Multiple Intercepts of High-Grade Polymetallic
Mineralization, Including 8.24 Meters with a Copper Equivalent
Grade of 8.8%
Update on Ambler Access Project
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 25,
2023 /PRNewswire/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX:
TMQ) (NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy" or the "Company") is
pleased to announce the second set of drilling results from the
2022 summer field season at the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects
("UKMP") located in northwestern Alaska. In addition, the Company is providing
an update on the Ambler Access Project – the proposed 211-mile,
industrial-use-only road from the UKMP to the Dalton Highway that
will enable advancing exploration and development at the Ambler
Mining District.
The UKMP includes the Arctic (volcanogenic massive sulphide, or
"VMS") deposit ("Arctic"), the Bornite (carbonate-hosted copper, or
"CHC") deposit ("Bornite"), and prospective mining claims in the
surrounding area. The drill program was completed by Ambler Metals
LLC ("Ambler Metals"), the joint venture operating company equally
owned by Trilogy and South32 Limited (ASX, LSE, JSE: S32; ADR:
SOUHY) ("South32").
The 2022 field program included 10,738 meters of diamond
drilling, of which 8,376 meters was drilled at Arctic, the most
ever drilled at Arctic in a single field season, while the
remainder of the meterage was used on regional targets in the
Ambler VMS Belt and near Bornite. The 2022 field program
prioritized advancing Arctic with additional infill drilling to
further improve the confidence in the mineral resource and for
geotechnical studies to further de-risk the project.
On November 29, 2022, the Company
released the first assay results from the 2022 field program at
Arctic, including four infill holes (AR22-0191, 0192, 0193, and
0195) and three geotechnical holes (AR22-0194, 0196 and 0197). For
more information on these drill results, please visit the Company's
website at https://trilogymetals.com/news-and-media/news/.
This release covers an additional 10 holes comprising eight
infill and two geotechnical. The infill holes are from two areas of
the Arctic deposit – three holes from the northern edge of the
Arctic deposit and five holes from the eastern part of the deposit
(see Figure 1).
Drilling Highlights
Significant intersections of high-grade copper, zinc, lead,
gold, and silver mineralization include:
- Hole AR22-0201: 6.72 meters of 3.40% copper, 3.26% zinc,
0.48% lead, 0.358 g/t gold and 32.66 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 5.27%.
- Hole AR22-0204: 5.03 meters of 3.57% copper, 4.46% zinc,
0.69% lead, 0.351 g/t gold and 33.05 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 5.96%.
- Hole AR22-0213: 4.66 meters of 3.22% copper, 3.22% zinc,
0.28% lead, 0.194 g/t gold and 28.90 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 4.87%.
- Hole AR22-0215: 8.24 meters of 3.19% copper, 10.04% zinc,
2.50% lead, 0.705 g/t gold and 72.35 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 8.81%, and 19.87 meters of 2.67% copper,
1.72% zinc, 0.22% lead, 0.427 g/t gold and 38.34 g/t silver for a
copper equivalent grade of 3.99%.
- Hole AR22-0232: 3.03 meters of 4.70% copper, 5.47% zinc,
1.35% lead, 0.636 g/t gold and 56.67 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 8.07%.
- Hole AR22-0237: 10.00 meters of 3.73% copper, 2.54% zinc,
0.42% lead, 0.067 g/t gold and 47.95 g/t silver for a copper
equivalent grade of 5.66%.
Tony Giardini, President and CEO
of Trilogy, commented, "As expected, the 2022 infill drill program
continues to yield high grades of copper, zinc and precious metals,
demonstrating the continuity of the high-grade zones of these
metals at Arctic. The assay lab is going full steam ahead as we
anticipate an ongoing flow of results in the near future, not only
from Arctic but also from the nearby Ambler Belt and Cosmos Hills
areas."
Richard Gosse, Vice President,
Exploration at Trilogy, stated, "We are pleased with these
additional infill drill results where grades and thicknesses
continue to compare well with our resource model. It is very
encouraging to see the model perform so well, especially as these
infill holes are designed to test areas that were identified as
having the potential for greater variance."
