Basin Gulch mineralization

Basin Gulch mineralization is high-grade, near-surface gold and silver hosted in oxides. On the Basin Gulch Property, drill intercepts begin at surface and run up to 326 meters, trenches carry both gold and silver, and the mineralized system is open at depth, along strike and untested regionally.

What type of mineralization is at Basin Gulch?

Gold-silver (Au-Ag) oxide mineralization that starts at surface. It appears both as broad intervals, such as 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters, and as high-grade zones, such as 156 g/t Au over 3 meters.

Mineralization in two cards

Definition

What near-surface Au-Ag mineralization means here

Near-surface means gold and silver are found from the ground surface downward rather than only at depth. At Basin Gulch, three of the five published drill highlights start at surface, and all four trench highlights expose gold and silver at surface.

Mineralization at surface gives significant implied mine design optimization flexibility, because less overlying waste must be removed to reach it. The oxide host also suits shallow testing by trenching and short drill holes.

Numbers

Grade and width ranges

Gold, g/t Au, drill highlights: 0.66 to 156
Drill highlight lengths: 3 to 326 m
Gold, g/t Au, trench highlights: 4 to 62
Silver, g/t Ag, trench highlights: 23 to 54

Mineralization from surface, drawn to scale

The three historical drill highlights stated to start at surface, with interval length drawn to scale.

Gold intercepts that start at surfaceHistorical drill highlights, interval length drawn to scale

Surface

1.8 g/t Au162 m / 531.5 ft
0.66 g/t Au326 m / 1,069.6 ft
3.2 g/t Au72 m / 236.2 ft

Two styles: broad and high-grade

The Basin Gulch drilling data contains broad, lower-grade intervals and narrow, high-grade zones. The broad style includes 0.66 g/t Au over 326 meters and 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters, both from surface. The high-grade style includes 156 g/t Au over 3 meters and 25 g/t Au over 14 meters. Trenching adds a third view: long surface lengths that carry both metals, such as 25 g/t Au and 45 g/t Ag over 61 meters.

Full figures are on the drill intercepts page and the trench results page.

For the full picture, start with the Basin Gulch drilling data overview, which ties drill holes, trenches, claims and geology together.

Common questions

Short answers to what field geologists and exploration partners ask most often.

What type of gold mineralization is at Basin Gulch?

Basin Gulch hosts high-grade, near-surface gold and silver oxide mineralization. The mineralization is hosted in oxides and begins at surface in several historical drill holes, including 3.2 g/t Au over 72 meters from surface and 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters from surface.

What metals are found at Basin Gulch?

Gold and silver are the target metals at Basin Gulch. Historical drill highlights are reported as gold grades in grams per tonne, and the trench highlights report both gold and silver, for example 5 g/t Au and 54 g/t Ag over 34 meters. The mineralization is hosted in oxides near surface.

Do the Basin Gulch drill intercepts start at surface?

Three of the five published highlight intercepts start at surface: 1.8 g/t Au over 162 meters, 0.66 g/t Au over 326 meters, and 3.2 g/t Au over 72 meters. Gold beginning at surface is a key reason the mineralization at Basin Gulch is described as near-surface.

Is the mineralization at Basin Gulch open?

Yes. The gold and silver mineralization at Basin Gulch is open at depth, open along strike and untested regionally. Open means drilling has not yet found its limits in those directions, which is why expansion drilling is part of the plan toward a maiden mineral resource estimate.

What does open along strike mean?

Strike is the horizontal direction a mineralized zone runs across the land. A zone that is open along strike has not been closed off by drilling at its ends, so it may continue further. At Basin Gulch, the mineralization is open along strike as well as at depth.

Why do the Basin Gulch trench results include silver?

The property hosts gold and silver oxide mineralization, and the trench highlights were reported for both metals. Silver grades in the published trenches range from 23 to 54 g/t Ag, which matters to any partner weighing the combined precious metal content of a zone rather than gold alone.

Read all 45 Basin Gulch questions