Norden Crown Identifies New Copper Porphyry, Epithermal GOLD, Copper, Silver, GOLD CRD Targets at Smart Creek
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NORDEN CROWN IDENTIFIES NEW COPPER PORPHYRY,
EPITHERMAL GOLD, COPPER, SILVER, GOLD CRD
TARGETS AT SMART CREEK
Vancouver, B.C., December 10, 2024. Norden Crown Metals Corp. ("Norden Crown"
or the "Company") (TSXV: NOCR, Frankfurt: 03E) has completed a field evaluation
campaign at the Smart Creek Gold-Copper Project, including targeted geological mapping as
well as opportunity recognition work at both the Smart Creek and Sunrise Mountain Claims,
located in the Eocene Porphyry Belt of western Montana (Figures 1-4).
Norden Crown CEO Pat Varas stated “In addition to an excellent property -scale copper and
gold metal endowment, our technical team has focused on a variety of porphyry-related
mineralization styles in the Smart Creek / Sunrise project area an d has concluded that the
present erosion level offers several opportunities to test, high -grade copper and gold
mineralized targets. The systems are well-preserved and have large alteration footprints ,
which demonstrate the potential for large deposits. This, combined with the abundance of
reactive host rocks that can yield high grades indicates there is the potential for the discovery
of ore deposits in the area that are best in-class.”
At the Smart Creek Project , Norden Crown is focused on four robust zones of alteration and
mineralization areas/domains that represent compelling exploration targets including the
porphyry copper targets previously tested by Rio Tinto. Norden’s team recognized
preservation of the host stratigraphy, which provides the opportunity for additional porphyry
(and related) targets , including structurally controlled/replacement style gold target s at the
Sunrise mine (Figure 1).
In addition, exploration opportunities are recognized on the Smart Creek project with potential
for carbonate replacement style mineralization (CRD) at the Smart Creek target and at Sunrise
including copper, gold and silver replacement bodies near and associated with the historic
Sunrise Mine, as evidenced by widespread marbleization and skarn development associated
with manganese oxides and copper oxides in the carbonate metasedimentary rocks of the
Helena formation.
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The Smart Creek copper target remains a high-priority target with widespread, high grade
copper oxides (and sulphides) which outcrop at surface. This mineralization is cut by
numerous historic drill holes, with multiple copper intercepts from surface e.g., 109.73m @
0.75% Cu; 18.74 g/t Ag(SMCR0022; see below) 1,2.
The Smart Creek Project was optioned from Rio Tinto (see August 20, 2024 News Release :
https://nordencrownmetals.com/_resources/news/20240820.pdf). Smart Creek is accessible
year-round via highway and gravel roads, and is located 100 km southeast of Missoula ,
Montana (Figure 1). Gold-Copper exploration potential is considered excellent at Smart Creek:
1. A total of 52 previous drill holes (7 at Sunrise, 45 at Smart Creek). Recent drilling in 2022
by Rio Tinto resulted in - copper assay results including a 109.73m @ 0.75% Cu and 18.74
g/t Ag intercept (drill hole SMCR0022; see NR dated August 20, 2024) 1,2.
2. Extensive high-grade oxide and sulfide copper mineralization throughout the property.
Historical rock samples with copper grades ranging from below detection limits up to
5.64% Cu with historical mining at Smart Creek, Sunrise and at the Henderson Gultch
placer mining operations3,4.
3. Historic mining of a gold-copper replacement-style deposit at the Sunrise Mine5.
4. Preservation of the porphyry -skarn-CRD-epithermal environments on the property.
Geological mapping observations include exotic copper mineralization, high-sulfidation
style gold showings , skarn/CRD replacements, and widespread porphyry-style,
mineralization and veins. The property features multiple targets with limited drill ing,
untested by modern methods.
5. A large database of airborne magnetic /radiometric/Induced polarization and historic
soil and rock sampling, RC and diamond drilling with significant, untested geochemical
anomalies coincident with alteration zones (Figure 3)2.
6. Superb reactive host rocks (Helena Formation calcareous metasedimentary rocks) ;
porphyry intrusions associated with large alteration footprints at Smart Creek and
Sunrise (Figures 1-4).
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Figure 1. Smart Creek and Sunrise project situated 1 hour drive southeast of Missoula, in the
well-endowed west-central part of Montana. The Smart Creek area is situated within a major
gold-copper metallotect.
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Figure 2. Smart Creek and Sunrise project showing targets, favorable host rocks and
molybdenum soil anomalies.
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Figure 3. Smart Creek and Sunrise project showing targets, favorable host rocks and
molybdenum soil anomalies.
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Figure 4. Quartz vein stockworks at Smart Creek in outcrop (3A) and drill core (3B).
