American Eagle Gold extends high-grade near-surface mineralization at NAK project, British Columbia
American Eagle Gold Corp. [TSXV: AE; OTCQB: AMEGF] reported the confirmation of high-grade mineralization extending east of the South Zone, toward the IP Embayment Zone, with NAK24-28 intersecting over 100 metres of 1.11% CuEq from near surface at the NAK Project within the Babine copper-gold porphyry district of central British Columbia.
Mineralization within the gold-rich South Zone was also extended northwest, in hole NAK24-26, which intersected 50 metres of 1.01% CuEq from surface, extended 457 metres to depth, and carried a grade of nearly 0.4% CuEq throughout. NAK24-24, which was drilled northerly, intersected continuous mineralization from surface to a total depth of 951 metres, returning 906 metres of 0.36% CuEq; it links the North and South Zones below their surface expressions.
NAK’s Near Surface South Zone Drill Highlights: NAK24-28 intercepts 101 metres of 1.11% Copper Equivalent (CuEq) from 47 metres within 144 m of 0.90% CuEq from surface within 451 metres of 0.43% CuEq from surface. NAK24-26 extends the gold-enriched zone northwest; intercepts 50 metres of 1.01% CuEq from surface within 457 metres of 0.39% CuEq from surface.
NAK24-24 helps confirm continuity of mineralization 1.2 km south to north; intercepts 906 metres of 0.36% CuEq from surface, including 107 metres of 0.65% CuEq from surface.
The company believes NAK represents an extensive, well-mineralized system whose limits remain open. Drill holes reported in this News Release provide solid evidence for a system with large, growing dimensions ranging from minimums of 1.2 km north-south, 350 metres east-west, and approximately 850 metres deep.
In addition, and with a mind toward economic viability for this large-scale project, this year’s near-surface, higher-grade intercepts from the South Zone in drill holes such as NAK24-19, -21, -23, -26 and -28, will be instrumental in an early and cost-effective unlocking of NAK’s full potential.
Future drilling will aim to add to both the size of the system and to further delineate higher-grade nearer-surface parts, with an immediate goal of better understanding and tracking out the newly discovered, visually rich mineralization encountered in some of our latest drill holes in the north (NAK24-33, -35, -37, and -38), to extend the system to the northeast. In the south, some of the company’s most recent holes extend high-grade near surface mineralization to the east and southeast. Together, the company’s latest holes are suggestive of the potential to extend mineralization even farther eastward, and perhaps around the entire sub-circular perimeter of NAK’s Babine Porphyry Stock.
“NAK is advancing towards establishing a substantial mineralized volume, with two distinct high-grade near-surface zones, linked at depth and with remaining untested near-surface potential, along with emerging and exciting discovery and expansion potential in both the north and southeast. NAK has long stood out for its extensive mineralized and altered footprint. As our company continues to explore along and outward from the margin of the Babine Porphyry Stock, that footprint continues to show significant growth potential around its circumference. With its favorable geographic setting, characterized by low-lying terrain, excellent road access, and cost-effective exploration, the NAK project shows promising exploration potential and a bright future,” stated CEO Anthony Moreau.
The most recent holes drilled at NAK, for which the company awaits assays, have largely focused on the expansion of the North (Copper) zone, and have been drilled toward the east, northeast, and north. These holes have encountered broad intervals of disseminated and vein-hosted chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization that are commonly hosted in distinctive pale-coloured seriate textured intrusive rocks that cut and are distinct from the Babine Porphyry Stock.
In addition, broad intervals of chalcedonic quartz stockwork and hydrothermal breccia, variably mineralized with chalcopyrite and pyrite, and with subordinate intervals of bornite and molybdenite, were encountered in these holes, and were mainly hosted by rocks of the Babine Porphyry Stock, marginal to the seriate textured intrusive rocks. Assays are currently pending for these holes, and for several other holes drilled farther south.
The NAK Project lies within the Babine copper-gold porphyry district of central British Columbia. It has excellent infrastructure through all-season roads and is close to the towns of Smithers, Houston, and Burns Lake, B.C., which lie along a major rail line and Provincial Highway 16.
Historical drilling and geophysical, geological, and geochemical work at NAK, which began in the 1960’s, tested only to shallow depths. Still, the work revealed a very large near-surface copper-gold system that measures over 1.5 km x 1.5 km. Drilling completed in 2022, 2023, and 2024 by American Eagle has returned significant intervals of high-grade copper-gold mineralization that reach beyond and much deeper than the historical drilling, indicating that zones of near-surface and deeper mineralization, locally with considerably higher grades, exist within the broader NAK property mineralizing system.