Norden Crown Metals (TSXV:NOCR) has reported new results for its eighteen diamond drill hole reconnaissance program from summer 2022 at the Burfjord copper-gold project. Total 3,499.4 metres, the drill results included 36 metres of 0.48% copper in hole BUR-22-017, which includes a 3.7-metre intercept with a grade of 2.83% Cu.

Burfjord has many high-grade veins with associated copper-mineralized alterations envelopes measuring roughly 6 km by 4km. The large alteration footprint, along with widespread copper mineralization in historical workings and recently intersected in Norden’s reconnaissance drilling gives the company reason to believe there is potential that it hosts a large bulk tonnage copper deposit.

Patricio Varas, Executive Chairman and CEO, commented in a press release: “Evaluation of the multiple targets and old mine workings throughout the Burfjord project with diamond drilling has confirmed the prospectivity of the observed IOCG system to host high-grade copper within broadly mineralized alteration zones. “The joint Norden/Boliden technical committee team is reviewing the results and is working on plans to follow up the three zones that have emerged as first priority targets.  We are excited to follow up the Gamlegruve, F-gruve and Cedarsgruve prospects with further drill testing with the aim to define economic mineral deposits at Bufjord.”

Results from the drill program are as follows:

Only limited exploration has taken place at Burfjord in the modern era before Norden Crown’s recent reconnaissance drill programs. The best historical drill intercept consists of 7 metres @ 3.6% copper1 and was obtained from the Cedarsgruve (mine) area in the northern portion of the claim block. Previous drilling at the Gamlegruve area by Norden Crown at Burfjord returned compelling results including an intercept of 32 metres averaging 0.56% copper and 0.26 g/t gold (including 3.46 metres of 4.31% copper and 2.22 g/t gold) at shallow depths below a cluster of historical mine workings2,3.

2022 Focus

Diamond drilling this year has focused on a newly identified, mineralized zone at F-gruve (Figure 1). Three target areas, described below, are now being prioritized for follow-up drilling to test for continuity and grade to define mineral resources.  Results at the Gamlegruve zone and parallel F-gruve zone in the south-east limb of the Bergmark anticline have returned the most interesting copper mineralized and altered zones this year.

F-gruve

Drilling this year has delineated a consistently copper and gold mineralized zone along strike from the F-gruve historical working, from surface to shallow depths (Figure 1).  Only 140 metres of strike length along an 800-metre mapped trend of vein and breccia hosted copper mineralization has been drill tested this year.  The zone remains untested at depth and the Company has particular interest towards the south, where the Caledonian nappe complex covers the gabbro unit which is host to the copper mineralization.  The 2021 magnetic survey conducted by Norden Crown reveals the presence of the gabbro unit, below the Caledonides, extending south for over 1 kilometre.  Norden Crown and Boliden are reviewing the results from drilling at the F-gruve target and are contemplating plans to continue testing the extent, thickness, and grade of the mineralized zone with further drilling.

The mineralization at F-gruve consists of numerous magnetite-jasper-carbonate-hematite-bornite-chalcopyrite veins, surrounded by an envelope of carbonate-magnetite-hematite-quartz-chalcopyrite-bornite vein stockwork and breccias.  The IOCG style of mineralization leaves the company compelled to continue exploration efforts in 2023, where a follow-up program is envisaged for the late winter season.

A list of significant intercepts at F-gruve include:

Gamlegruve

Mineralization at Gamlegruve has returned intercepts including a 17.2-metre intercept with a grade of 0.34% copper and a parallel zone grading 0.24% Copper over 24.7m including 3.4m of 0.47% Copper in hole BUR-21-004.  An intercept grading 0.51% Copper over 8.8m was also intercepted in hole BUR-21-006. The sheet-like zones of mineralization at Gamlegruve consist of carbonate and quartz stockwork veining containing chalcopyrite, magnetite, and pyrite mineralization.  The sheets of mineralization are hosted in an albite altered gabbro sill unit and occur sub-parallel and close to the eastern boundary of the intrusive unit.  The mineralized zone is also visible from the surface scars of significant historical mining activities at Gamlegruve along the mineralized trend (Figure 1).  Hole BUR-22-012, intersected mineralization from both the F-gruve and Gamlegruve mineralized trends.  The hole demonstrates the presence of copper mineralization 100m south of the extent of the Gamlegruve historical mine workings.

A list of significant intercepts at Gamlegruve include:

Cedarsgruve

Mineralization at Cedarsgruve has returned some historical intercepts including a 7-metre intercept with a grade of 3.6% copper.  Norden followed that last year with a 12m intercept with a grade of 1.27% copper in hole BUR-21-0114.  Mineralization at Cedarsgruve occurs as disseminations and fine networks of chalcopyrite and pyrite hosted within an intensely albite altered fine sedimentary package, sandwiched between two intrusive gabbro units, which contain vein hosted copper mineralization. The sedimentary package has seen historical mining in numerous places along its surface expression (Cedars gruve, Japan gruve, and Strix workings) (Figure 2) which demonstrates the presence of a mineralized trend at least 1km in length on surface. Norden is considering the use of ground electromagnetics at Cedarsgruve to delineate the presence and form of chalcopyrite networks below surface within the sedimentary package before further drill testing.