Imperial expands Northeast zone

Vancouver — Drilling by Imperial Metals (III-T) is expanding the Northeast zone, a high-grade deposit of copper and gold on the Mount Polley mine property, near Williams Lake, B.C.

Hole 189 returned two strong intersections: 71.3 metres grading 1.09% copper plus 0.2 gram gold and 6.24 grams silver per tonne; and 48.9 metres of 1.97% copper, 0.22 gram gold and 11.57 grams silver.

Also, two holes intersected mineralization at depths ranging from 506 to 629 metres in the northern portion of the zone. One of the holes returned 59.3 metres grading 1.29% copper, 0.59 gram gold and 9.24 grams silver, while the other hit 76.8 metres of 0.77% copper, 0.54 gram gold and 4.85 grams silver.

Another hole extended the strike length of the so-called Green portion of the deposit to about 200 metres, and returned 5 metres grading 1.84% copper, 5 grams gold and 14.5 grams silver.

The Green portion could be amenable to underground mining, though the existing mine is based on reserves in the Wight, Bell and Springer open pits, which total 44 million tonnes grading 0.45% copper and 0.3 gram gold. These pits also host resources in other categories.

Reserves in the Northeast zone are pegged at 9.1 million tonnes grading 0.88% copper, 0.29 gram gold and 6.4 grams silver; resources, at 15.7 million tonnes grading 0.61% copper, 0.19 gram gold and 4.4 grams silver. The zone remains open for expansion.

Imperial is also drilling the Southeast zone, about 3 km south of the Northeast zone, in an attempt to expand and upgrade existing resources. Measured and indicated resources stand at 3.5 million tonnes grading 0.22% copper and 0.38 gram gold.

One of the widest intersections was 167.6 metres grading 0.24% copper and 0.48 gram gold. Drilling of this and other targets is ongoing.