Historical high grade logs from RC and diamond drilling to be assessed ahead of Sun Silver’s own maiden drill program
pXRF analysis will help define high grade silver targets ahead of resource upgrade
Copper and other pathfinder elements not previously assayed will be tested
200 holes from 60,000m has been drilled at Maverick Springs to date
Special Report: An assessment of potentially game-changing historical data from core samples using pXRF analysis will help define targets for drilling and a subsequent resource upgrade of Sun Silver’s Maverick Springs project in Nevada.
Silver is on a heater of late, with prices shooting up 40% to US$32.50/oz this year alone due to demand for solar panels and other applications.
Sun Silver’s (ASX:SS1) Maverick Springs has an inferred resource of 292Moz contained silver equivalent @ 72.4g/t, making it one of the most significant silver resources owned by an ASX-listed company.
200 holes for 60,000m has been drilled at Maverick Springs to date, yet represents just 20% of the project landholding.
High grade historic drill logs to assess key targets for follow-up drilling
Portable X-ray fluorescence analyser technology (pXRF) will be utilised to scan the historical drilling material, targeting copper and other pathfinder elements which were not previously assayed. Considering the giant Robinson copper-gold mine (that has been operating on and off since 1867) is 100km to the south of Maverick Springs, testing historical cores for copper is a no-brainer.
Sun Silver has established a logging facility in the regional mining centre of Elko, Nevada, to assess historical drill material and log and assess drill material from its planned maiden drill program at Maverick Springs.
The deposit itself remains open along strike and at depth, with multiple mineralised intercepts located outside of the current resource-constrained model.
Initial assessments will focus on the high-grade northern section of the property, as well as identifying key historical holes to be twinned during a planned follow-up in-fill drilling campaign.
New key information to be sought from the data includes:
The chemical composition of historical drill material, noting that historical assays only recorded results for silver and gold;
Definition of geological controls and structural information to identify high-grade areas within the Resource to target during in-fill drilling;
Confirming holes to be twinned as part of the planned in-fill drilling campaign
Definition of limits of oxidisation within the current resource
Sun Silver exec director Gerard O’Donovan says past results from Maverick Springs represent a hugely valuable opportunity for the company, providing a vast bank of information to help tailor the upcoming maiden drill program.
“Leveraging this stored data, the use of advanced technology such as pXRF will enable us to undertake real-time silver, gold, copper and other pathfinder element testing,” O’Donovan says.
“This will provide us with a wealth of new information to enhance our drilling strategy focused on resource expansion and classification upgrades, as well as determining the limits of oxidisation within the current resource.”
This article was developed in collaboration with Sun Silver, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
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