Arizona Metals (TSXV:AMC) has announced results from seen recently completed drill holes at the Kay Mine Project in Arizona. Arizona Metals has completed 70,000 metres of drilling at the Kay Mine, and is fully funded for the completion of the 19,000 metres planned in the Phase 2 program. This includes the priority focus areas and the Phase 3 program of 76,000 more metres of drilling.

Marc Pais, CEO, commented in a press release: “Drilling at the Kay Mine Project continues to intersect very large widths and high grades of massive sulphide mineralization. The holes released today demonstrate excellent continuity of mineralization in all directions, while also showing that mineralization is substantially thicker than suggested by our original modelling. Drilling has extended mineralization well into both the hanging-wall and foot-wall envelopes, which gives the potential to define a significant tonnage of mineralization. The large widths and high grades being encountered at Kay are extremely rare in the context of VMS deposits either in production or being explored globally.

We have drilled approximately 70,000 meters at Kay to date, with each hole solidifying our opinion that this is one of the very few large precious-metals rich VMS deposits not yet mined, and more importantly, is potentially part of a much larger mineralized system that has yet to be explored.

Road construction is well underway to reach drill locations that will test the Central Target, located 300 m west of the Kay Mine Deposit. Drilling at pads C1 and C2 is expected to commence in November 2022, and will comprise part of the planned 76,000 metre Phase 3 program. Permitting is also in progress for pads W1 and W2 to test the Western Target, also part of the Phase 3 program.

The Company is fast approaching an inflection point in our drilling strategy. Over the last two years we have focused on expanding the Kay Mine Deposit, which covers only 320 m of strike. This represents only 3% of the 11,000 m of prospectively mineralized geological contact horizon defined by extensive surface mapping, soil geochemistry, airborne and ground electromagnetic surveys, and gravity surveys. Completion of the Central Target drill road and pads, with drilling anticipated to commence in November, will mark a shift in focus from expanding Kay, to also aggressively drill-testing our claims to the west to discover new VMS deposits. The Phase 3 program will entail 76,000 m of drilling at an anticipated cost of $27 million. Work will continue at the Kay Mine Deposit to define a resource, in conjunction with associated hydrological, rock geochemistry, metallurgical, and specific gravity studies, but we anticipate that over the next 18 months approximately 90% of our budget will go towards exploration south, north, and west of the Kay Mine Deposit.”

Kay Mine Phase 3 Drill Program Update – Moving to Central and Western Targets

The Phase 3 drill program will test the numerous parallel targets heading west of Kay, as well as the possible northern and southern extensions of the Kay Deposit. The road toward the Central Target (located 300 m west of the Kay Deposit) is underway, with drilling at the Central Target pads expected to commence during November 2022.

A total of six holes were drilled to the west from pad 7 (see Figure 3), but due to the westerly dip of the stratigraphy and the Central Target EM anomaly, these holes did not fully test the Central Target. Results from these six holes, along with updated structural mapping and ground-loop EM geophysics, will be used to refine the drill targeting from pads C1 and C2. The location of these pads will provide much better angles to intersect the core of the Central Target, while also testing for its extensions north and south on strike of the mafic-felsic contact that potentially hosts mineralization.

Permitting is in progress for drill pads at the Western Target (W1 and W2, located ~1,000 m west of the Kay Deposit), with road construction anticipated to commence in Q4’22 and drilling in Q1’23.

The common shares of the Company have been listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV”) since August 7, 2019 under the symbol “AMC”. The Company has received approval to graduate its listing to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”), and the Company’s common shares will begin trading on the TSX on October 13, 2022, and will be delisted from the TSXV upon commencement of trading on the TSX. The Company’s trading symbol (AMC) and CUSIP will remain the same and no action is required by shareholders.

Table 1. Results of Phase 2 Drill Program at Kay Mine, Yavapai County, Arizona announced in this news release.

