Ongoing Phase Three Program At Copper Creek Project
VANCOUVER - Faraday Copper Corp. reported on nine drill holes from its ongoing Phase III drill program at the Copper Creek Project, located in Arizona. Two holes were drilled to test near-surface mineralization potential in the American Eagle area and five reconnaissance holes were drilled to test previously undrilled breccias near Area 51 outside of the recent Starship and Eclipse breccia discoveries. Two holes were drilled in the Bald area between Area 51 and American Eagle.
Paul Harbidge, President and CEO, said, "The first two drill holes that Faraday has completed at the American Eagle area, which is situated above the underground resource, have confirmed our thesis that there is significant near-surface mineralization present. This area offers the potential for a substantial increase in open pit resources that could enhance the scale of the project. Current drilling is ongoing in the American Eagle area, where we continue to target near-surface mineralization with the vision of a new high tonnage open pit resource being defined."
At the American Eagle area, two holes were drilled to test the potential for a new open pit mineral resource to be defined above the current American Eagle underground resource. Intersected 20.07 metres (m) at 1.20% copper, 0.0997% molybdenum and 6.8 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 406.58 m in drill hole FCD-24-064 (~230 m below surface). This intercept is within 100.29 m at 0.42% copper, 0.0223% molybdenum and 1.84 g/t silver from 395.41 m. This drill hole ended in mineralization. Intersected 22.92 m at 0.58% copper from 227.34 m in drill hole FCD-24-065. This intercept is within 142.69 m at 0.31% copper from 219.26 m (less than 150 m below surface). The results from this hole represent the discovery of significant copper mineralization at the previously undrilled SK-3 and Prada breccias.
Reconnaissance drilling at Area 51 confirmed prospectivity at depth. Several recently mapped breccias near Area 51 intercepted short intervals of copper mineralization and elevated silver. Geochemical and mineralogical data suggests the drilling intersected the upper portion of a potentially mineralized system. Follow-up drilling is planned to test the potential at depth. Exploration upside with many untested breccias and porphyries that have been emplaced along the principal controlling fault structures in the district. As targets are tested and either advanced or removed from the exploration plan, a continuous pipeline of targets for drill testing is being developed.
The American Eagle area has dimensions of approximately 800 m by 1,000 m and is a host to numerous prospective breccias and porphyries that have been mapped at surface and have a strong copper geochemical signature. These surface expressions locate above the large underground porphyry resource, which is approximately 500 m to 1,100 m depth below surface. The near-surface mineralization was not adequately tested historically as previous drilling was vertical to steeply inclined. Mapped geology, isolated historical drill intercepts and historic small scale mining highlight the potential for near-surface mineralization. Approximately 54,000 metric tonnes at 3.78% copper were historically extracted from a series of narrow stopes to 90 m depth at the American Eagle breccia (Higgins, 1911) 1. The first two drill holes Faraday has completed in this area have confirmed the potential for significant near-surface mineralization, with mineralized intercepts in the two drill holes approximately 190 m apart laterally. Drilling continues in this area.