TK Porphyry-Skarn System Identifies Potentially Critical Vectors With Innovative Data Analysis From Colorado School Of Mines
VANCOUVER - BCM Resources Corp. President & CEO, Sergei Diakov, announced, “The company has received innovative modeling of drill data from its Thompson Knolls (TK) porphyry-skarn system is providing potentially critical vectors for further drilling. This completion of CASERM's investigation into skarn mineralization at TK is critical for our exploration team's focus on further exploration drilling in search of the main copper core at our TK porphyry-skarn project. The research results clearly define a trend of fluid migration from southwest to northeast. There is a high potential for an undiscovered significant size and grade skarn and porphyry mineralized system towards the center of the fluid source. Therefore, our next drilling efforts should focus on areas southwest of TK8."
Research undertaken by Prof. Mathias Burisch Hassel and M.Sc. candidate Chad Abarbanel of the Colorado School of Mines has led to a more refined understanding of the northern part of the TK porphyry-skarn system. The Researchers are part of the Center to Advance the Science of Exploration to Reclamation in Mining (CASERM). Work comprised detailed relogging of intervals of skarn mineralization encountered in BCM's recent diamond drill holes in the northern part of TK along with additional sampling.
Skarn alteration intersected at the TK Project shows spatial patterns of mineralogy and geochemistry that are highly useful for exploration vectoring into the core of the main porphyry system. At this time, a limited number of drill holes have intersected significant skarn alteration at TK, thus making future targeting tentative (best mineral intercepts are 510 ft (155.4 m) @ 0.66% Cu, 0.12 g/t Au, 7.4 g/t Ag, (Company news release of May 24, 2023), including 70 ft (21.3 m) @ 1.25% Cu, 0.2 g/t Au, 15 g/t Ag in TK8, and 230 ft (75.5 m) @ 0.41%, 0.06 g/t Au, 5.7 g/t Ag including 40 ft (13.1 m) @ 0.78% Cu, 0.12 g/t Au, 10.3 g/t Ag in TK6). Tools from this research study should enhance chances for future drilling success at TK.
The Researchers' new interpretation of the discontinuous skarn packages intersected in drill holes TK6, TK8, TK9, and TK14 as well as at the very bottom of TK5 points to a distal position within the skarn system that formed within bedded carbonate rocks surrounding the causative quartz-monzonite porphyry intrusion .
The geometry and mineralogy of skarn alteration strongly suggest that there is a high potential for considerably more skarn and porphyry mineralization to be discovered at TK. Distal skarn is dominantly characterized by abundant pyroxene and serpentine, whereas proximal skarn is comprised of abundant pale red garnet and lesser pyroxene. A trend of increasing garnets is evident from hole TK6 to TK8 resulting in a vector that points to further potential for discovery in areas south and west of hole TK8.
Observations confirm that copper mineralization, consisting of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and pyrite is mainly related to late-stage overprinting and retrograde skarn alteration, comprising minor magnetite and serpentine. Most of the copper mineralization discovered to date at TK is spatially related to skarn zones with stockwork-quartz veining mineralization also present in the QMP intrusive. Skarn alteration is associated with veinlet and stockwork zones containing abundant Mn-oxides. The greatest abundances of Mn-oxides were recognized in TK8 & TK14, a sign that the mineralized system may be further to the south or southwest. The Researchers plotted various elemental abundance ratios including Cu/(Pb+Zn) as well as (Cu+Bi)/(Pb+Zn+Mn). Higher values (red) indicate a more proximal position than lower values (blue). TK8 and TK6 display distinctly higher Cu/(Pb+Zn) compared to TK14 and TK9 pointing to more potential to the west or south. The geophysical anomaly of Area 2 is considered by the exploration team as the source of the fluid hosting the "yolk" of the TK porphyry-skarn system. Additional drilling to test this concept. It is proposed to put two drill holes between TK8 and TK17. If proven, additional drilling will be done between TK17 and DK14 and at TK17 and DK14.