The true width of mineralization is estimated to be 50% to 99% of reported core width, with an average of 76%. (2) Assumptions used in USD for the copper and gold Metal Equivalent calculations were metal prices of $4.63/lb Copper, $1937/oz Gold, $25/oz Silver, $1.78/lb Zinc, and $1.02/lb Pb. Assumed metal recoveries (rec.), based on a preliminary review of historic data by SRK and ProcessIQ1, were 93% for copper, 92% for zinc, 90% for lead, 72% silver, and 70% for gold. The following equation was used to calculate copper equivalence: CuEq = Copper (%) (93% rec.) + (Gold (g/t) x 0.61)(72% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.0079)(72% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.3844)(93% rec.) +(Lead (%) x 0.2203)(93% rec.). The following equation was used to calculate gold equivalence: AuEq = Gold (g/t)(72% rec.) + (Copper (%) x 1.638)(93% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.01291)(72% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.6299)(93% rec.) +(Lead (%) x 0.3609)(93% rec.). Analyzed Metal Equivalent calculations are reported for illustrative purposes only. The metal chosen for reporting on an equivalent basis is the one that contributes the most dollar value after accounting for assumed recoveries.

Table 2. Full results of Phase 2 Drill Program at Kay Mine, Yavapai County, Arizona.

The true width of mineralization is estimated to be 50% to 99% of reported core width, with an average of 76%. (2) Assumptions used in USD for the copper and gold Metal Equivalent calculations were metal prices of $4.63/lb Copper, $1937/oz Gold, $25/oz Silver, $1.78/lb Zinc, and $1.02/lb Pb. Assumed metal recoveries (rec.), based on a preliminary review of historic data by SRK and ProcessIQ2, were 93% for copper, 92% for zinc, 90% for lead, 72% silver, and 70% for gold. The following equation was used to calculate copper equivalence: CuEq = Copper (%) (93% rec.) + (Gold (g/t) x 0.61)(72% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.0079)(72% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.3844)(93% rec.) +(Lead (%) x 0.2203)(93% rec.). The following equation was used to calculate gold equivalence: AuEq = Gold (g/t)(72% rec.) + (Copper (%) x 1.638)(93% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.01291)(72% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.6299)(93% rec.) +(Lead (%) x 0.3609)(93% rec.). Analyzed Metal Equivalent calculations are reported for illustrative purposes only. The metal chosen for reporting on an equivalent basis is the one that contributes the most dollar value after accounting for assumed recoveries.

Arizona Metals Corp. (TSXV:AMC) has announced that it has received permit approval from the Bureau of Land Management for two new drill pads to be installed. The pads will be located roughly 500 metres west of the Kay Mine deposit. The pads are meant to allow for the testing of the Central Target in the west, and the drilling of additional coincident anomalies located between the Central and Western Targets. Both targets had been previously defined based on coincident structural, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies. 

The initial drill program of 11,000 metres with up to 20 holes is planned at the Central Target, beginning with pad 7. The third hole from pad 7 is also underway now. A bond for pads C1 and C2 will be posted this week with the construction of the pads and drill road contingent on confirmation of bond acceptance. The company estimates acceptance to be confirmed in August 2022. In June 2022, the company expects to submit another permit modification for drilling at the Western Target. The company has 26 holes pending results from ongoing drilling at the Kay Mine deposit.

CEO of Arizona Metals, Marc Pais, commented in a press release: “We are very pleased to announce the receipt of a permit for 2 new drill pads, C1 and C2, located approximately 500 m west of the Kay Mine Deposit. These pads will allow testing of Central target from its western side, and also testing of the areas between the Central and Western Targets. Pad 7 was successfully permitted and constructed, and drilling to test the Central target from the east is currently underway. Drill holes from pads 7, C1, and C2 will all target areas previously untested by drilling, but that have many of the same characteristics we see at the Kay Mine deposit. 

This drilling is part of the larger, fully-funded Phase 3 program, which will total at least 76,000 m and cover the western extent of the Kay Mine Project. Two drill rigs continue to turn at the Kay Deposit, with concurrent goals of discovery and resource definition. The Company is fully-funded to continue drilling at Kay, while also undertaking the first detailed exploration of the Central and Western Targets in the known history of the property.”

Arizona Metals Corp. has completed 61,000 metres of drilling a the Kay Mine since the start of the drill program, and is fully-funded to complete the remaining 14,000 metres planned for Phase 1. Funding is also secured for the 76,000 metres that will be part of the Phase 3 program. Phase 3 will be used to test multiple parallel targets heading West of Kay and Northern and Southern Extensions of the Kay Deposit.

The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The author is not an insider or shareholder of any of the companies mentioned above.