American West nails high-grade near-surface | Australian Markets

Compelling outcomes from American West Metals’ 2025 drilling program have bolstered the potential of its Storm project on Somerset Island, Canada, as a main copper system.

The marketing campaign, combining reverse circulation (RC) and deep diamond drilling, has delivered thick, near-surface, high-grade copper intercepts and paints a image of widespread mineralisation at depth.

The company’s second deep diamond gap was drilled to 692 metres, concentrating on an electromagnetic (EM) geophysical goal in its Cirrus Deeps prospect and stratigraphy within the Central Graben space.

The gap intersected about 57m of seen copper sulphide mineralisation throughout two zones – from 183m to 215m and from 298.5m to 327m downhole – within the Allen Bay Formation. The formation is a recognized host for copper at Storm.

The higher zone options crackle and matrix breccias with copper sulphide infills, whereas the decrease zone incorporates malachite – a copper carbonate hydroxide – and copper alongside fracture surfaces.

The occurrences recommend a advanced fault community akin to the mineralised North Graben fault on the Cyclone deposit, 2.5 kilometres east-northeast.

American West expects to obtain assay outcomes for the second diamond drill gap within 4 to 6 weeks.

Additionally, a deep pyrite horizon close to the South Graben fault and organic-rich shales within the Bay Fiord Formation point out a new copper and base metallic goal horizon.

Meanwhile, RC drilling on the company’s Corona, Thunder and Lightning Ridge deposits and The Gap prospect has confirmed thick, near-surface copper intersections, additional enhancing useful resource improve and enlargement potential.

Key analytical outcomes from the primary 10 RC holes embody 12.2m at 1.9 per cent copper and 77 grams per tonne (g/t) silver from 19.8m, together with 4.6m at 3.2 per cent copper and 129g/t silver from one gap at Corona.

A second gap at Corona yielded 7.6m at 1.7 per cent copper and three.2g/t silver from 25.9m.

A 3rd gap, at The Gap, delivered 7.6m at 1.1 per cent copper and a couple of.2g/t silver from 73.2m. American West is awaiting assays from the deeper half of the outlet. Drilling at The Gap highlights its potential for maiden useful resource definition.

American West Metals managing director Dave O’Neill mentioned: “Assay results for the first batch of RC drill holes have confirmed thick intervals of near-surface, high-grade copper sulphide as we look to upgrade the resource classification in the initial open pits. These results have exceeded expectations and confirm the excellent continuity of the high-grade copper zones at the Corona and Thunder deposits.”

O’Neill mentioned initial useful resource drilling at The Gap had prolonged the envelope of the recognized copper mineralisation, confirmed the geometry of the high-grade copper zones and confirmed there was vital potential to transform some of the 2024 discoveries into assets.

The outcomes, which grade higher than the present useful resource estimate, verify the continuity and high quality of mineralisation within the useful resource envelope and help potential open-pit enlargement.

The Storm copper project displays the everyday geological setting of sedimentary copper systems, with mineralisation hosted in brecciated dolo-mudstones and fault zones.

The program’s 9 diamond drill holes for a complete of 2295m, and the accompanying RC outcomes underscore the project’s scale and prospectivity.

The identification of organic-rich shales and dolostones within the Bay Fiord Formation as a lure for mineralised fluids additionally enhances the project’s potential for extra discoveries.

American West is advancing its useful resource estimation and improve research, with the latest outcomes offering confidence within the project’s capacity to evolve into a globally vital copper asset.

The mixture of near-surface, high-grade zones and deeper, widespread mineralisation positions Storm as a cornerstone of the company’s portfolio.

With high-grade copper hits and a growing mineralised footprint, American West is unlocking the huge potential of its Storm copper project, paving the way in which for vital useful resource growth and thrilling future discoveries in Canada’s Arctic area.

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