Mineralized intervals of high-grade mineralization at a cut-off
of 0.5% copper equivalent are reported in Table 1. The
locations of the holes are shown in Figure 1 and Table
2. The drill holes are shown in cross sections in Figures 2,
3 and 4.
The drill results contained in this news release are from 10
drill holes from the 2022 Arctic drill program, which include eight
infill holes (AR22-0201, 0204, 0213, 0215, 0224, 0231, 0232 and
0237) and two geotechnical holes (AR22-0200 and 0207). All drill
holes are sized HQ3 (63.5 mm diameter). The 2022 Arctic infill
program was designed to increase confidence from Indicated to
Measured in areas of the mineral resource block model that would be
mined during the first four years of production, based on Trilogy's
2020 Arctic feasibility study1 mine plan and with the
highest estimated metal value.
Results indicate mineralization is reasonably continuous,
especially in Zone 5 which typically contains higher grades and
most consistent thicknesses at Arctic.
Within the Arctic deposit, mineralization occurs as stratiform
semi-massive sulphide to massive sulphide beds within primarily
graphitic to chloritic schists and fine-grained quartz schists.
Sulphide mineralogy is similar for all intercepts: chalcopyrite,
sphalerite and galena.
_______________________
|
1 National
Instrument 43-101 technical report titled "Arctic Feasibility Study
Alaska, USA NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of
August 20, 2020 and a release date of October 2, 2020 (the "2020
Feasibility Study")
|
|
Geotechnical holes AR22-0200 and 0207 were drilled to further
define the talc horizon in the eastern pit wall. Hole AR22-0200 was
abandoned and redrilled at 0207; both holes intersected Zone 4
mineralization as anticipated.
Table 1. Drill intercepts from the 2022 Arctic infill
drilling program.
Hole
|
From
(m)
|
To
(m)
|
Length
(m)
|
Au
(g/t)
|
Ag
(g/t)
|
Cu
(%)
|
Pb
(%)
|
Zn
(%)
|
CuEq
(%)
|
Ba
(%)
|
Zone
|
AR22-
0200
|
31.74
|
40.19
|
8.45
|
0.016
|
6.82
|
1.69
|
0.04
|
0.84
|
2.08
|
0.01
|
4
|
AR22-
0201
|
89.33
|
92.99
|
3.66
|
0.221
|
18.45
|
0.44
|
0.22
|
1.12
|
1.23
|
4.55
|
7
|
97.23
|
103.95
|
6.72
|
0.358
|
32.66
|
3.40
|
0.48
|
3.26
|
5.27
|
3.96
|
5
|
129.56
|
139.50
|
9.94
|
0.016
|
3.98
|
0.95
|
0.02
|
0.22
|
1.09
|
0.03
|
3
|
278.30
|
278.92
|
0.62
|
0.039
|
4.63
|
0.48
|
0.02
|
0.07
|
0.58
|
0.06
|
Sub 1
|
AR22-
0204
|
85.00
|
90.03
|
5.03
|
0.351
|
33.05
|
3.57
|
0.69
|
4.46
|
5.96
|
2.59
|
5
|
263.03
|
266.54
|
3.51
|
0.099
|
8.15
|
0.41
|
0.07
|
0.30
|
0.68
|
1.87
|
1
|
AR22-
0207
|
37.19
|
41.97
|
4.78
|
0.028
|
7.73
|
2.58
|
0.01
|
0.30
|
2.78
|
0.02
|
4
|
AR22-
0213
|
86.70
|
89.07
|
2.37
|
0.054
|
9.50
|
0.48
|
0.03
|
0.22
|
0.69
|
3.33
|
7
|
97.34
|
102.00
|
4.66
|
0.194
|
28.90
|
3.22
|
0.28
|
3.22
|
4.87
|
1.86
|
5
|
144.48
|
145.20
|
0.72
|
0.260
|
48.30
|
8.14
|
0.36
|
10.30
|
12.64
|
0.01
|
3
|
151.11
|
158.00
|
6.89
|
0.037
|
6.29
|
0.95
|
0.02
|
0.61
|
1.27
|
0.05
|
3
|
AR22-
0215
|
108.44
|
117.81
|
9.37
|
0.266
|
29.04
|
1.37
|
0.41
|
1.94
|
2.64
|
4.86
|
5
|
121.08
|
126.80
|
5.72
|
0.134
|
10.52
|
0.35
|
0.09
|
0.61
|
0.78
|
0.43
|
4
|
140.33
|
142.87
|
2.54
|
0.358
|
32.68
|
2.15
|
0.25
|
0.82
|
3.05
|
0.69
|
?
