Metallica Metals drills 34.9 metres of 1.11 g/t gold at Starr project, Ontario
Metallica Metals Corp. [MM-CSE; MTALF-OTC; SY7P-FSE] reported assay results from the first three diamond drill holes (STR21-001 to 003) completed to validate high-grade gold mineralization at the Starr gold-silver project in the Thunder Bay mining district of northern Ontario.
The project, which the company has the right to earn up to a 100% interest from Benton Resources Inc. [BEX-TSXV; BNTRF-OTC], covers a large land position (5,991 hectares) that includes several high-grade gold and silver occurrences within a 20-km-long segment of the southwestern section of the Shebandowan greenstone belt.
Recent drilling confirmed grade continuity between historical drill holes in the Starr Central target area and results indicate high-grade gold mineralization extends along strike.
Several thick high-grade gold zones were identified. Significant intercepts include drill hole STR21-001 that returned 34.9 metres at 1.11 g/t gold from 0.5 metres depth, including 2.1 metres at 11.63 g/t gold and 1.15 metres at 2.45 g/t gold and 2.45 metres at 2.81 g/t gold.
Hole STR21-002 returned 2.05 metres at 0.82 g/t gold from 65.85 metres depth, including 0.5 metres at 2.91 g/t gold. Hole STR21-003 returned 25.75 metres at 1.14 g/t gold from 5.8 metres depth, including 4.45 metres at 1.95 g/t gold and 0.9 metres at 13.1 g/t gold and 3.3 metres at 1.69 g/t gold.
The Starr project has historically been underexplored and drilling is expected to increase the company’s confidence in the geology and structure of these mineralized zones especially in the eastern and southern parts of the project.
Additional assay results are expected soon with over 13 holes already completed at Starr. A second drilling rig from Forage Fusion Drilling (FFD) of Hawkesbury, Ont., has also arrived on site to complete drilling targets on the eastern side of the project.
Paul Teniere, CEO of Metallica Metals, commented: “These first drill hole results for the Starr project have confirmed the continuity and thickness of the high-grade gold mineralization present in the Starr Central target area and at shallow depths. We are also seeing good correlation with the historical drilling results, and this is encouraging as we continue to advance our 4,000-metre drilling program and continue drilling in the Starr and Powell zones. A second diamond rig has arrived at the property and has commenced drilling targets to the east that have never been tested below surface, such as the CK showing, which contains up to 16.5 g/t gold and 349 g/t silver from historical grab samples.”
The adjacent Moss Lake gold deposit hosts an indicated mineral resource of 39,797,000 tonnes grading 1.1 g/t gold for 1,377,300 contained ounces of gold and an inferred mineral resource of 50,364,000 tonnes grading 1.1 g/t gold for 1,751,600 contained ounces of gold, and is currently under care and maintenance.