Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/1152269
A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 www.resourceworld.com 29 MINING Arizona Silver drills high-grade gold in desert by Ellsworth Dickson ARIZONA SILVER EXPLORATION INC. [AZS-TSXV; AZASF-OTCQB] has been intersecting good gold grades at its Philadelphia property in Mohave County, Oatman Mining District, northwestern Arizona. The company has a lease with an option to purchase on 11 unpatented lode mining claims that cover much of the old underground workings and poten - tial strike length of the past-producing Arabian-Philadelphia Mine. The mine operated intermittently until 1941 when it was closed by the War Order Act. In addition, Arizona Silver has staked three claims to cover the southern strike extension, and two claims to cover the northern strike extension, of the vein and host fault structure not covered by the leased claim group. The project, which is less than 100 metres from paved road access, is about 6 miles from the producing heap leach Moss gold mine of Northern Vertex Mining. The company has been drilling a fence of reverse circulation holes between the Philadelphia #1 and Philadelphia #2 shafts to test the continuity of the high- grade vein down to about 150 metres. Drill hole PRC19-2 intersected 10 feet grading 0.46 oz/ton gold and 2.62 oz/ton silver from 25-35 feet. Gold and silver grades continued down the hole for total inter - cepts of 20 feet grading 0.30 oz/ton gold and 2.46 oz/ton silver (6.1 metres grad- ing 10.4 g/t gold and 84.4 g/t silver from 25-45 feet. There was a much larger inter- val totaling 70 feet from 25-95 feet grading 0.11 oz/ton gold and 1.55 oz/ton silver (21.3 metres grading 3.78 g/t Au and 53.3 g/t silver). Drill hole PRC19-2 was drilled to inter - sect the high-grade vein target below the shallow underground workings off the Philadelphia #1 shaft, which was sunk in the early 1900s. Grade is contained within quartz veins within silicified rhyolite, typi- cal of Oatman District-style mineralization. Drill hole PRC19-1 intersected 10 feet grading 0.21 oz/ton gold and 1.45 oz/ton silver from 10-20 feet (3 metres grading 7.23 g/t gold and 49.6 g/t silver). Gold and silver continued for another 10 feet for a wider interval of 20 feet from 10-30 feet grading 0.12 oz/ton gold and 1.36 oz/ton silver (6.1 metres grading 4.04 g/t gold and 46.8 g/t silver). Hole PRC19-1 was drilled to test the shallow upper levels of the vein target. The increase in grade and thickness from the intercepts in PRC19-1 to PRC19-2 suggests strengthening of the mineral system down dip. PRC19-2 is nominally 50 feet down dip from PRC19-1. Reported intercepts are approximately true widths. Drill hole PRC19-3 tested down dip of hole PRC19-2.The target was cut out by a fault concealed beneath thin alluvial cover, which blankets the entire target area. Nevertheless, the hole caught the tail end of the mineralized zone at 15-20 feet imme - diately below alluvial cover with 5 feet grading 0.125 oz/ton gold and 0.49 oz/ton silver (1.5 metres grading 4.27 g/t gold and 16.7 g/t silver). Holes PRC19-4 through PRC19-6 were completed to test the continued down-dip projection of the Philadelphia vein target from PRC19-3. All three of these holes intersected the target where projected, with visible gold occasionally present in cuttings from all three holes. It is of note than all six holes drilled to date at the Philadelphia Project contain high to very high levels of beryllium. Arizona Silver has received approval of its amended notice of intent from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and from the Arizona Department of Water Resources for the drilling of the next 24 drill holes. The incremental bond amount to cover the additional drilling has been posted. Drilling is expected to begin in July. The planned 24-hole program will cover the northward strike extension along 500 feet (150 metres) of strike and 300 feet (100 metres) of shallow dip extensions to the high-grade vein intercept in drill hole PRC19-2, noted above. Arizona Silver Exploration has two other projects: the past-producing Ramsey silver exploration project in La Paz County, western Arizona, and the Sycamore Canyon gold-silver project near the town of Safford in southeastern Arizona. n Drilling operations on the Philadelphia property in Mohave County, western Arizona. Photo courtesy Arizona Silver Exploration Inc.