Westhaven Gold updates Shovelnose Project exploration, British Columbia
Westhaven Gold Corp. [TSXV: WHN] provided an exploration update for its 41,634-hectare Shovelnose gold property, situated within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), 30 km south of Merritt, southwestern British Columbia.
This update includes highlights for four target areas tested during the summer/fall drill program, as well as assay results for seven related drill holes. Assay results for the final six holes completed at the Certes target remain pending and will be reported when available.
The objective of the recent drill campaign was to follow up on previous geological, geochemical and geophysical data which highlighted several prospective targets proximal to the main Zone One Trend which hosts the Franz-FMN-South Zone mineralization and within the ‘Shovelnose Corridor’, extending 11km across the property.
Peter Fischl, Exploration Manager, stated: “There are now indications of a potentially mineralized epithermal system at Certes. Surface soil and rock geochemistry has confirmed the presence of high-level gold pathfinder elements at Certes that may represent the continuation of a structure extending southeast from the main Vein Zone One trend (Franz-FMN-South Zone) for a total length of 11km. TerraSpec SWIR spectral analysis of surface samples and drill core at Certes has uncovered an alteration assemblage typical of a well-preserved epithermal system.
“Field crews recently commenced a ground geophysics survey (IP + magnetics) on the newly discovered Certes target to better define deep seated structures that may have influenced the development of epithermal mineralization. Six holes drilled on three profiles spaced 0.9km and 1.2km apart along the Certes Trend, (Certes Targets 1,2, and 3) will help identify and evaluate potential controlling structures in these three areas.”
Fraser MacCorquodale, Technical Advisor, stated, “The Certes drilling has confirmed the presence of epithermal related veining within an underexplored part of the property. This highlights the potential for additional discoveries within the Shovelnose property.”
Highlights: Certes Target: Quartz and quartz-carbonate veining was intersected on each of three drill fences (Certes 1, 2 and 3; six holes total) over a strike-length of about 2km. Intersections at Certes 3 include a broad zone (258-314m downhole in SN24-425) of carbonate +/- quartz veining cored by 1.0m of quartz at containing 10-20% low iron “honey” sphalerite within a sulphidic vein envelope that includes chalcopyrite. The polymetallic nature of this vein suggests a possible intermediate sulphidation epithermal signature. Certes is situated some 8km east-southeast from the low sulphidation epithermal mineralization associated with the South zone. This new drilling supports the interpretation of a long-lived property scale structure, potentially host to multiple gold bearing epithermal systems.
Line 6 – MIK Target: Two holes tested a northwest trending magnetic low with a coincident gold-in-soil anomaly. Hole SN24-415 intersected anomalous disseminated gold from the bedrock surface to 122m downhole, including 0.53 g/t gold over 8.0 metres (52-60m) and 0.74 g/t gold over 3.0 metres (86-89m). The source of this mineralization may be related to yet undiscovered high grade vein systems similar to those at the nearby Franz, FMN and South zones. Westhaven’s 2024 follow-up sampling on some 49 other gold-in-soil targets has identified multiple sites that will be further explored in 2025, potentially including drilling.
CSAMT-3 Target: A single hole completed in the fall program (SN24-416) encountered traces of carbonate and quartz-bearing veinlets in a halo of anomalous mercury extending from 95m to 286m depth. The presence of mercury suggests this may be the upper part of a well-preserved epithermal system and more follow-up work is planned.Two holes tested anomalous pathfinders in surface rocks, coincident with a geophysically inferred structure. Interpretation of results identified a potentially down-dropped fault block preserving a rhyolite unit with elevated arsenic over most of the hole length (SN24-419). This geochemistry suggests a potential feeder structure nearby that will be tested by follow-up work. A third hole tested a new discovery of quartz breccia in outcrop but failed to intersect the breccia at depth.
Exploration Summary: Exploration activities, including mapping, sampling, ground geophysics and the use of an infrared spectral device (TerraSpec) on rock and drill core are still underway. To date in 2024, Westhaven has completed 27 drill holes representing ~8,347m (3,423 samples), and collected over 2,000 surface rock samples, more than 500 soil samples (targeting specific historic gold anomalies), 38 follow-up stream sediment samples and 21.6 km of detailed ground magnetic data. Results for much of this work are now available, but other data is pending, and field collection is ongoing.
Collectively, results available to date from the 2024 exploration program, in conjunction with extensive past work, support Westhaven’s interpretation of both low and intermediate epithermal vein systems associated with an 11km long property scale structure. Most drilling has been focused on the northwest end of this structure, where the Franz, FMN, Tower and South zones have been defined. Known mineralization intersected proximal to this structure (e.g. Line 6, Mik, Carmi, HydBx-02) demonstrate the multiple veins typical of epithermal systems. Surface mapping and sampling (rock, silt and soil) results, structural measurements, and the interpretation of geophysical and remote sensing data have identified additional drill targets adjacent to the main vein system.
A favourable location and ease of access means that drilling can be undertaken at Shovelnose year-round. The drill campaign is forecast to restart in Q1 2025.
Westhaven is advancing the high-grade discovery on the Shovelnose project. Westhaven controls 61,512 hectares (615 km2) with four gold properties spread along this underexplored belt. The Shovelnose property is situated off a major highway, near power, rail, large producing mines, and within commuting distance from the city of Merritt.