Durrant Pate/Contributor

Canada-based mining company C3 Metals Inc. is reporting more good news from its Bellas Gate project in Jamaica.

The company says assays from two additional holes drilled at the Provost porphyry target at its wholly owned Bellas Gate project in Jamaica found prospects of both gold and copper. An assay is an investigative procedure in mining for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence, amount, or functional activity of a mineral or precious metals.

Drill hole PVT0825-001 596.7 metres (m) intersected 280.7m at 0.37% copper and 0.21 grams per tonne of milled ore (g/t) gold and 0.52% copper equivalent (CuEq¹) from 227.0m, including 61.7m at 0.50% copper and 0.39 g/t gold (0.77% CuEq¹) from 446.0m. To date, approximately 5,200m of an 8,500m drill programme have been completed. 

According to C3 Metals, “Assays are pending for multiple holes and drilling remains ongoing with two rigs. Bornite and hypogene chalcocite mineralisation, as well as potassic alteration, were confirmed at approximately 500m depth.”
 

Drilling findings

The company believes it is possible that PVT0825-001 “clipped” the top of the bornite core of the porphyry system. PVT0825-001 was drilled with C3 Metals’ man-portable drill rig to a record depth of 596.7m for this rig. 

The presence of bornite mineralisation and potassic alteration corresponded with a spike in grades to 1.14% copper and 1.19 g/t gold (1.98% CuEq¹) over a 2.5m interval. As such, the company has planned a follow up drill hole utilising its larger capacity contract drill rig, which has depth capacity of more than 1,000m. 

C3 Metals is currently defining the dimension and grade of copper-gold mineralisation in an initial 900m by 200m target area that remains open in multiple directions and at depth. Copper-gold mineralisation successfully extended 150m vertically below earlier drill hole PVT0900-002, which intersected 390.7m at 0.37% copper and 0.19 g/t gold (0.50% CuEq¹) from 64.1m.

Drill hole PVT0900-004 intersected 170.1m at 0.31% copper and 0.16 g/t gold (0.42% CuEq¹) from 68.1m. The hole terminated in 0.30% copper mineralisation within a fault zone at 300m depth.

Expanding drilling programme

Commenting on the findings, C3 Metals President and CEO Dan Symons stated: “Provost looks increasingly like a classic, fully intact copper-gold porphyry. The results from PVT0825-001 are very important for multiple reasons, namely it extends copper-gold mineralization 150m at depth.

“Secondly, the first bornite mineralisation and potassic alteration was encountered; and, thirdly, the ratio of sulphide mineralisation transitions from pyrite to chalcopyrite to bornite as we go deeper into the system. With this transition, the grades of both copper and gold increase. 

Continuing, Symons disclosed: “We plan to prioritise a deep hole to test below PVT0825-001 into the interpreted core of the system. After closing an oversubscribed and upsized private placement of $8.05 million earlier this month, we are well funded to expand our drilling program and provide continuous news flow from the drill bit.”