Zn & 10% Pb over 1.5 m
- 125.0 g/t Ag, 13.7% Zn over 1.5 m
- 159.0 g/t Ag, 11.3% Zn over 5.6% Pb over 1.5 m
The FAD deposit is located approximately 2 km to the south of the Archimedes pit and the mineralization being defined at Ruby Hill. To-date, FAD is the largest of the known CRD zones that are being drilled on the Property and remains open for expansion. Results from the 2023 drill program will be released in the coming weeks.
The CRD deposits being drilled at Ruby Hill and FAD are situated within the Hilltop Corridor, a 1.5 km long, alluvial covered, trend immediately south of the Archimedes pit that is largely untested by previous drilling owing to the alluvial cover.
Previous geophysical surveys (MT, gravity and magnetic) have identified several highly perspective anomalies that are believed to have the potential to represent additional massive sulfide targets including the
Table 1 – Highlight New Assay Results from
Drillhole ID | Zone | Type | From (m) | To (m) | Length (m) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Cu(%) | Pb (%) | Zn (%) |
iRH23-44 | Upper Hilltop | Core | NSI | |||||||
iRH23-45 | Graveyard | RC | 204.2 | 312.4 | 108.2 | 0.4 | 10.5 | - | - | - |
iRH23-46 | Upper Hilltop | Core | NSI | |||||||
iRH23-47 | East Hilltop | Core | 296.1 | 297.8 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 229.3 | 0.1 | 10.1 | 14.1 |
iRH23-48 | East Hilltop | Core | 242.0 | 244.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 344.0 | 0.6 | 6.0 | 5.8 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 269.4 | 285.3 | 15.8 | 1.1 | 174.4 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 3.8 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 311.1 | 324.3 | 13.2 | 1.5 | 274.6 | - | 4.3 | 4.7 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 331.6 | 334.6 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 171.0 | 0.1 | 3.6 | 6.9 |
iRH23-49 | East Hilltop | Core | 377.9 | 380.5 | 2.7 | - | 1.6 | - | - | 14.3 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 391.4 | 397.2 | 5.8 | - | 8.1 | 0.2 | - | 22.4 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 401.7 | 404.8 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 8.0 | 0.2 | - | 10.9 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 497.7 | 502.3 | 4.6 | 0.2 | 111.9 | - | 2.5 | 4.8 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 505.4 | 511.5 | 6.1 | 0.2 | 197.2 | 0.3 | 5.0 | 7.5 |
iRH23-50 | East Hilltop | RC | 272.8 | 387.1 | 114.3 | - | 12.6 | 0.3 | - | 9.5 |
including | East Hilltop | RC | 312.4 | 349.0 | 36.6 | - | 10.2 | 0.4 | - | 17.7 |
and incl. | East Hilltop | RC | 371.9 | 387.1 | 15.2 | 0.1 | 48.8 | 0.6 | - | 12.9 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 406.9 | 414.5 | 7.6 | - | 18.6 | 0.8 | - | 9.5 |
iRH23-51 | Exploration | RC | NSI | |||||||
iRH23-52 | Upper Hilltop | Core | 175.6 | 185.6 | 10.0 | 2.1 | 514.8 | 0.1 | 23.4 | 3.1 |
and | Upper Hilltop | Core | 192.5 | 199.9 | 7.5 | 14.7 | 253.3 | - | 8.7 | 0.4 |
iRH23-53 | East Hilltop | Core | 229.8 | 232.9 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 230.3 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
and | East Hilltop | Core | 266.3 | 269.4 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 317.1 | 0.2 | 14.3 | 9.6 |
iRH23-54 | Upper Hilltop | Core | 170.1 | 202.1 | 32.0 | 0.6 | 332.9 | 0.1 | 18.8 | 8.8 |
iRH23-55 | East Hilltop | RC | 464.8 | 466.3 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 159.0 | 0.3 | 5.6 | 11.3 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 469.4 | 470.9 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 125.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 13.7 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 481.6 | 483.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1181.0 | 1.2 | 10.2 | 19.5 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 553.2 | 554.7 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 252.0 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 22.3 |
iRH23-56 | Upper Hilltop | Core | 175.7 | 199.3 | 23.6 | 1.0 | 469.4 | 0.1 | 15.6 | 6.8 |
iRH23-57 | East Hilltop | RC | 378.0 | 396.2 | 18.3 | - | 6.0 | 0.2 | - | 8.6 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 446.5 | 458.7 | 12.2 | 0.2 | 146.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.1 |
and | East Hilltop | RC | 481.6 | 487.7 | 6.1 | 0.2 | 36.3 | - | 1.4 | 7.1 |
* True widths estimated at 75-95%. Numbers may not add due to rounding. |
UTM | Drillhole ID | East m | North m | Elevation m | Azimuth | Dip |
iRH23-44 | 587458 | 4375132 | 2000 | 345 | -83 | |
iRH23-45 | 587860 | 4375018 | 2001 | 102 | -71 | |
iRH23-46 | 587455 | 4375134 | 1999 | 024 | -73 | |
iRH23-47 | 587644 | 4375083 | 1995 | 008 | -75 | |
iRH23-48 | 587644 | 4375078 | 1995 | 353 | -81 | |
iRH22-49 | 587852 | 4375097 | 1997 | 273 | -76 | |
iRH22-50 | 587684 | 4374989 | 1998 | 026 | -83 | |
iRH22-51 | 584968 | 4375353 | 1904 | 090 | -60 | |
iRH22-52 | 587456 | 4375134 | 2000 | 016 | -66 | |
iRH22-53 | 587644 | 4375083 | 1995 | 353 | -75 | |
iRH22-54 | 587456 | 4375134 | 1999 | 030 | -62 | |
iRH22-55 | 587618 | 4374871 | 2006 | 081 | -70 | |
iRH22-56 | 587614 | 4375134 | 1999 | 018 | -58 | |
iRH22-57 | 587614 | 4375015 | 1998 | 048 | -74 |
The
Multiple types of mineralization have been identified in the Hilltop Corridor including skarn (Blackjack), CRD (Hilltop/historic mines), distal disseminated Au-Ag (
The Company has submitted for approval its plan to develop an underground mine at Ruby Hill with mineralization accessed via a ramp from the Archimedes open pit. Work is also progressing for the completion of updated mineral resource estimates (gold and polymetallic zones) and an initial economic study for the gold zones (only).
Please click here for further information on abbreviations and conversions referenced in this press release.
All samples were submitted to
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the expansion or mineral resources at Ruby Hill and the potential of the Ruby Hill project. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
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