Western Exploration drills 21.96 g/t AuEq over 2 metres at Aura, Nevada
Western Exploration Inc. [TSXV-WEX; OTCQX-WEXPF] reported initial results of its 2023 core drilling program, which aimed to identify vein extensions in the Jarbidge rhyolite northeast of the Gravel Creek resource area at the wholly owned Aura gold-silver project, Nevada.
Highlights from 2023 Drill Program: Two oriented core holes totaling 1,470 metres were completed to verify the existence of a mineralized corridor trending northeast from the Gravel Creek deposit.
Both holes WG456 and WG457 intersected multiple quartz-pyrite-marcasite bearing veins, stockwork and hydrothermal breccias within the targeted mineralized corridor.
Hole WG456, located 250 metres northeast of the Gravel Creek resource area, reported individual assays up to 34.9 g/t Au and 2,800.0 g/t Ag, with key intercepts including 4.7 metres of 9.20 g/t AuEq (4.55 g/t Au and 395.4 g/t Ag); 2.4 metres of 7.82 g/t AuEq (5.37 g/t Au and 208.1 g/t Ag); 2.0 metres of 21.96 g/t AuEq (12.77 g/t Au and 780.9 g/t Ag); 2.1 metres of 7.56 g/t AuEq (5.40 g/t Au and 183.1 g/t Ag); and 3.0 metres of 6.75 g/t AuEq (5.42 g/t Au and 113 g/t Ag).
Gold-silver grades in WG456 occur at the same elevation as the “productive horizon” in the Gravel Creek deposit and are comparable in grade to those seen in multiple legacy intercepts.
These results support further exploration drilling to the north-east along a 2.0-km trend of Au-As soil and rock anomalies that parallel a N35E trending density anomaly.
WG456 was abandoned at a depth of 730.6 metres due to drilling complications, with the final 3.0 metres returning 5.42 g/t Au and 113 g/t Ag. Assays for hole WG457 are currently being finalized by ALS Chemex.
Darcy Marud, CEO, commented: “Western Exploration has long believed in the potential to greatly expand resources within the Wood Gulch/Gravel Creek mineralized system, and it is now become more evident that Wood Gulch and Gravel Creek are part of a large Au-Ag bearing hydrothermal system over an area of 10km2. The integration of structural surface alteration and geochemical data generated by the 2023 core drilling program has brought greater understanding of the controls on the high-grade veins in the Jarbidge rhyolite overlying and peripheral to the Gravel Creek deposit. Significant additional oriented core drilling is justified to better define the vein trends and determine the extent of the mineralized system to the north-east, with the ultimate goal of expanding the project resource base.”
Multiple High-Grade Au-Ag Vein Drill Intercepts in the Jarbidge Rhyolite Above and Peripheral to the Gravel Creek Deposit
In addition to an established mineral resource estimate outlined in the Technical Report, the Aura Project has well established infrastructure, including year-round accessibility by highway and county-maintained road, with nearby access to water and electricity. Western Exploration has exploration, development, and mining rights on 930 hectares of privately owned fee lands through a mineral lease agreement with a local landowner and may purchase those fee lands at any time for the development of Doby George.
The 6,000-hectare Aura Project is unique in the junior mining space, as resources have been identified in three different deposits (Doby George, Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch), as supported by the Technical Report.
The company’s principal asset is the 100%-owned Aura gold-silver project, located approximately 120 km/75 miles north of the city of Elko, Nevada, and includes three unique gold and silver deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch.