Benchmark drills 3.73 g/t AuEq over 54.6 metres at Lawyers Project, British Columbia
Benchmark Metals Inc. [BNCH-TSXV; BNCHF-OTCQX; A2JM2X-WKN] reported new results from infill and expansion drilling at the Dukes Ridge deposit on the Lawyers property, north-central British Columbia, highlighted by 54.6 metres (core length) of 2.51 g/t gold and 97.05 g/t silver (3.73 g/t gold equivalent – AuEq), including 9.6 metres of 13.39 g/t gold and 480.26 g/t silver (19.39 g/t AuEq), in drill hole 21DRDD016.
The deepest holes drilled at Dukes Ridge to date have extended mineralization, which remains open, to nearly 300 metres vertical depth and greater than 110 metres below the existing 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) pit shell. These results continue to demonstrate strong similarities to typical mineralization at the Cliff Creek and AGB deposits, with broad bulk-tonnage style intercepts enveloping high-grade zones. The Dukes Ridge Deposit had until recently seen little drilling relative to the Cliff Creek and AGB deposit areas, and these latest results underscore the potential to add significant gold-silver ounces to the global resource at the Lawyers project as part of the imminent MRE update. Benchmark’s flagship Lawyers Gold-Silver Project is located within a road accessible region of the prolific Golden Horseshoe area of north-central British Columbia, Canada.
John Williamson, CEO, commented: “We are very pleased with these latest results from Dukes Ridge as we continue to expand on areas of known mineralization outside of the 2021 MRE pit shell. We anticipate continued growth for the Dukes Ridge deposit, and for the other deposit areas at Lawyers, as additional drill results contribute to the upcoming mineral resource estimate update.”
Plunging high-grade zones within large intervals of bulk-tonnage style mineralization are common at the Dukes Ridge Deposit area, including 3.27 metres of 33.65 g/t gold and 1,215.00 g/t silver or 48.84 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.51 g/t gold and 97.05 g/t silver or 3.73 g/t AuEq over 54.60 metres in hole 21DRDD016.
Hole 21DRDD0 returned 125.00 metres of 8.67 g/t gold and 162.82 g/t silver or 10.70 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.01 g/t gold and 38.85 g/t silver or 2.49 g/t AuEq over 40.16 metres.
Hole 22DRDD029 returned 2.48 metres of 10.30 g/t gold and 454.16 g/t silver or 15.98 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 1.41 g/t gold and 43.20 g/t silver or 1.95 g/t AuEq over 48.16 metres.
Drilling at Dukes Ridge continues to intersect strong mineralization below the 2021 MRE pit shell, with confirmed mineralization now in excess of 100 metres outside of the existing pit shell, and multiple high-grade zones remaining open at depth.
The company has intersected plunging high-grade zones at Dukes Ridge that are interpreted to be the result of previously unrecognized cross structures. Future drilling will target these zones and potentially add additional high-grade mineralization to subsequent resource estimates.
Mineralization at the Dukes Ridge Deposit accounted for 109,000 AuEq Indicated ounces and 35,000 Inferred ounces in bulk tonnage zones in the 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate (May 14, 2021), including a significant portion at or near-surface.
Benchmark anticipates recently completed drilling to positively impact the total ounces contained at Dukes Ridge in the imminent MRE update.
Benchmark Metals is a Canadian-based gold and silver company advancing its 100%-owned Lawyer’s Gold-Silver Project located in the prolific Golden Horseshoe of northern British Columbia, Canada. The Project consists of three mineralized deposits that remain open for expansion, in addition to +20 new target areas along the 20-kilometre trend.