Benchmark Metals drills high-grade gold, silver at Lawyers, British Columbia
Benchmark Metals Inc. [BNCH-TSXV; BNCHF-OTCQB; A2JM2X-FSE] reported new results from infill and expansion drilling at the Dukes Ridge deposit at the 100%-owned Lawyer’s gold-silver project located in the prolific Golden Horseshoe of northern British Columbia, highlighted by 57 metres (core length) of 1.72 g/t gold and 64.41 g/t silver (or 2.52 g/t AuEq – gold equivalent), including 9.06 metres of 6.87 g/t gold and 182.72 g/t silver (or 9.16 g/t AuEq), in drill hole 22DRDD022.
These drill results have extended known mineralization to greater than 170 metres below the existing 2021 mineral resource estimate (MRE) pit-shell to over 325 metres vertical depth from surface. The Dukes Ridge Deposit remains a significant potential source for additional gold-silver ounces at Lawyers, as drill-indicated high-grade shoots within intervals of bulk-tonnage mineralization continue to accumulate with each phase of drilling outside of the pit shell generated via the 2021 MRE.
The company has completed a greater than 16,000 metres infill and expansion drilling program at the Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge, and AGB deposits and at the Marmot Lake area. The project is road accessible.
John Williamson, CEO, officer, commented: “Dukes Ridge continues to deliver strong drill results and the continuity of high-grade mineralization to depth is well below the existing 2021 resource pit-shell. We expect Dukes to contribute additional gold-silver ounces to the Project with continued drilling. The Dukes Deposit has sparse historical drilling relative to the AGB and Cliff Creek Deposits and this provides an opportunity to deliver more gold and silver. The imminent updated Mineral Resource Estimate will include these latest results from Dukes, and we are excited to see what these results contribute to the resource.”
Targeted drilling of plunging high-grade mineralization below the 2021 MRE pit-shell has yielded 9.06 metres of 6.87 g/t gold and 182.72 g/t silver, or 9.16 g/t AuEq, within a broader interval grading 1.72 g/t gold and 64.41 g/t silver, or 2.52 g/t AuEq over 57.00 metres in hole 22DRDD022.
High-grade zones within broad bulk-tonnage zones akin to mineralization at Cliff Creek returned 0.37 metres of 65.60 g/t gold and 2,600.00 g/t silver or 98.00 g/t AuEq, and 2.52 metres of 18.26 g/t gold and 552.85 g/t silver or 25.17 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 2.17 g/t gold, 78.14 g/t silver or 3.15 g/t AuEq over 38.22 metres in hole 22DRDD026.
Drill hole 22DRD019 returned 1.00 metre of 9.43 g/t gold and 34.20 g/t silver or 9.86 g/t AuEq, and 1.00 metre of 6.41 g/t gold and 62.40 g/t silver or 7.19 g/t AuEq within a broader interval grading 0.93 g/t gold, 8.46 g/t silver or 1.04 g/t AuEq over 41.33 metres.
These results confirm the validity and accuracy of geological modeling, with planned holes intersecting strong mineralization where expected.
The Dukes Ridge Deposit accounted for 109,000 Indicated AuEq ounces in the 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate (May 14, 2021), with many of the gold-silver ounces beginning at or near-surface. The mineralized dimensions at Dukes now exceed 850 metres strike length and 325 vertical metres depth, and significant expansion potential exists as mineralization remains open to the north, south, and at depth. Continuity of mineralization to depth at Dukes is excellent, and the upcoming update to the MRE will include these latest drill results.
Benchmark Metals Inc. is a Canadian based gold and silver company advancing its, Canada. The Lawyers Project consists of three mineralized deposits that remain open for expansion, in addition to +20 new target areas along the 20-km trend.