Copper oxides/carbonates in fractures cutting the Helena Formation metasedimentary rocks.
Drill core (3C) and outcrop/hand specimen (3D).
Findings from 2024 Exploration Program
The Smart Creek project hosts significant mineralization corresponding to at least 3 related
styles of copper and gold deposit models , including porphyry copper-gold (PCD; Smart Creek
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and Radio Tower), carbonate replacement deposits (CRD; Sunrise Mine and Smart Creek ),
structurally controlled epithermal gold (Sunrise Mine), and exotic or remobilized copper
deposits formed by supergene processes (Smart Creek Exotic Copper Target; Figures 1-4). With
the exception of the copper potential at Smart Creek, mineralization at Smart Creek is the
result of magmatic -hydrothermal fluid flow driven and focused by Eocene intrusions and
trapped by reactive Helena Formation carbonate -rich metasedimentary rocks which
ultimately produced the following opportunities.
Target Opportunities
Smart Creek PCD Target:
Drilling by the previous operators did not attain target depth in the western margin of the
Smart Creek area which is characterized by 1) significant copper (an d molybdenum) soil
anomalism, 2) a major induced polarization chargeability anomaly (Figures 1-4). Hence, the
Mo soil anomaly adjacent to the extensive exotic copper has not been tested (Figure 2 ).
Norden Crown ha s reason to bel ieve that the grade s may be high due to 1) the quality of the
reactive carbonate host rocks (Helena Formation) , 2) widespread skarn, marble and quartz
veins which are consistent with the distal parts of a porphyry and 3) presence of an unreactive
cap rock aquitard unit (Missoula Group). Cap rocks are known to increase grades in porphyry
copper deposits by forcing fluids into more reactive adjacent units. An analogous mineralized
system is the Resolution copper deposit (Arizona) where high grade carbonate and diabase
host rocks are “super -charged” due to fluid flow channelized by unreactive quartzite5,6. This
target at Smart Creek is untested by drilling.
Radio Tower Target:
A second porphyry copper opportunity has been recognized in the south part of the Sunrise
mine area (Figures 1-3). Norden Crown geologists have recognized intense marble alteration
outcropping in an area underlain by anomalous Cu-Mo-Mn in reconnaissance soil data, as well
as a strong IP chargeability high in a historic single geophysical reconnaissance line (Figure 3).
The dimensions of the target are 1000m by 1300m defined by the alteration mapping, IP and
limited soil data (Figure 3) . The strong marble alteration zone is flanked by more distal
dolomite alteration and the entire area is underlain by reactive Helena Formation banded
carbonates. The Robinson Mine, in Eastern Nevada is an analogous magmatic -hydrothermal
system and contains high-grade ore hosted by chemically reactive carbonate host rocks6,7.
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Sunrise Structurally-Controlled/Epithermal Gold :
Norden Crown geologists have evaluated rocks and historic mine material in the Sunrise Mine
area (Figures 1-3). Alteration is characterized by vuggy silica associated with silicified -clast
breccia and strongly sulphidized host rocks . Intense clay, limonite are the products of
weathering of the widespread sulfides. Sunrise Mine area is an opportunity to develop targets
with gold potential in the shallow porphyry environment , distal to the porphyry centers
identified at Smart Creek and Sunrise South. Gold deposits commonly occur in structures and
stratigraphic traps within the distal and/or shallow extensions of the porphyry environment.
Carbonate replacement Targets (2+ target areas):
Widespread marble and skarn alteration is mapped at both Smart Creek and Sunrise (Figures
1-3). Leakage characteristics in these rocks includes manganese oxides and copper oxides in
fracture surfaces cutting the dominant Helena Formation host rocks. This is the distal
signature of the CRD clan of deposits which commonly occur in porphyry environments inside
the 5km region surrounding the heat and fluid source.
Smart Creek Copper Oxide Target:
The Smart Creek area is underlain by widespread copper oxides/carbonates at surface
outcrops/subcrops as well as defined in RC drilling (Figure 1). This target area sits 1 km east of
the Smart Creek hypogene porphyry target defined by IP chargeability and soil Mo and Cu
(Figures 1 and 2). The dimensions of the copper oxide body measure 900m by 400m (plan) and
up to 75m depth, defined by historic drilling (Figures 1 -3). The direct analogy for the copper
footprint at Smart Creek is the recently active Carlota mine in eastern Arizona (50 Mt @ 0.5%
Cu6,8,9).
Exploration Plan
Initial work on the project will focus on further evaluation of the best anomalous zones with
targeted mapping and sampling. Norden Crown plans to complete the following work prior to
finalizing the positions of the initial drill holes:
Geological mapping
Detailed alteration mapping is planned focusing on zonation and alteration intensity as vectors
to mineralized centers. Constrain the position of drill holes.
LiDAR