Arcwest Exploration Inc. Provides Exploration Update on its Eagle and Sparrowhawk Porphyry Projects, Central B.C. and Stakes Newly Discovered Porphyry Copper Prospect
Arcwest Exploration Inc. Provides Exploration Update on
its Eagle and Sparrowhawk Porphyry Projects, Central
B.C. and Stakes Newly Discovered Porphyry Copper
Prospect
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 23, 2019) - ArcWest Exploration Inc. (TSXV: AWX) ("ArcWest") is
pleased to announce results of reconnaissance geological mapping and rock geochemical surveys on its Eagle and
Sparrowhawk porphyry copper-gold (Cu-Au) projects, central British Columbia, as well as the acquisition of a newly discovered
porphyry Cu prospect on northern Vancouver Island east of its Teeta Creek Cu-Au Project.
Rock geochemical samples were
select grabs from outcrops across the property. Highlights include:
High grade Cu-Au lenses typical of alkalic porphyry systems were sampled over a mineralized strike length of 2.7
kilometers at the Eagle Project, including multiple grab samples over 1% Cu and 1 g/t Au.
Two important Cu mineralized trends (DCA and Sparrowhawk) were delineated at the recently acquired Sparrowhawk
Project in the Babine Porphyry Belt, indicating significant potential for buried porphyry systems in downdropped fault
blocks on the west side of the property.
ArcWest has acquired by staking a newly discovered porphyry Cu prospect on northern Vancouver Island east of its Teeta
Creek Cu-Au Project near Port Alice.
Note that grab samples are selective by nature and may not be representative of actual grades or styles of mineralization across
the property.
Eagle Cu-Au Project
The 2530 Hectare Eagle project is located in the prolific Quesnel Trough Cu-Au belt 55 kilometers west of Centerra Gold's
Mount Milligan Au-Cu mine and 46 kilometers southeast of Serengeti Resources' Kwanika Cu-Au deposit, currently undergoing
pre-feasibility work.
Historical work at Eagle by Noranda and others outlined a 3 km long trend of copper mineralization near the
southern margin of the Hogem batholith. Reconnaissance mapping and rock sampling completed in 2019 by Arcwest focused
on delineating higher grade lenses over 2.7 km of the mineralized trend. Noteworthy results include:
Zone
Sample
Easting
Northing
Au g/t
Ag g/t
Cu %
Vector
S849908
379704
6118941
0.049
3.90
0.55
Vector
S849806
379717
6118939
0.165
16.40
2.57
Vector
S849909
379727
6118906
0.125
8.90
1.25
Vector
S849807
379743
6118839
0.020
1.30
0.22
Vector
S849911
379769
6118800
2.700
29.20
1.42
Mid
S849902
380811
6117816
0.043
1.30
0.19
Mid
S849901
380465
6117748
0.004
1.50
0.30
Nighthawk
S849805
381478
6116923
1.790
38.80
4.52
Nighthawk
S849905
381475
6116921
2.420
143.00
28.30
Nighthawk
S849906
381319
6116853
0.035
0.80
0.56
Nighthawk
S849907
381321
6116850
0.719
11.30
2.68
Mineralization in the Vector and Nighthawk zones is typical of silica undersaturated alkalic porphyry systems. Samples include
magnetite-quartz-chalcopyrite veins and semi-massive sulfide pods associated with chlorite, epidote, actinolite and K-feldspar
alteration. Veins and sulfide pods trend parallel to the overall northwest strike of the zone as well as north-south and east-west.
Samples from the Mid zone consist of disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite associated with hematite, quartz and carbonate
veins hosted in fine grained monzonite.
The Vector zone has been traced for 200 meters and is covered by overburden to the northwest and southeast. Historical drilling
tested the zone to a depth of less than 50 meters. Two drill holes intersected the mineralized zone and included 17.9 m of 0.82%
Cu, 0.47 g/t Au and 4.1 g/t Ag in EA-91-12 (18.5-36.4 m). Historical soil sampling by Noranda delineated strongly anomalous
copper in soils with multiple samples over 1000 parts per million (ppm) to a high of 3600 ppm up to 400 meters north of the
outcropping zone. The Mid zone is near the center of a strong 1.5 by 0.4 km magnetic high and soil anomaly which has been
tested by a single drill hole (EA-71-05).
The Nighthawk zone appears to consist of multiple lenses, one of which has been intersected at shallow depths in four drill holes
(EA-71-01 and -02 and EA-91-06 and -07). Best intercepts include 0.87% Cu, 0.32 g/t Au and 3.85 g/t Ag over 27.3 meters in
EA-91-06 (5.1-32.4 m). High grade mineralization sampled by ArcWest in 2019 (Samples 849805 and 849905) may be part of
a separate lens which has not been tested by drilling and is open in all directions. Noranda drill holes EA-91-09 and EA-91-10
intercepted broad intervals of strong magnetite flooding with K-feldspar and biotite which indicate the Nighthawk zone is set
within an area of intense potassic alteration. AWX samples 849805 and 849906 are located approximately 300 - 450 meters
away from any of the Noranda drill holes.
Sparrowhawk Cu-Au Project
ArcWest's recently acquired 9913 hectare Sparrowhawk Cu-Au Project (see news release April 1, 2019) is located in the
Babine Porphyry Copper District of north-central B.C., adjacent to Glencore Canada's past producing Bell and Granisle mines.
