Independence Gold trenches 2.68 g/t gold and 39.12 g/t silver over 17.00 metres at 3Ts Project, British Columbia
Independence Gold Corp. [TSXV-IGO; OTCQB-IEGCF) announce assay results from the fall trenching program at its 100%-owned 3Ts Project as well as the staking of 36.40 km2 of mineral tenure immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of the project. The 3Ts Project is located approximately 185 km southwest of Prince George, central British Columbia and 16 km southwest of the Artemis Gold Blackwater Project.
A series of five trenches were excavated at the 3Ts Project during the surface field program in 2023. These trenches were designed to test for mineralization in areas between the major vein systems or across geological “blind spots” where little geological or geochemical information is known. A total of 190 metres length comprises the five trenches, four of which (146m) focused adjacent to the Tommy Vein System and a further 44m at the newly discovered Ootsa copper-silver target.
The Tommy Vein Cliff Trench (CVTR) crossed over the surface expression of the Tommy Vein System for a total of 36.0 metres where vein material including quartz, amethyst and fluorite are exposed on the surface, including 17.0 metres grading 2.68 g/t gold and 39.12 g/t silver. A second trench located adjacent to the western shoulder at the Tommy Vein System (TVTR) returned 12.0 metres grading 1.93 g/t gold and 22.58 g/t silver within mineralized quartz stockwork veins. The final trench in the Tommy area, the Tommy-Ian Infill Trench (TITR), tested the area between the Tommy Vein System westward to the Ian Vein System where narrow but high-grade veins were discovered during the Spring 2023 drill program. TITR returned a narrow 0.50-metre mineralized quartz vein grading 3.76 g/t gold.
A 40 m-long trench was also excavated at the Copper Knob target (CKTR) to systematically sample the new Tony Vein which was discovered earlier in 2023 which returned 8.0 metres grading 3.97 g/t gold and 49.63 g/t silver, including 0.75 metres grading 35.67 g/t gold and 393.33 g/t silver.
An additional 40.33 metre-long trench (OTR” was excavated at the newly discovered Ootsa Target located one km northeast of the Mint Vein System and is geologically and geochemically distinct from the other known targets at the 3Ts Project. The trench exhibited malachite and azurite mineralization in volcanic host rocks, returning an interval of 2.88 metres grading 0.2% copper and 11.81 g/t silver. Other samples in the trench individually returned anomalous grades up to 0.52% lead and 1.66% zinc indicating broader mineralization potential within the trench section.
In Q4 2023, Independence Gold staked an additional 36.40 km2 of tenure along the southern border of the 3Ts Project to explore for a possible continuation of the emerging northeast-southwest trends that extend from the Blackwater Project (currently being developed by Artemis Gold). The newly acquired ground has seen very little historical prospecting, although one sample on the boundary collected in 2016 returned a quartz sample grading 1.26 g/t gold and 10 g/t silver. Exploration of the southern extension is planned for Q2 2024 and proposed exploration will include prospecting and airborne geophysical surveys Ito test structural extensions into this ground.
The fall drill program was completed November 15, 2023, with a total of 1,805 metres of drilling carried out. Drilling primarily targeted the Mint Vein System with additional drill testing of the new Johnny and Ian Veins and “first-pass” exploration of the new Ootsa copper-silver target.
Planning is currently underway for an approximately 5,000 metres drill program to commence during the first quarter of 2024. This program will be designed to test the Ted-Mint and Tommy Vein Systems at depth and other targets outlined by previous geophysics and geological exploration.
The 3Ts Project is comprised o17 mineral claims covering approximately 8,840 hectares in the Nechako Plateau region of central British Columbia. The 3Ts Project covers a low-sulphidation epithermal quartz-carbonate vein district within which more than a dozen individual mineralized veins, ranging from 50 metres to more than 1,100 metres and true widths up to 25 metres, have been identified.
Independence Gold is well-financed with holdings ranging from early-stage grassroots exploration to advanced-stage resource expansion in British Columbia and Yukon.