(Kootenay Silver, 25.Mar.2021) — Kootenay Silver Inc. announce that a 3,500-meter core drilling program has commenced at the Copalito gold and silver project, located in Sinaloa State, Mexico.
The program will follow up the results of 40 shallow drill-holes totaling 4,153 meters completed in 2020, confirming gold and silver mineralization in several areas of the Property. Drilling will be guided by detailed structural mapping to test veins such as 5 Senores located in the southern area where good continuity and grade potential has been shown for at least 600 meters of strike length.
Drill results from 5 Senores are highlighted by several high-grade intercepts that ranged to 2,830 gpt silver (BDH-20-04) and 16.95 gpt gold (BDH-20-40). Further highlights from drilling completed on other veins at Copalito include the Pilar Vein with gold values of up to 7.05 gpt and 13.55% lead plus zinc (BDH-20-33); the Chiva Vein with silver values of up to 936 gpt (BDH-20-09); and the Cobriza Vein with silver values of up to 307 gpt.
2020 drill highlights of significant high-grade mineralization intersected at Copalito, include:
- BDH-20-001: 369 gpt silver equivalent (“AgEq.”); 250 gpt silver and 0.247 gpt gold over 5.0 meters; 272 gpt AgEq.; 360 gpt silver and 0.1 gpt gold over 1.0 meter within
- BDH-20-002: 179 gpt AgEq.; 1.69 gpt gold over 4.3 meters and 274.8 gpt AgEq.; 3.02 gpt gold over 1.7 meters
- BDH-20-004: 1,323 AgEq.; 1,297 gpt silver and 0.285 gpt gold over 3.2 meters
- BDH-20-009: 1,047 gpt AgEq.; 936 gpt silver, 0.29 gpt gold and 3.31% lead+zinc (“Pb+Zn”) over 1.0 meter
- BDH-20-015: 394 gpt AgEq.; 51 gpt silver, 2.28 gpt gold, 6.18 % Pb+Zn over 1.2 meters
- BDH-20-033: 1,210 gpt AgEq.; 59 gpt silver, 7.05 gpt gold, 13.55 % Pb+Zn over 0.2 meters
- BDH-20-037: 1,261 gpt silver AgEq. over 1.0 meter consisting of 846 gpt silver, 3.11 gpt gold and 6.15% lead plus zinc; 5 senores vein
- BDH-20-040: 933 gpt AgEq. over 2.25 meters consisting of 6.65 gpt gold, 335 gpt silver 1,813 gpt AgEq. over 0.51 meters consisting of 16.95 gpt gold, 369 gpt silver and 3.74% Pb+Zn including:
- 1,813 gpt AgEq. over 0.51 meters consisting of 16.95 gpt gold, 369 gpt silver and 3.74% lead plus zinc 5 Senores vein (one of the deepest holes drilled to date)
Complete drill results for Copalito can be found on our company website. AgEq. calculated above are based on $24/oz silver, $1900/oz gold, $1/lb zinc, $0.8/lb lead. Estimated true widths range from 65 to 90% of drilled widths depending on dip of the vein and inclination of the hole. All AgEq. and silver composites rounded to the nearest whole number. See news releases dated July 22 2020, October 27, 2020 and November 12, 2020 for further detail.
James McDonald, CEO and President Stated: “This program is aimed at establishing if we have continuity and size in zones already identified and to test those areas, we did not test in 2020.”
The Company has contracted GlobeXplore, S.A. de C.V. of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico to conduct the HQ core drilling at Copalito. Results of the drill program will be announced as soon as the assays are received and interpreted by the company.
About the Copalito Property
The Copalito Project is a classic low sulphidation epithermal vein system which has numerous small old workings and no evidence or reports of historic exploration drilling. The Property consists of seven concessions totaling approximately 3,700 hectares and is located 35 kilometers east of McEwen Mining’s “El Gallo Mine” complex in Sinaloa State, along the western fringes of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Mexico. The Copalito Project has good access, topography and infrastructure.
Copalito Geology
Mineralization is hosted within classic low sulfidation epithermal quartz and rare calcite veins. Multiple mineral events are evidenced by banded mineralized textures, multiple cross cutting veins/veinlets, laminated banding of chalcedonic and crystalline quartz, sulfide replacement and infillings of breccia matrix. Sulfide content is generally low but does range to 20% or more in hand samples. Sulfides and their oxide equivalents include fine grained pyrite, black and yellow sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and silver sulphosalts. Some zonation is becoming apparent with veins in the northeast being higher in gold and base metals and those in the south being high in silver and low in base metals.
Sampling and QA/QC at Copalito
All technical information for the Copalito exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control (“QA/QC”) program. Samples are taken from core cut in half with a diamond saw under the direction of qualified geologists and engineers. Samples are then labeled, placed in plastic bags, sealed and with interval and sample numbers recorded. Samples are delivered by the company to ALS Minerals in Hermosillo, Sonora. The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in North Vancouver, B.C. Systematic assaying of standards, blanks and duplicates is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30-gram fire assay with an AA finish.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Qualified Persons
The Kootenay scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed and approved on behalf Kootenay by James McDonald, P.Geo, President, CEO & Director for Kootenay, a Qualified Person.
