AuRico Metals reports positive drilling results for 2017 programme

This year's exploration programme had three key objectives: convert inferred resource blocks to indicated, expand the limits of the currently known deposit and test the northern extension of the known mineralisation within the KOZ.

Chris Richter, President and CEO of AuRico Metals, stated: "We're pleased to report the outcome of this year's drilling on the Kemess property and believe we've successfully achieved our objectives. At Kemess East we expect to convert a significant amount of inferred resources to indicated resources and a number of the holes point to good potential to grow the resource to the south. At the Kemess Offset Zone, we intersected long intervals of gold and copper mineralisation and this target remains open in every direction. The results from the Kemess East drill programme will be incorporated into an updated Kemess East resource expected in the first quarter of 2018."

The current Kemess East resource estimate includes a high-grade core estimated to contain indicated resources of 113.1 million t grading 0.38% Cu and 0.46 g/t Au as well as Inferred Resources of 63.8 million t grading 0.34% Cu and 0.31 g/t Au. The high-grade core of the Kemess East resource estimate is associated with strong potassic alteration and the overall resource is mostly hosted in the strong and moderate potassic alteration.

Although each hole in the 2017 programme had multiple objectives they can generally be subdivided as follows: Holes KH-17-02, KH-17-04, KH-17-06, KH-17-08B and KH-17-09 were drilled in the southern Kemess East area. These holes targeted up to 175 m south of the current indicated resource blocks within the inferred resource blocks. Drill holes KH-17-04, KH-17-08B and KH-17-09 bottomed in potassic strong alteration with good gold and copper mineralisation that was previously modeled as lower grade. KH-17-04 was particularly intriguing as it bottomed in mineralisation that was previously thought to be in barren intrusive rock. 

Holes KH-17-03, KH-17-05 and KH-17-07 were drilled to test the northern area of the Kemess East deposit and to fill gaps in the current resource. KH-17-05 intersected mineralisation as expected, successfully filling in a large gap in the drilling within the resource. KH-17-03 intersected the top of mineralisation deeper than expected due to faulting. KH-17-07 deviated toward the area already tested by KH-17-03 and was therefore shut down prior to hitting mineralisation.

Finally, holes KH-17-01 and KH-17-10 were designed to test the northern extension of mineralisation within the KOZ. Both holes intersected significant mineralised intervals which extended the KOZ mineralisation further to the north by 60 m – 170 m. KH-17-01 was shut down early due to drilling issues, however, we now have a better understanding of the mineralisation, alteration and faulting within the KOZ and it remains open in all directions.

 

We expect that the 2017 drill programme will contribute to converting inferred resource blocks to indicated resource blocks and increase the grade of the Kemess East resource. An updated resource for Kemess East is expected in 1Q18. Following this year's drilling, the Kemess East Deposit remains open to the west towards the KOZ, to the north, and to the south.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/08122017/aurico-metals-reports-positive-drilling-results-for-2017-programme/