Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Seabridge targets high-grade gold zones at new BC project

Seabridge Gold Inc. Aug. 15 said it has begun a 3,000-meter drill program at its newly acquired Iskut gold project in northwestern British Columbia. This initial phase of drilling is designed to help determine controls on gold mineralization for several known occurrences including past high-grade producers. “In our view, Iskut could host extensive district-scale porphyry-style mineral systems similar to our nearby KSM project. However, at Iskut, unlike at KSM, these systems appear to be largely intact from top to bottom, not eroded or faulted away. If so, this would mean that the epithermal tops of the porphyry systems, which typically host high-grade precious metals, could remain intact near surface,” said Seabridge Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk. This year’s drilling is based largely on considerable historical data compiled by previous owners and now being re-interpreted by Seabridge’s exploration team. This information is being augmented by re-logging, sampling and assaying old drill core, much of which had not been previously analyzed. To date, 37 holes have been re-logged and 1,124 samples have been sent for assay. Additionally, a magnetotelluric geophysical program to identify altered structures and extensive hydrothermal alteration associated with mineralization in the target areas is underway. Seabridge obtained Iskut through the June closing of its acquisition of SnipGold Corp. The company said the results from this year’s work will be used to design a much larger program for 2017.

-Shane Lasley