Silver Dome Drilling Results
VANCOUVER, BC - Columbus Silver Corporation reported the completion and results of Phase I drilling at the Company's 100% controlled Silver Dome Project , located 72 km (45 miles) northwest of Delta, Utah.
Columbus completed 5,375 ft (1,629 m) of drilling in thirteen reverse circulation drill holes at Silver Dome in late 2008. The Silver Dome Project consists of 6.5 square miles (16.8 squ. km) of land, of which about 97% is covered by thin alluvium, located near a surface silver showing known as the Cactus Shaft. Surface sampling by Columbus near the Cactus Shaft yielded high grade silver assays (up to 85 opt Ag), associated with lead, on high angle structures, and also indicated that low grade silver values were disseminating away from structures into an Ordovician sandstone layer (1-2 opt Ag over widths of 70 ft (21 m)). The sandstone appears to dip gently west, and the larger target at Silver Dome likely lies west, south, and north of the Cactus Shaft area under thin alluvial cover, where Columbus Silver holds several square miles of potentially mineralized ground.
Five of the holes were angle holes drilled to test below strongly mineralized outcrops near the Cactus Shaft. The drill holes all crossed under the target sandstone at shallower depths than expected, into relatively unmineralized carbonate rocks. As a consequence, only low-grade silver values were encountered, but subsurface information gained from the holes will allow future drilling to accurately intersect known mineralized structures where they cut the favorable sandstone layer.
The other 8 drill holes were vertical holes drilled on a grid, with 500 ft (152 m) spacing, stepping immediately north, west, and south of the Cactus Shaft into the area of alluvial cover. This drilling was surprising in that the favorable sandstone bed is thinner than expected, or even absent likely due to erosion of the sandstone prior to deposition of the surficial alluvium. In general the alluvial cover averaged 140 ft (42 m) in thickness.
The last drill hole in the program, SD-13, cut 20 ft (6 m) of silver averaging 1.48 opt in the carbonate rocks well below the sandstone. The highest assay over 5 ft within this intercept was 3.8 opt silver. This hole was anomalous to the bottom (350 ft (106 m)) and also averaged 6215 ppm lead from 290-340 ft dept. This intercept indicates another horizon of potential to be tested with further drilling.
Future plans at Silver Dome include shallow drilling at the Cactus Shaft, and more drilling further into the alluvial basin west, north, and south of the shaft where silver mineralization remains open, and focused on IP anomalies.
The company's address is Suite 910 - 475 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2B3, 604-689-2599,fax: 604-689-3609, email: [email protected].