Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Strategic phase 1 work seeks Yukon drill targets

Strategic Metals Ltd. May 10 reported a budget of C$820,000 for an initial phase of field work at some of its precious metal projects in Yukon Territory. The program will systematically advance high-grade discoveries made in 2015. Upon receiving phase-1 results, Strategic will consider a second phase of diamond drilling program at one or more properties. At the road-accessible Hopper property, heritage studies and road construction will be undertaken along the up-dip extension of a new gold-rich skarn horizon. The only two drill intercepts from this 2015 discovery – one meter of 43.6 grams per metric ton gold and 2.65 meters of 12.15 g/t gold – are located 367 meters apart and roughly 400 meters from the surface. A new road will allow systematic drill testing with relatively short holes. Hand-trenching at the Hartless Joe property will be focused on expanding a 2015 outcrop discovery where a continuous chip sample returned 60 g/t gold, 554 g/t silver, 5.01 percent lead and 0.35 percent copper over 1.2 meters This isolated outcrop is located in an otherwise overburden-covered area where float samples have returned up to 73 g/t gold. The primary target at this property is an Eskay Creek-type exhalative horizon. Work is also planned at 10 of Strategic’s other projects, including the OOO property in the Dawson Range gold belt; and the Rod property within the western part of the Rackla Trend. Strategic has received, or applied for, land use approvals that will permit advanced exploration activities at 24 of its precious metal projects in Yukon. The approvals contemplate tens to hundreds of drill holes and other related work at each project. These approvals will allow Strategic or optionees to rapidly advance promising discoveries.

- Shane Lasley