Blende Silver Corp. (TSX.V: BAG) (OTC: BAGGF) has announced the mobilization of field crews to its 100%-owned Blende Silver-Zinc-Lead Project in north-central Yukon, marking the start of the first phase of drilling targeting the project's 3D induced polarization (IP) chargeability anomalies. The initial drill hole(s) are expected to commence within approximately 10 days, targeting the Central Zone, a roughly 2-kilometer corridor between the company's West Zone and East Zone deposits.
The upcoming drilling represents the first direct test of priority IP anomalies identified in a recently completed survey. These anomalies, particularly in the Lower Central Zone and New Mountain Top areas, exhibit areal extents several times greater than the chargeability response over the defined West Zone mineralization, which anchors the company's existing NI 43-101 mineral resource. The company is using the West Zone response as a calibration reference, as it is spatially associated with known silver-zinc-lead mineralization.
Andrew H. Rees, President and CEO of Blende Silver, emphasized the significance of the program: "Blende is not a greenfield story. We already hold one of the larger known carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead resources in Western Canada, and our objective now is to test whether that resource can be expanded." He noted that the 3D IP survey identified chargeability anomalies coincident with low resistivity that cover a larger area than the West Zone response, and this program puts a drill directly into those targets for the first time.
The company has designed a phased approach to align with seasonal realities. Phase 1 commences this summer, with drilling expected to continue until mid-September 2026, likely completing one to two holes. After a winter pause, drilling is planned to resume and expand in spring and summer 2027. During the winter break, the company plans to mobilize equipment over the seasonal winter road to establish camp infrastructure and an airstrip, positioning the project for a larger, more sustained exploration program in subsequent phases.
Historical drilling in the Central Zone appears to have been positioned between two distinct chargeability anomalies rather than directly testing the strongest responses, according to a review of inversion data. The company's interpretation is that these observations warrant drill testing for possible extensions of mineralization between the West Zone and the East Zone, testing continuity of mineralization between the zones.
The Blende Project has been described in published literature as hosting the largest carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead deposit in the Yukon (M. Robinson and C.I. Godwin, Economic Geology, 1995). The project has undergone more than $9.2 million in past exploration, including 25,195 meters of drilling in 132 drill holes. The property covers 5,345 hectares and lies within the Keno Hill silver district, one of Canada's highest-grade historic silver producing districts.
The company cautions that geophysical anomalies, including IP chargeability responses, are not a direct indication of mineralization and may result from a variety of geological factors; there is no certainty that drilling will intersect economic or sub-economic mineralization. The program is directed at testing for extensions to the existing mineral resource, and there is no certainty that it will result in any increase to that resource.
The scientific and technical information in the release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Sarah Palmer, P.Geo., an independent consultant to the company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
