Benz Mining drilling Eastmain project, Quebec
Benz Mining Corp. [BZ-TSXV; BNZ-ASX] has observed chalcopyrite (a copper-bearing sulphide) mineralization associated with quartz veining in the drilling recently completed at the Michel prospect, 5 km to the northwest of the Eastmain Mine, along strike from the mine and within the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt about 310 km northeast of Chibougamau, Quebec.
CEO, Xavier Braud, commented: “After the successful 2021 drill program identified substantial mineralization around the existing resource, we used the 2022 drill program to scout out regional targets whilst we waited for assay results. Drilling our identified EM conductors at Michel has thrown up a nice surprise with the discovery of strong chalcopyrite mineralization with quartz veins and alteration. We look forward to reporting the analytical results when they are available.
“We, at Benz, continue with our strategy of delivering value from discovery of all commodities the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt has to offer. We now have gold, lithium, copper, and we have not yet started exploring for nickel and other base metals, which we know can be present in Archean Greenstone Belts.”
The Michel prospect is located approximately 5 km to the northwest of the Eastmain Mine Portal along the same gold-rich trend. In 2010, Eastmain Resources drilled a gold occurrence coincident with a VTEM anomaly at the extremity of a felsic intrusion. Drilling was directed by surface observations with soil anomalies and gold in rock samples (up to 2.2g/t gold in a sheared granodiorite), close to the drilling.
Three holes were drilled with two intercepting mineralization. Two of the holes drilled (same collar, EM10-12 and EM10-13) intersected significant gold anomalies throughout the mafic sequence associated with sulphide (pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite) bearing quartz veins and associated sericite+ chlorite alterations hosted by gabbro and basalt flow breccias.
Eastmain Resources reports show 1 metre at 8.2 g/t gold and 0.11% copper from 181.0 metres (EM10-12); 3.3m at 1.1 g/t gold and 0.22% copper from 146.2m (EM10-12); 0.8m at 13.9 g/t gold and 0.60% copper from 136.4m (EM10-13); 0.6m at 8.8 g/t gold, and 0.12% copper from 239.7m (EM10-13); 0.5m at 11.8 g/t gold and from 244.4m (EM10-13); and 0.9m at 4.1 g/t gold and 0.40% copper from 247.9m (EM10-13).
In 2021, Benz conducted a large FLEM (Fixed Loop time-domain Electro-Magnetic) survey over the Michel area, referred to as Grid 21-L; DHEM (Down Hole Electro-Magnetic) survey of historical drillholes EM 10-12 and EM 10-13 (EM 10-11 was blocked and not useable at the time).
Two holes were drilled for a total of 336 metres. Drillhole EM22-275 targeted electromagnetic conductors both from FLEM and DHEM surveys and EM22-272 targeted a shallow FLEM conductor never drilled before.
EM22-272 intersected a wide zone of quartz veins with chalcopyrite, minor pyrrhotite and pyrite hosted in a gabbro intrusion. Between 76.65 and 81.4 metres, about 30% of this interval is occupied by sulphide bearing quartz veins. Similar veins, but not as common, were identified from 81 down to 92.65 metres. The main sulphide is chalcopyrite with minor pyrrhotite and pyrite. Tourmaline was observed in the quartz veins.
EM22-275 intersected a chalcopyrite rich zone corresponding to a shear near the contact with volcanics and a gabbro (89 to 92 metres – corresponding to the FLEM and DHEM modelled anomalies). Chalcopyrite was observed as disseminations and veins from 92m depth to 134m within the volcanics.
The Eastmain Gold Project, situated on the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada, hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000 oz at 7.9 g/t gold (Indicated: 236,500 oz at 8.2 g/t gold, Inferred: 139,300 oz at 7.5 g/t gold).
The Ruby Hill West Lithium Project is a surface occurrence of spodumene-bearing pegmatite within the Ruby Hill West Project 50 km due west of the Eastmain exploration camp. The occurrence was first sampled in 2016 by Eastmain Resources and then by Quebec government geologists in 2018. Only limited sampling was conducted by both groups.
At the Eastmain Gold Project, Benz has identified a combination of over 380 modelled in-hole and off-hole DHEM conductors over a strike length of 6 km which is open in all directions (final interpretation of some of the conductors still pending).
In 2021, Benz confirmed the presence of visible spodumene in a pegmatite at the Ruby Hill West Project, indicating lithium mineralization which Benz intends to further explore in 2022.