Benchmark Drills 30 g/t Gold and 1,361 g/t Silver over 2.95 Metres at AGB Zone and Extends the Strike Length to Nearly 400 Metres
Benchmark Drills 30 g/t Gold and 1,361 g/t Silver over
2.95 Metres at AGB Zone and Extends the Strike Length
to Nearly 400 Metres
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - November 22, 2019) -
Benchmark Metals Inc.
(TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQB: CYRTF)
(WKN: A2JM2X)
(the "
Company
" or"
Benchmark
") - Benchmark is pleased to report continued drilling success from the
Amethyst Gold Breccia (AGB) Zone. Drilling intersected two discrete zones of mineralization in 19AGBDD007 including an
upper zone of
1.10 g/t gold
and
41.62 g/t silver
over
42.15 metres
of core length and a high-grade lower zone of
30.2 g/t gold
and
1,361 g/t silver
over
2.95 metres
of core length (Table 1). Benchmark also reports encouraging results 200 metres along
strike to the south in 19AGBDD002 which yielded
1.16 g/t gold
and
30.56 g/t silver
over
67 metres
of core length. The results
have expanded the AGB Zone to a drill indicated strike length of nearly 400 metres and vertical depth of 170 metres. The
Lawyers Project is situated in the Stikine Terrane of northern British Columbia, Canada, and falls within the prolific, mineral
endowed 'Golden Horseshoe'.
John Williamson, CEO commented, "Drilling at AGB continues to yield fantastic results below and along strike from the historical
mining. Our drilling is demonstrating strong continuity of the mineralizing system beyond its previously known extents and
identifying historically unrecognized bulk tonnage potential, representing a significant opportunity to add gold and silver ounces
to the Lawyers Project."
Table #1
. Selected results from 19AGBDD007 and 19AGBDD002
Hole
From
To (m)
Gold (g/t)
Silver (g/t)
*AuEq (g/t)
Interval**
Upper Zone 19AGBDD007
122.00
164.15
1.10
41.62
1.62
42.15
including
122.00
130.00
3.61
26.83
3.94
8.00
and
137.00
138.00
1.72
364
6.27
1.00
and
158.00
160.00
3.07
98.9
4.31
2.00
Lower Zone 19AGBDD007
230.05
233.00
30.2
1,361
47.21
2.95
within
230.05
245.00
6.01
282.62
9.55
14.95
19AGBDD002
52.00
119.00
1.16
30.56
1.55
67.00
Including
66.00
78.00
1.84
34.47
2.27
12
*Gold equivalent (AuEq) calculated using 80:1 gold to silver ratio.
**Intervals are core-length.
True width is estimated between 80 to 90% of core length.
Visual results from all six of the drill holes remaining to be assayed at AGB indicate that mineralization remains open along
strike to the south, north, and at depth - potentially increasing the strike length to greater than 550 metres and extending
mineralization to approximately 200 vertical metres, significantly deeper than historical drill depths. A total of 2,749 metres were
drilled in 10 holes at AGB during 2019, representing the first subsurface exploration of AGB since the Cheni Mine closure in
1992.
Figure #1
- Map of 2019 drilling at the AGB Zone with structural geology and ground magnetics within the Lawyers Trend.
To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/49972_48231a024403f92b_001full.jpg
Drill hole 19AGBDD007 was designed to test the continuity of the known mineralization at depth, below the historical workings
and 60 metres along strike from 19AGBDD001 (
see press release September 20, 2019
). This drill hole is a significant step-out
from historical drill holes, both laterally (80m) and vertically (80m) (Figures 1 and 2), extending mineralization at depth to over
170 metres below surface and the mineralization remains open. Drilling encountered 1.5 m of underground development on the
lowest mined level, but immediately entered the high-grade mineralization once through the workings, including
47.21 g/t AuEq
over
2.95 metres
of core length. Intersecting such high-grades in the immediate vicinity of workings further bolsters Benchmark's
notion that AGB was not thoroughly explored and developed during operation of the Cheni Mine.
Figure #2
- Simplified cross-section of 19AGBDD007 and 008 (results pending) depicting the lateral and vertical stepout from
historical drilling at the AGB Zone within the Lawyers Trend.
To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/49972_48231a024403f92b_002full.jpg
The mineralized zone intersected in 19AGBDD007 is a multiphase hydrothermal breccia composed of at least three episodes
of chalcedony and at least two episodes of mineralized quartz-hematite veining. Cross-cutting relationships in the veining
suggest timing of the mineralizing event(s) are bordered by brecciating chalcedony. The mineralized veins contain abundant fine
to -medium grained sulphides (acanthite, sulfosalts, chalcopyrite, and pyrite) and native gold, silver and electrum. The banded
textures of the mineralized veins indicate open space crystallization and may explain the presence of coarse gold and silver.
