Nine Mile Metals reports high-grade copper, silver and gold intercepts at Wedge Mine in New Brunswick
Nine Mile Metals Ltd. (CSE:NINE, OTCID:VMSXF, FRA:KQ9) announced assay results Wednesday at its Wedge Mine in the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, intersecting two distinct zones of high-grade VMS mineralization carrying copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold.
The hole, drilled to 149 meters at the southwest edge of the company's drill pattern, hit copper-rich Upper Zone mineralization of pyrite, chalcopyrite, covellite, and bornite, including an assay of 3.47% copper.
The mineralization was briefly interrupted by what's interpreted as an old exploration drift. Copper-rich VMS mineralization then continued until it hit a silicified sedimentary mélange at 104.4 meters.
A second lens, the Lower Zone, was found between 110.50 and 121.20 meters. It contains fine-grained pyrite and chalcopyrite, with some galena and sphalerite.
Assay results here reached up to 117 g/t silver and 0.805 g/t gold, with one sample returning 87 g/t silver, 0.85 g/t gold, 1.06% copper, 4.33% lead and 6.75% zinc, or 5.68% copper equivalent.
Gary Lohman, Nine Mile's vice president exploration, said the results show the Wedge deposit "is more robust than previously thought."
According to Lohman, the hole revealed two distinct lenses with different characteristics, an Upper Zone dominated by copper and a Lower Zone locally enriched in lead, zinc, silver and gold, adding that the continuity of the silver and gold mineralization was "a pleasant surprise."
The company's upcoming borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) survey will help map the deposit's subsurface footprint and guide further drilling, he said.
CEO Patrick Cruickshank said the hole demonstrates the polymetallic nature of the deposit.
"This will give us the best analysis of the Eastern, Southern, and the high-priority Western extension and allow us to test the depth of this deposit, from the optimal west side, above the fault zone," Cruickshank told shareholders.
"This will give us a complete conductive picture of the deposit and its footprint including additional VMS Lens' at depth."
Nine Mile has completed 18 holes or 4934.5 metres of its 10,000 metre program. Deeper drill results are still pending.