|
146.14
|
154.38
|
8.24
|
0.705
|
72.35
|
3.19
|
2.50
|
10.04
|
8.81
|
0.48
|
3
|
165.80
|
166.73
|
0.93
|
0.022
|
4.80
|
0.89
|
0.01
|
0.82
|
1.25
|
0.00
|
2.5
|
173.39
|
185.49
|
12.10
|
0.150
|
25.78
|
1.67
|
0.46
|
2.08
|
2.91
|
0.73
|
2.5
|
188.80
|
198.32
|
9.52
|
0.180
|
33.52
|
1.00
|
0.53
|
2.12
|
2.36
|
2.73
|
2
|
204.60
|
224.47
|
19.87
|
0.427
|
38.34
|
2.67
|
0.22
|
1.72
|
3.99
|
0.69
|
1
|
AR22-
0224
|
34.14
|
36.64
|
2.50
|
0.134
|
21.20
|
0.23
|
0.43
|
0.05
|
0.67
|
0.66
|
5/1
|
AR22-
0231
|
30.97
|
31.69
|
0.72
|
1.205
|
60.12
|
2.40
|
2.08
|
7.27
|
7.07
|
1.55
|
5/1
|
AR22-
0232
|
62.58
|
62.73
|
0.15
|
1.315
|
157.00
|
10.35
|
4.18
|
18.70
|
20.85
|
4.72
|
5
|
66.16
|
69.19
|
3.03
|
0.636
|
56.67
|
4.70
|
1.35
|
5.47
|
8.07
|
5.73
|
1
|
AR22-
0237
|
83.00
|
93.00
|
10.00
|
0.670
|
47.95
|
3.73
|
0.42
|
2.54
|
5.66
|
0.52
|
5
|
Notes:
- Copper equivalent (CuEq) calculations use metal prices
assumptions of $3.00/lb for copper,
$1.10/lb for zinc, $1.00/lb for lead, $1,300/oz for gold, and $18.00/oz for silver.
- Results are core intervals and not true thickness; true
widths have not been determined for the above intercepts but are
believed to be greater than 80% of actual drill
thicknesses.
- Cut-off grade of 0.5% CuEq.
- Maximum internal dilution of up to three consecutive
meters of <0.5% CuEq.
- Within mineralized zones the minimum sample length was
0.29 m, maximum sample length was
2.50 m, and the average sample length
was 0.98 m.
- Core recovery averaged 84%.
- No core recovery between the reported intercepts in
AR22-0232, between 62.73 to 66.16 meters.
- No core recovery in the 2.60 meters immediately prior to
the reported intercept in hole AR22-0224, between 31.54 to 34.14
meters.
- Some rounding errors may occur.
Figure 1. Location of Arctic
drill holes from the UKMP drilling program.
Figure 2. Cross section
showing hole AR22-0215.
Figure 3. Cross section
showing holes AR22-0201, 0204, 0207 and 0213.
Figure 4. Cross section
showing holes AR22-0201, 0204, 0215, 0224, 0231 and
0232.
Figure 5. Photos of drill
core from hole AR22-0237 showing massive and semi-massive sulphide
bands. Close-up photo of exceptionally well mineralized
interval from Zone 5 consisting of medium-grained
chalcopyrite with finer-grained interstitial sphalerite hosted
within a quartz mica schist cut by quartz vein. Results for sample
number 1159796, from 87.83 meters to 88.50 meters, are 15.1%
copper, 13.3% zinc, 2.2% lead, 160 g/t silver and 2.7 g/t gold;
part of the 10-meter interval of 5.66% copper equivalent reported
in Table 1.