Potassic alteration occurs throughout this zone. The mineralizing system at AGB is controlled by a steeply dipping north-
northwest trending fault zone (Figure 1 and 2) that delineates a discrete magnetic break. Bedrock mapping in the region has
identified similar structures northeast of the main AGB trend that share the same magnetic characteristics and remain to be
thoroughly tested.
Drill hole 19AGBDD002 was designed to test shallow mineralization between the historical workings and channel samples
which returned
5.13 g/t gold
and
20.79 g/t silver
over
27.03 metres
of core length from previous and recent confirmatory
sampling (Figure 3). This hole was drilled 200 metres south of 19AGBDD007 and 175 metres north of the historical channel
sample. The
1.55 g/t AuEq
over
67 metres
of core length reported from 19AGBDD002 represents another intersection of bulk-
tonnage grade and widths previously unrecognized during 1980-1990s exploration at the Lawyers Project. This intersection
starts at shallow depths along a steep-sided hill making the mineralization potentially amenable to open pit mining methods.
Geoscience BC in collaboration with the University of British Columbia - MDRU recently released a report (
link to report
) on the
highly prospective epithermal and porphyry mineral deposits of the underexplored Toodoggone mineral district. They recognized
that historical work in the region had focused on specific styles of mineralization and on high-grade ore-zones, such as the
partially mined component of the AGB zone, overlooking the larger mineralization potential. This project evaluated the AGB, Cliff
Creek, and Silver Pond zones from the Lawyers Property, among others within the broader region to help reconstruct the shape
and depth of a possible larger, continuous mineralizing system. Thus far, Benchmark's drilling results from the AGB zone are
indicative of this larger mineralization potential that exists, with broad intercepts of
1.62 g/t AuEq
over
42.15 metres
of core
length from 19AGBDD007 (upper zone) and
5.01 g/t AuEq
over
25 metres
of core length from 19AGBDD001. The discovery of
significantly greater widths of mineralization at AGB enhances the potential to add significant resources to this zone, along with
similar results at the adjacent Cliff Creek zone (
see August 16, 2019 news release
).
Pending Results
The results produced by Benchmark thus far, coupled with the Geoscience BC study above, add credence to the idea of larger,
continuous mineralized systems at the Lawyers Project. As it relates to AGB, the broad mineralized zones intersected in drill
holes 19AGBDD001, 002, and 007 will be further tested with the much-anticipated results of 19AGBDD009 and 010, which
were drilled underneath the aforementioned historical channel results of
5.13 g/t
gold and
20.79 g/t
silver over
27.03 metres
of
contiguous channel length. These holes could help establish a 550 metre strike length of broad gold-silver mineralization at
shallow levels along the hillside, representing a readily accessible target for potential future open pit extraction (Figure 3).
Figure #3
-AGB showing the underground workings with 2019 drilling and rock grab results on draped drone imagery. The
reported zones of 19AGBDD001 and 007 lie under the historical workings whilst results from 19AGBDD002 represent near-
surface gold-silver mineralization south and downslope of historical mining. Benchmark awaits the results of 19AGBDD009 and
010.
To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/49972_48231a024403f92b_003full.jpg
Quality Assurance and Control
Results from samples were analyzed at ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Vancouver, Canada (an ISO
9001:2008 accredited facility). The sampling program was undertaken by Company personnel under the direction of Rob
L'Heureux, P.Geol. A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Gold was assayed using a
fire assay with atomic emission spectrometry and gravimetric finish when required (+10 g/t Au). Analysis by four acid digestion
with 48 element ICP-MS analysis was conducted on all samples with silver and base metal overlimits re-analyzed by atomic
absorption or emission spectrometry. Rock chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and they may not be
representative of the mineralization hosted on the project.
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol., P.Geo., a
qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
About Benchmark Metals Inc.
Benchmark is a Canadian mineral exploration company with its common shares listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange
in Canada, the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States, and the Tradegate Exchange in Europe.
Benchmark is managed
by proven resource sector professionals, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from grassroots scenarios
through to production.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
s/ "John Williamson"
John Williamson
, Chief Executive Officer
For further information, please contact:
Jim Greig
Email:
Telephone: +1 604 260 6977
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THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY
OF THIS RELEASE.
This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the
Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-
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required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
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