Sun Summit Minerals drills 1.4 g/t gold over 43.5 metres at JD project, British Columbia
Sun Summit Minerals Corp. [TSXV: SMN; OTCQX-SMREF] reported initial drill results from its inaugural exploration program at the JD project in the Toodoggone district, north-central British Columbia. The first three drill holes at the Creek zone intersected high-grade vein-hosted mineralization found within broad zones of disseminated gold mineralization. Results demonstrate the presence of both high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold mineralization in this underexplored target area of the highly prospective JD project.
Highlights: Intersected multiple zones of high-grade, vein-hosted gold plus base metal mineralization within broad zones of bulk-tonnage style gold mineralization: 61.52 metres of 1.07 g/t gold, including 43.49 metres of 1.40 g/t gold, 3.60 metres of 7.28 g/t gold, and including 0.50 metres of 24.30 g/t gold, 43.7 g/t silver and 4.46 per cent zinc (CZ-24-001); 29.08 metres of 1.64 g/t gold, including 9.52 metres of 3.89 g/t gold, and including 0.87 metres of 16.60 g/t gold, 11.6 g/t silver and 4.47 per cent zinc (CZ-24-002); 95.50 metres of 0.70 g/t gold, including 34.0 metres of 1.32 g/t gold, and including 0.50 metres of 18.0 g/t gold and 1.37 per cent zinc (CZ-24-003).
Results demonstrate continuity of strong gold grades and the presence of significant, near-surface disseminated mineralization previously unrecognized due to selective sampling in historical drill programs.
Additional assay results pending: Assays from the remaining nine drill holes (1,870 metres) are pending, including three additional holes from the Creek zone.
Final results pending from numerous project-wide surveys: Results from soil and rock geochemical surveys together with final data products from an induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey are pending.
Sharyn Alexander, president, stated: “The first three drill holes at the Creek zone intersected broad zones of continuous near-surface mineralization, which confirm the potential for both high-grade and bulk-tonnage style gold mineralization. These three holes support our initial thesis that selective sampling by previous operators missed the bulk-tonnage gold potential. These findings not only confirm the presence of significant gold mineralization at the Creek zone but also highlight the untapped potential of this underexplored area. Further drilling is clearly warranted at Creek to fully evaluate the high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold potential. We will release additional results from our summer program as they become available.”
The first three holes of the 2024 exploration program were drilled on the western extent of the 4.5-kilometre-long, target-rich Finn to Creek corridor. The drill program consisted of 2,537 metres of diamond drilling across 12 holes.
At the Creek zone, drilling was primarily designed to build on results from past programs where previous drill holes were selectively sampled, vein orientation data was lacking and disseminated mineralization was not considered. The primary objective of the drilling at the Creek zone was to confirm the presence of high-grade gold mineralization, collect systematic down hole data to define a structural model to inform future drill programs; and investigate the presence of disseminated mineralization by continuously sampling from collar to bottom of hole.
The 2024 drill core was oriented and new structural data are being used to build a new targeting model to inform future drill programs.
Assays from the remaining drill holes, as well as surface sampling results, are pending and expected to be released as they are received and reviewed.
Sun Summit is engaging with first nations on whose territory the company’s projects are located and is discussing the company’s interests and identifying contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives.
The JD project covers an area of over 15,000 hectares and is in close proximity to active exploration and development projects, such as Thesis Gold’s Lawyers and Ranch projects, TDG Gold’s Baker-Shasta projects, Centerra’s Gold’s Kemess East and Underground projects, as well as the past-producing Kemess open pit copper-gold mine.
The project is 450 km northwest of the city of Prince George, and 25 km north of the Sturdee airstrip. It is proximal to existing infrastructure in place to support the past-producing Kemess mine, including roads and a hydroelectric power line.
The JD project is in a favourable geological environment characterized by both high-grade epithermal gold and silver mineralization, as well as porphyry-related copper and gold mineralization. Some historical exploration, including drilling, geochemistry and geophysics, has been carried out on the property, however the project area is largely underexplored.
Sun Summit ‘s diverse portfolio includes the JD project in the Toodoggone region of north-central B.C. and the Buck project in central B.C.