Wolfden Resources (TSXV: WLF) has received results from last year's drilling at the Big Silver project in Maine, where the company holds the mineral rights to a land package of over 800 acres in Washington County, close to the New Brunswick border.
The fall/winter program included a total of eight holes in some 1,750 metres across several different target types. Part of the objective was to determine the potential for expansion of the known mineralization at Big Silver to a depth of 400 metres, well beyond the historical work of 125 to 150 metres.
The drilling was highlighted by hole PB21-02, which returned 173.3 grams silver-equivalent per tonne (82.25 grams silver, 0.47% lead and 1.75% zinc) over 50.1 metres from 67.9 metres depth. The intercept included 220.32 grams silver-equivalent over 18.9 metres and 278.62 grams silver-equivalent over 6.4 metres, and including 393.52 grams silver-equivalent over 6.4 metres.
True widths are estimated at 70% of reported widths and silver-equivalent grades were calculated using metal prices of US$20 per oz. silver, US$1.25 per lb. zinc, and US$1 per lb. lead.
"We are very encouraged by the grade and size implications of this silver-rich mineralization system and its coincidence with the recently defined soil and geophysics anomalies," Don Dudek, VP of exploration for Wolfden, commented.
"Our goal is to discover and delineate an underground resource of 20 million tonnes or more, which appears achievable with this type of mineralized system. The hydrothermal system appears to be very strong, well-endowed and both structurally and stratigraphy controlled."
The core of the Big Silver project is a 1,500- by 2,000-metre area of historic silver, zinc, lead, copper and gold mineralization, with historic drill intercepts including 530.2 grams silver-equivalent per tonne over 15.2 metres and 14.63 grams gold and 1.07% copper over 7 metres.
The precious metal polymetallic mineralization is hosted by sediments, mafic volcanics and hydrothermal breccias. Through drilling, soil sampling, and induced polarization and ground magnetic geophysical surveys, Wolfden has so far defined and expanded the footprint of the mineralized zones, with the new data providing prioritized target areas for future drilling.
Elsewhere in Maine, Wolfden is looking to advance its wholly owned Pickett Mountain project in Penobscot County, considered one of the highest-grade undeveloped polymetallic massive sulphide deposits in North America. In November, the company provided an updated resource for the project, totalling 2.7 million indicated tonnes averaging 8.91% zinc, 3.83% lead, 1.22% copper, 97.2 grams silver per tonne and 0.8 gram gold (17.72% zinc-equivalent).
Wolfden also has two nickel sulphide deposits in Manitoba, where an expansion drill program recently kicked off at its Rice Island nickel-copper-cobalt projects.