Blende Silver Corp. (TSX.V: BAG) announced it has engaged Ronacher McKenzie Geoscience Inc. (RMG), a leading Canadian geoscience consulting firm, to complete an integrated geological, geochemical, and geophysical interpretation and targeting program at its 100%-owned Blende Silver-Zinc-Lead Project in north-central Yukon. The engagement follows compelling initial results from a desktop review of a 3D induced polarization (IP) survey completed over a portion of the project.
The survey was designed to calibrate the geophysical signature over the known West Zone mineralization—the anchor of the Company’s existing mineral resource—and to test for potential extensions and new targets across a broader portion of the property, including the approximately 2 km “Central Zone” gap between the West Zone and East Zone deposits, as well as areas to the north of the West and Central Zones.
Key observations from the initial plot-up and inversion of the 3D IP data include a strong correlation between the IP chargeability response over the West Zone and the known silver-zinc-lead mineralization, providing a reliable calibration benchmark for the property. Additionally, the survey identified multiple significantly larger-scale untested chargeability anomalies, notably in the Lower Central Zone and New Mountain Top areas. These anomalies appear to be several times larger than the chargeability response associated with the defined West Zone mineralization. The Lower Central Zone anomaly and the New Mountain Top anomaly both extend to the edges of the surveyed grid, suggesting potential for greater extent beyond current coverage.
Historical drilling in the Central Zone—13 holes drilled along and down the spine of the ridge toward the East Zone—appears, based on the initial inversion data review, to have been positioned between two distinct chargeability anomalies (the Lower Central and Backside Central Zone anomalies) rather than directly testing the strongest responses. These findings suggest the potential for greater system scale and continuity than previously recognized, including possible extensions of mineralization from the West Zone through the Central Zone area toward the East Zone, as well as additional mineralized zones across the district-scale property.
“Blende already hosts the largest carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead deposit in the Yukon (M. Robinson and C.I. Godwin, Economic Geology, 1995) with a substantial existing mineral resource,” commented Andrew H. Rees, President and CEO. “The 3D IP survey appears to have delivered a clear calibration at the West Zone while revealing multiple untested chargeability anomalies in the Lower Central and New Mountain Top areas that are notably larger in scale than the West Zone response. This is a significant development that warrants expert interpretation.”
RMG will compile and integrate the Company’s historical geological, geochemical, and drilling data with the new 3D IP results. The program includes geophysical quality control, integrated 3D interpretation, and the identification of high-priority targets. Deliverables will include a 3D data workspace, technical report, and presentation. The work is expected to be completed within approximately eight weeks.
The Blende Project hosts the largest carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead deposit in the Yukon. A 2021 mineral resource estimate (prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 at a 1.5% ZnEq cutoff) outlines a substantial silver-zinc-lead system. Historical exploration defined the East and West Zones, two primary mineralized zones approximately two kilometers apart along a >6km corridor. The new 3D IP data provides important new context for evaluating potential continuity and the overall scale of the mineralized system.
With permitting progress advancing and high-quality 3D geophysical data in hand, the Company is well positioned to advance systematic exploration. The integrated interpretation from RMG will guide future programs, including the potential to update the mineral resource estimate to reflect current commodity prices and new exploration results.
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