Reconnaissance mapping and sampling by ArcWest in 2019 focused on defining two mineralized trends: the DCA and
Sparrowhawk prospects. Both are located east of the regionally important Newman and Morrison faults. Highlight sample
include:
Zone
Sample
Easting
Northing
Au g/t
Ag g/t
Cu %
DCA
S848411
677817
6109068
0.004
0.40
0.22
DCA
S848413
678944
6109548
0.008
1.90
0.74
DCA
S850061
679180
6108533
0.012
0.40
0.12
DCA
S850066
677842
6109064
0.098
1.40
0.30
DCA
S850074
679283
6109197
0.001
0.02
0.16
Sparrowhawk
S849851
679394
6106427
0.002
0.30
0.10
Sparrowhawk
S850054
679305
6106220
0.004
0.02
0.32
Sparrowhawk
S850055
679096
6106126
0.079
0.02
0.14
Sparrowhawk
S850058
679483
6106662
0.001
0.02
0.19
Sparrowhawk
S850059
679591
6106651
0.014
0.50
0.51
The Sparrowhawk mineralized zone comprises silicified magmatic-hydrothermal breccias with quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite-
chlorite matrix cut by quartz-calcite-chalcopyrite-pyrite-magnetite-hematite veinlets. Silicified intrusive rocks with quartz-hematite-
pyrite-chalcopyrite stringers are also present (S850058).
The DCA zone is a broad, diffuse zone of mineralized volcanic outcrops and intrusive float that extends over a 1 km strike length
marginal to a 200 meter wide zone of fine grained diorite cut by intense quartz-magnetite stockworks (locally comprising over
50% of the rock). Both zones are open in all directions.
Important porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the Babine belt (e.g. Bell, Granisle and Morrison deposits) are preserved in downdropped
fault blocks west of the regionally significant Morrison and Newman faults.
Widespread mineralization east of these faults in the
DCA and Sparrowhawk zones can be traced westward toward these regional structures, indicating strong potential for buried
porphyry systems in the downdropped fault blocks on the west side of the faults. A similar relationship is observed between the
Morrison porphyry deposit and the nearby Hearne Hill Breccia.
The west side of the Sparrowhawk property is almost entirely covered by glacial till, however local outcrops of Babine porphyry
and zones of strongly silica-clay-pyrite altered lithologies with associated quartz stockwork have been documented by previous
workers. Regional (Quest West) and property-scale airborne surveys have delineated multiple untested EM (electromagnetic)
anomalies in this north-northwest trending extension of the Bell-Granisle corridor
New Vancouver Island Cu-Au Project
Recent exploration by AWX within a recently identified Miocene porphyry copper-gold belt on northern Vancouver Island has
resulted in the discovery of a significant new porphyry copper occurrence.
The recently staked NVI property covers an undated,
multiphase, porphyritic intrusive complex of predominantly dioritic composition which cross cuts Middle to Upper Triassic mafic
volcanic rocks of the Karmutsen Formation.
The discovery showing comprises roadside exposures of fine grained, sugary
textured diorite porphyry which contain early, anastamosing magnetite-chalcopyrite veins cross cut by wavy, quartz-magnetite-
chalcopyrite+/-bornite veins.
Disseminated magnetite-chalcopyrite is present within the matrix, largely as a replacement of mafic
phenocrysts.
Miarolitic cavities locally comprise up to 20% of the rock, and in places, contain the same hydrothermal mineral
assemblage as the stockwork veins, including quartz, magnetite, chalcopyrite and trace bornite.
Copper bearing stockwork has
been mapped and sampled over a 115 meter distance before outcrop disappears under cover.
The zone reappears in roadbed
subcrop approximately 200 meters to the north, where additional mineralized phases are readily apparent, including strongly
quartz-sericite-pyrite altered feldspar-biotite porphyry with relict potassic alteration in the form of chalcopyrite after mafic
phenocrysts.
Kirwin (2006) and others suggest that the presence of strongly copper mineralized miarolitic cavities is significant
in porphyry copper exploration.
They indicate that metals including copper have been retained and deposited in the nearby
cupola or near-cupola environment.
Further mapping and geochemical sampling to evaluate the prospectivity of the NVI property
for hosting significant porphyry copper-gold mineralization is planned for the coming months.
Assay results for grab samples
collected during the previous program are pending.
Methods
Rock samples are of a reconnaissance nature, including chip, grab and select samples and may not be representative of a
larger volume of rock. The samples were analyzed by ALS Geochemistry of North Vancouver, British Columbia. They were
prepared for analysis according to ALS method Prep-31A: each sample was crushed to 70% passing -2mm and a 250g split
was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 micron mesh. Gold was tested by fire assay with ICP-AES finish on a 30g nominal
sample (method Au-ICP21). An additional 35 elements were tested by ICP-AES using aqua regia digestion (method ME-
ICP41). Quality assurance and control (QAQC) is maintained at the lab through rigorous use of internal standards, blanks and
duplicates.
References
Kirwin, D.J. (2006).
Unidirectional Solidification Textures, Miarolitic Cavities and Orbicles:
Field Evidence for the Magmatic To
Hydrothermal Transition in Intrusion-Related Mineral Deposits.
Southeast Europe Geoscience Foundation Conference, October
2006.
Qualified Person
ArcWest's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jeff Kyba,
PGeo, VP Exploration, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.
For further information please contact: Tyler Ruks, President and CEO at +1 (604) 638 3695.
This news release contains statements about ArcWest's expectations and are forward-looking in nature. As a result, they are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although ArcWest believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking
statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the
forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof,
and ArcWest undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as
required by law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/47219