Benchmark Metals Inc. [BNCH-TSXV; CYRTF-OTCQB; A2ATHU-FSE] reported results for the first phase of drilling at the Cliff Creek Zone on the 100%-owned Lawyers property, including drill hole 20CCDD011, which intersected three discrete zones including: 31 metres of 2.98 g/t gold and 72.77 g/t silver or 3.89 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq); 6 metres of 6.95 g/t gold and 280.67 g/t silver or 10.45 g/t AuEq; and 12.85 metres of 2.20 g/t gold and 67.23 g/t silver or 3.04 g/t AuEq near the bottom of the hole.
This almost continuous mineralization from near surface to higher-grade material at depth should favourably impact the future mineral resource estimate and pit shell design characteristics. Benchmark’s flagship Lawyers gold-silver project is located in a road-accessible area of the ‘Golden Horseshoe’ in the Toodoggone region of north-central British Columbia.
John Williamson, CEO, commented: “Seeing these early results from Cliff Creek highlights our belief in the underexplored nature of the area where multiple, discrete zones occur within the same hole. Hole 20CCDD011 is essentially mineralized from top to bottom including excellent grades and widths in the Main and East zones. The high-grade near-surface mineralization helps considerably with the economic potential during the first few years of a potential mining scenario. Additionally, the other shallower holes in the east zone have significant potential to add more gold-silver mineralization and ounces in areas of previously unrecognized mineralization that also remains open at depth and will be tested in the coming weeks. Drilling continues to progress exceptionally well at Cliff’s Creek, AGB and the Dukes Ridge-Phoenix Zone.”
The company has completed nearly 40,000 metres of drilling from 195 holes as part of its up-to-100,000-metre drilling in 2020. An additional six holes are reported below with high-grade intercepts and bulk tonnage mineralization at varying depths from 15 to 270 vertical metres from surface showing the depth continuity and parallel zones present at Cliff Creek. No underground mine workings or stopes were intercepted in any of these drill holes, demonstrating the excellent continuity of mineralization that remains.
Benchmark recently discovered new mineralized structures, broad zones of alteration, veining and sulphide mineralization at the Marmot Zone that yielded high-grade rock grab samples up to 61.3 g/t gold and 3,890 g/t silver.