お知らせ • Feb 10
Silver Valley Metals Reports Significant Exploration Results from the Blackhawk Mine and Surrounding Target Area At Its Ranger-Page Project in the Silver Valley, Northern Idaho, USA
Silver Valley Metals Corp. provided strong exploration results from its Blackhawk Mine target at the Ranger-Page Project, Silver Valley, Idaho. The deepest stope (where the ore is mined) in the Blackhawk mine is situated 465m below surface, making it reachable from a surface drilling platform. The Company believes the Curlew vein (Blackhawk mine) is consistent with other significant deposits in the Silver Valley, and has the potential to increase in width, grade, and strike length with depth, if it intersects favorable host rocks, such as the Revett formation which the Company believes is likely based on the recent geological modeling of underground maps. The Blackhawk mine ceased operations in 1944 after 21 years of operation when the owner of the Page Mine, ASARCO, discontinued operations despite the presence of mineralization in the deepest stopes. The Blackhawk mine was leased by ASARCO from the Blackhawk mine owners at that time to optimize ASARCO's Page mine mill. Silver Valley Metals entered into an option agreement to acquire 100% of the historic Page Mine. The Page Mine has exploration drilling with compelling intercepts that extend mineralization beyond the high-grade historical resources located at the bottom of the mine - see news release dated September 20, 2022. The Blackhawk target is located 1,000 metres east from the Company's high-grade and top ten past-producer in the District, Page Mine, and located 650 metres due west from the high-grade silver dominant past producing Crown Point Mine (option to own for Silver Valley. The Blackhawk Mine and target area is one of seven high priority target areas that the Company has defined from its successful 2022 exploration campaign. Importantly, all high priority areas are constrained to a relatively small area approximately 3 kilometres X 2 kilometres and each target shows significant strike and depth potential. The ground Induced Polarization and Resistivity surveys indicate a significant anomaly exists above the existing Blackhawk stopes, with an interpreted plunge line matching the historical trend of the Blackhawk Mine indicating the system is open up-plunge and along the same dip. The background Induced Polarization readings observed at the Blackhawk host rocks was measured at 0-4 msec, as compared to the background observed at the Prichard formation (+20 msec) located north of the Blackhawk target. The Blackhawk Induced Polarization anomaly ranges between 6 and 20 msec, which is an anomalous result from the widespread dataset accumulated during the program. Resistivity values are locally elevated (1,000 to +2,000 ohm) up plunge of the Blackhawk stopes, and coincident with the polarization results, indicating the likely presence of silicification, an alteration closely associated with mineral occurrences in the Coeur d'Alene mining district. The strike and dip length of the anomaly is approximately 480 and 200 meters respectively. This ground Induced Polarization survey is the first-time modern exploration techniques have been deployed at the Blackhawk Mine to identify additional mineralization, and this result represents a significant step forward in evaluation of the target. A surface geochemical program was initiated to further validate the ground geophysics targets. Samples were collected from the B and C soil horizons on a 30-metre spacing. At each location, a pit was dug until refusal (could not dig deeper). The B and C soil horizons were sampled separately to assess and compare geochemical results from Ranger-Page weathered bedrock and soils to results published in other Silver Valley geochemical studies. Samples were described, photographed, staked and location data collected via GPS. Results were loaded into Leapfrog Geo and displayed via a proportional grade plot to highlight high values. Results over the Blackhawk target are summarized below. The results are consistent with the Company's expectation of a zinc-lead system with lesser silver, in line with historic production records. Background levels of lead, zinc and copper in the project area are typically 10 ppm, 40 ppm, 6 ppm respectively based on all 2022 geochemical data. Average lead, zinc and copper values measured over Blackhawk are 59, 87 and 10 ppm respectively. Anomalous values for lead, zinc and copper are 379, 183 and 22 ppm respectively. Trace element vector analysis is ongoing, and expect it will further validate the target. American Analytical Services Inc. ("AAS") is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory, located in Osburn Idaho. All analysis includes quality control measures to ensure an acceptance standard established within AAS methods. All samples sent to AAS were checked for accuracy between the chain of custody and the samples with the client present. Samples are dried before starting the prep process. The prep process includes crushing the sample in its entirety to 80% passing a 10 mesh, split in a riffle box to make a 250g sub-sample and pulverized to 85% passing a 140 mesh. Analysis for AA-Ag is done by 2 or 4 acid digestion. Detection limit for AA-Ag is 0.100 Oz/ton - 15.0 Oz/ton. Any results over the detection limit are sent to fire assay to do Ag gravimetric finish. All samples are subjected to a 4 acid digestion. Digestion QC consists of a reagent blank, control standard and for every 20 samples there is a duplicate of a sample pulp to check RPD. To begin ICP-OES analysis, the instrument is standardized with the five working standard solutions (multi-point linear fitting). Samples are then measured with the reagent blank, control standard and a CCV (continuous calibration verification). Once samples are analyzed, all QC is checked, and results are sent to LIMS system to be made into the client's report. Timothy Mosey, BSc, MSc, SME, is the qualified person for the company and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Mosey supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.