American West nails high-grade near-surface Canadian copper
The campaign, combining reverse circulation (RC) and deep diamond drilling, has delivered thick, near-surface, high-grade copper intercepts and paints a picture of widespread mineralisation at depth.
The company's second deep diamond hole was drilled to 692 metres, targeting an electromagnetic (EM) geophysical target in its Cirrus Deeps prospect and stratigraphy within the Central Graben area.
The hole intersected about 57m of visible copper sulphide mineralisation across two zones – from 183m to 215m and from 298.5m to 327m downhole - within the Allen Bay Formation. The formation is a known host for copper at Storm.
The upper zone features crackle and matrix breccias with copper sulphide infills, while the lower zone contains malachite - a copper carbonate hydroxide - and copper along fracture surfaces.
The occurrences suggest a complex fault network akin to the mineralised North Graben fault at the Cyclone deposit, 2.5 kilometres east-northeast.
American West expects to receive assay results for the second diamond drill hole within four to six weeks.
Additionally, a deep pyrite horizon near the South Graben fault and organic-rich shales in the Bay Fiord Formation indicate a new copper and base metal target horizon.
Meanwhile, RC drilling at the company's Corona, Thunder and Lightning Ridge deposits and The Gap prospect has confirmed thick, near-surface copper intersections, further enhancing resource upgrade and expansion potential.
Key analytical results from the first 10 RC holes include 12.2m at 1.9 per cent copper and 77 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 19.8m, including 4.6m at 3.2 per cent copper and 129g/t silver from one hole at Corona.
A second hole at Corona yielded 7.6m at 1.7 per cent copper and 3.2g/t silver from 25.9m.
A third hole, at The Gap, delivered 7.6m at 1.1 per cent copper and 2.2g/t silver from 73.2m. American West is awaiting assays from the deeper part of the hole. Drilling at The Gap highlights its potential for maiden resource definition.
American West Metals managing director Dave O'Neill said: '
Assay results for the first batch of RC drill holes have confirmed thick intervals of near-surface, high-grade copper sulphide as we look to upgrade the resource classification in the initial open pits. These results have exceeded expectations and confirm the excellent continuity of the high-grade copper zones at the Corona and Thunder deposits.'
O'Neill said initial resource drilling at The Gap had extended the envelope of the known copper mineralisation, confirmed the geometry of the high-grade copper zones and showed there was significant potential to convert some of the 2024 discoveries into resources.
The results, which grade better than the current resource estimate, confirm the continuity and quality of mineralisation within the resource envelope and support potential open-pit expansion.
The Storm copper project reflects the typical geological setting of sedimentary copper systems, with mineralisation hosted in brecciated dolo-mudstones and fault zones.
The program's nine diamond drill holes for a total of 2295m, and the accompanying RC results underscore the project's scale and prospectivity.
The identification of organic-rich shales and dolostones in the Bay Fiord Formation as a trap for mineralised fluids also enhances the project's potential for additional discoveries.
American West is advancing its resource estimation and upgrade studies, with the latest results providing confidence in the project's ability to evolve into a globally significant copper asset.
The combination of near-surface, high-grade zones and deeper, widespread mineralisation positions Storm as a cornerstone of the company's portfolio.
With high-grade copper hits and a growing mineralised footprint, American West is unlocking the vast potential of its Storm copper project, paving the way for significant resource growth and exciting future discoveries in Canada's Arctic region.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
matt.birney@wanews.com.au
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