Table 2. Drill hole locations at
the Arctic Project.
Hole
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
Elevation
|
Azimuth
|
Dip
|
Length
(m)
|
AR22-0200
|
613594.96
|
7453192.51
|
937.47
|
35
|
-70
|
48.62
|
AR22-0201
|
613484.91
|
7453154.61
|
987.60
|
35
|
-50
|
325.53
|
AR22-0204
|
613492.30
|
7453086.11
|
986.94
|
35
|
-75
|
285.59
|
AR22-0207
|
613595.33
|
7453191.44
|
937.51
|
35
|
-70
|
205.74
|
AR22-0213
|
613378.03
|
7453042.66
|
942.62
|
80
|
-80
|
283.46
|
AR22-0215
|
613345.50
|
7453204.65
|
940.85
|
35
|
-70
|
258.17
|
AR22-0224
|
613049.00
|
7453513.24
|
851.65
|
35
|
-70
|
54.86
|
AR22-0231
|
613067.57
|
7453532.01
|
858.87
|
35
|
-70
|
61.42
|
AR22-0232
|
613133.35
|
7453466.26
|
892.02
|
35
|
-70
|
89.92
|
AR22-0237
|
613469.00
|
7453014.00
|
977.00
|
110
|
-45
|
169.77
|
Coordinates are in UTM Zone 4N (meters) coordinate system, NAD83
Datum.
Ambler Access Project
On November 15, 2022, the United
States Bureau of Land Management ("USBLM") submitted a status
report announcing the anticipation of publishing a draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement ("SEIS") in the second
quarter of calendar 2023 and a final SEIS in the fourth quarter of
calendar 2023. On January 17, 2023,
the USBLM submitted a status report reaffirming the timing of the
draft and final SEIS.
In September 2022, U.S. Senators
Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, wrote to Interior Secretary
Deb Haaland in a bi-partisan show of
support for the road. Senators Murkowski and Sullivan urged prompt
re-approval of the road, while Representative Peltola reiterated
the potential economic benefits the road could bring to area
residents, the state and the nation, and to also encourage the
timely completion of its approval process. In November 2022, Senators Murkowski and Sullivan
wrote a second letter to Interior Secretary Haaland to reiterate
their support for the road, stressing that further delay in its
approval process would be a risk to Alaskan jobs, and U.S. economic
and national security due to prolonged reliance on foreign sources
of supply of minerals and metals needed for renewable energy
infrastructure and modern defense systems.
QA/QC Program
The drilling program, sampling and assaying protocol, and data
verification were managed by qualified persons (QPs) employed by
Ambler Metals. The diamond drill holes were completed using HQ3
diameter core, and recoveries averaged 84%. Drill core was cut
lengthwise into halves using a diamond saw, with one-half used for
the assay sample and the other half retained in core boxes and
archived at site.
Samples were collected through mineralized zones using a
0.29 m minimum length and
2.50 m maximum length; average sample
length is 0.98m. Weights of the drill
core samples range from 0.72 to 11.46 kg, depending on the size of
core, rock type, and recovery.
Each core sample was placed into a bag with a numbered tag and
quality control samples were inserted between core samples using
the same numbering sequence. Then, samples were grouped into
batches for shipping and laboratory submissions. Each batch of 20
samples contains quality control (QC) samples that comprise one
certified reference material (CRM), one core blank (BLK), and one
crushed or pulp duplicate (DUP). In addition, 1 field duplicate was
taken within mineralized intervals for every 20 samples. Chain of
custody records are maintained for sample shipments and the custody
is transferred from Ambler Metals expeditor to the laboratory upon
delivery.
Samples were shipped to ALS Minerals laboratory in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, for sample submission.
ALS Minerals Fairbanks is a satellite sample preparation facility
accredited under ALS Minerals. The ALS Minerals Fairbanks shipped
the samples to ALS Minerals in North
Vancouver, B.C., Canada,
for sample preparation and analysis. ALS Minerals North Vancouver
is an independent laboratory certified under ISO 9001:2008 and
accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by the Standards Council of
Canada. Selected sample batches
were sent to ALS Minerals laboratory in Vientiane, Laos for fire assay. ALS Minerals
includes its own internal quality control samples comprising
certified reference materials, blanks, and pulp duplicates.
