Ridgeline Minerals samples up to 9.6 g/t gold and 0.4% copper at Big Blue Project, Nevada
Ridgeline Minerals Corp. [TSXV-RDG; OTCQB-RDGMF; FSE-0GC0] reported additional high-grade surface rock chip results at the Big Blue porphyry copper-gold-silver project in Elko County, Nevada.
The sampling was completed by Ridgeline’s technical team during reconnaissance prospecting and mapping at a high priority porphyry target located approximately 3 km west of the Delker Mine, which historically produced 94,434 pounds of copper averaging 6.2% Cu between 1916-1917. Both porphyry targets, as originally defined by historic magnetic surveys are largely beneath shallow alluvial cover and future drill targeting will benefit greatly from the upcoming induced polarization (IP) survey scheduled to begin this summer.
Michael Harp, Vice President, Exploration, commented, “Today’s rock chip results continue to validate our exploration model at Big Blue, which projects at least two potential porphyry centers under shallow alluvial cover. We are also seeing an increase in gold grades to the west, where highlight samples returning up to 9.6 g/t gold represent the highest-grade gold values ever sampled on the project. Our IP geophysics program this summer has been designed to test for chargeability anomalies at depth across both porphyry targets and we eagerly anticipate the commencement of the survey in late July.”
Surface Sampling Highlights: New Porphyry Target: 0.44% Cu, 9.56 g/t Au, 0.30 g/t Ag and 0.25% Cu, 0.10 g/t Au, and 0.20 g/t Ag from two chip samples taken from separate outcropping quartz veins.
The presence of highly elevated molybdenum (Mo) values (average of 220.5 parts per million (ppm) Mo) in the two rock chips taken at this new porphyry target compared to 94 rock chips in the Delker Mine area (average of 10.0 ppm Mo) suggests the porphyry system may be vectoring towards the west. Additional surface sampling and mapping required in this area
Previously reported rock chips at the Delker Mine and Skarn Hill porphyry & skarn targets include: Delker Mine: 10.80% Cu, 0.10 g/t Au, 4.51 g/t Ag and 4.88% Cu, 0.10 g/t Au, below detection limit (BDL) Ag. Skarn Hill: 6.44% Cu, 0.16 g/t Au, 53.75 g/t Ag.
A total of 94 rock chips have been collected between Ridgeline and historical operators. Sample values range from BDL to 10.80% Cu, BDL to 9.56 g/t Au and BDL to 53.75 g/t Ag (avg. 0.96% Cu, 0.02 g/t Au, 1.52 g/t Ag).
The company holds an active 5-acre Notice of Intent exploration permit at the project which is currently bonded for 4.92 acres of disturbance totaling 38 drill sites and approximately 4,888 linear feet of access roads.
Less than 0.1 acres has been disturbed to-date and the aforementioned permit may be amended with 30 days written notice to the BLM to revise or add additional drill sites and roads as needed.
Big Blue is approximately 75 km southeast of Elko, Nevada. The project includes the past producing Delker Mine and shares its southern boundary with Reyna Silver’s Medicine Springs Ag-Pb-Zn Carbonate Replacement (CRD) project. Importantly, this target has never been drill-tested. The primary target at Big Blue is porphyry-skarn Cu ± Au-Ag mineralization, with potential to discover polymetallic, carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) style mineralization as the system zones outward over 6 km of strike towards the Medicine Springs project.
Big Blue is 100%-owned and is comprised of a total of 41 km2 of prospective exploration ground that has seen limited exploration since the early 1900’s and will benefit from Ridgeline’s systematic approach to discovery.
Ridgeline Minerals is a discovery focused precious and base metal explorer with a proven management team and a 192km2Â exploration portfolio across five projects in Nevada. The Company boasts two earn-in exploration agreements with Nevada Gold Mines at its Swift and Black Ridge projects, which are being aggressively explored in 2024.