Last year, Blackrock drilled 30,000 metres at the site along five target areas. January’s drill results from the Victor target include 18.5 metres of 295 g/t silver-equivalent (142 g/t silver and 1.54 g/t gold) and 3.1 metres of 386 g/t silver-equivalent (198 g/t silver and 1.88 g/t gold). Additional assays are pending.
In the release, Andrew Pollard, the company’s president and CEO, highlighted the unique silver-dominant nature of Tonopah West and the district.
“According to the Silver Institute, only 29% of silver produced comes from silver primary mines, and a further 15% is produced as a byproduct from gold mines. The 100 to 1 silver-gold ratio found in the Tonopah silver district makes it a clear standout within a sector where the majority of production comes as a byproduct of base metals mines, which, as they’re tied predominantly to other metals, are unable to scale up output to meet any increased demand for silver.”
The Tonopah district is prospective for low-sulphidation epithermal silver and gold deposits.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