Drill core samples were weighed (WEI-21), dried if excessively
wet (DRY-21), coarse jaw crushed to 70% passing 6 mm (CRU-21), fine
jaw crushed to 70% passing 2 mm (CRU-31), riffle split to 250 g
subsamples (SPL-21) and pulverized to 85% passing 75 μm (PUL-31).
Crushed duplicates were created by riffle splitting crushed samples
into two parts.
Gold analyses were completed using a 30 g lead fire assay and
AAS finish (Au-AA23). Multi-element analyses for 48 elements were
completed using a geochemical four acid digestion and ICP-ES/MS
finish (ME-MS61). Over-range assays for Ag, Cu, Zn, and S were
completed using an ore grade four-acid digestion and ICP-ES finish
(ME-OG62). Additional analyses were completed for Ba and Hg.
Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, and Zn assays for QC samples were reviewed to
ensure that CRMs are within tolerance limits specified on supplier
certificates, BLKs are below acceptable thresholds, and DUPs
display statistical patterns normally expected for sample types,
methods, and elements. CRMs that returned assays outside of
tolerance limits and BLKs with assays above thresholds were deemed
to have failed. Sample batches containing failed QC samples were
re-assayed to ensure that the QC samples returned acceptable
results before release. All QC monitoring data are reviewed and
signed off by an independent QA/QC geologist.
There is no known relationship between core sample recoveries
and assay grades. Ambler Metals will submit 5% of the assay
intervals from prospective lithologies to a laboratory independent
of ALS Minerals for check assaying.
Qualified Persons
Richard Gosse, P.Geo., Vice
President, Exploration for Trilogy, is a Qualified Person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gosse has reviewed the
scientific and technical information in this news release and
approves the disclosure contained herein.
About Trilogy Metals
Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metal exploration and development
company that holds a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC which
has a 100 percent interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in
Northwestern Alaska. On
December 19, 2019, South32, a
globally diversified mining and metals company, exercised its
option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy. The UKMP is
located within the Ambler Mining District, one of the richest and
most-prospective known copper-dominant districts in the world. It
hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide
deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and
carbonate replacement deposits that have been found to host
high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts
have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler Mining District –
the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement
deposit. Both deposits are located within a land package that spans
approximately 190,929 hectares. Ambler Metals has an agreement with
NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation that
provides a framework for the exploration and potential development
of the Ambler Mining District in cooperation with local
communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop the Ambler Mining
District into a premier North American copper producer while
protecting and respecting subsistence livelihoods.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain "forward-looking
information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively
"forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable
Canadian and United States
securities legislation including the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other
than statements of historical fact, included herein, including,
without limitation, statements relating to interpretation of drill
results; the Company's beliefs regarding the potential of the Upper
Kobuk Mineral Projects; and the Company's expectations regarding
de-risking of the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not
always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates",
"believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible",
"poised" and similar expressions, or statements that events,
conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", "would" or "should"
occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various
risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such
statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from the Company's expectations include the
uncertainties involving success of exploration, permitting
timelines, requirements for additional capital, government
regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated
reclamation expenses, supplies and services the interpretation of
drill results, the need for additional financing to explore and
develop properties and availability of financing in the debt and
capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of
drilling results and geological tests; the need for cooperation of
government agencies and native groups in the development and
operation of properties; the need to obtain permits and
governmental approvals; unanticipated variation in geological
structures, metal grades or recovery rates; unexpected cost
increases, which could include significant increases in estimated
capital and operating costs; fluctuations in metal prices and
currency exchange rates and other risks and uncertainties disclosed
in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
November 30, 2021 filed with Canadian
securities regulatory authorities and with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and
documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities
from time to time. Copy of Company's Form 10-K may be obtained at
no charge by visiting our Investors website at
www.trilogymetals.com, the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or at
www.sedar.com. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the
beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are
made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the
forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or
other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
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