Feb 2 2021
Metallica Metals Corp. is happy to discuss its Sammy Ridgeline Project and the related exploration plans during the 2021 field season.
Metallica Metals’ exploration projects (blue spheres) with respect to magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits within the Mid-Continent Rift System in the Thunder Bay Mining District. Image Credit: Metallica Metals Corp.
The Sammy Ridgeline Project includes a pair of packages of claims for a total of 22,766 ha situated immediately next to, and on trend with the Thunder Bay North palladium-platinum (PGE) project that belongs to Clean Air Metals Inc. The PGE is located on both the west and east sections of the Sammy Ridgeline Project.
Two massive PGE-focused exploration projects, called Richview Pine and Sammy Ridgeline, are held by Metallica Metals. Both these exploration projects are situated next to the base metal and prominent PGE deposits within the Thunder Bay Mining District of Ontario, shown in the above image.
The Sammy Ridgeline Project includes the Sammy Ridgeline West Property stretching 9,513 ha, and Sammy Ridgeline East Property spanning 13,253 ha.
Both these properties are underlain by Archean-aged granitoid and metasedimentary rocks of the Quetico Terrane and also by an array of Mesoproterozoic intrusive mafic to ultramafic rocks of Keweenawan Supergroup, which are said to be conducive to host PGE-Cu-Ni mineralization inside the Mid-Continent Rift System.
The Sammy Ridgeline Project lies adjacent to the Clean Air Metals Thunder Bay North Project. The Thunder Bay North Project is host to a couple of major deposits, that is, Escape Lake and Current Lake, which collectively contain an old resource estimate concluded earlier in January 2011 for a former owner.
These significant deposits include an open-pit Indicated Resource of 8.46 million tons at 0.98 g/t palladium (Pd) (2.13 g/t PtEq) and 1.04 g/t platinum (Pt), yielding 266,000 oz contained Pd (580,000 oz PtEq) and 282,000 oz contained Pt, and an underground Indicated Resource of 1.03 million tons at 1.51 g/t Pd (3.48 g/t PtEq) and 1.63 g/t Pt, yielding 50,000 oz contained Pd (115,000 oz PtEq) and 54,000 oz contained Pt.
Within an LG pit shell, underground mineral resources were reported at a cut-off grade of 1.94 g/t PtEq, and the open-pit mineral resources were reported at a cut-off grade of 0.59 g/t PtEq.
It should, however, be noted that mineralization as well as mineral resource estimates on nearby and/or adjacent properties does not necessarily indicate mineralization on the Sammy Ridgeline Project.
As explained in the Thunder Bay North technical documents and scientific literature, mineralization in the immediate region is hosted by a 'mineralized conduit' which is defined by a mafic/ultramafic intrusive complex. The mineralized conduit has been emplaced alongside a kilometer-scale regional east-west trending fault system.
It seems that the regional-scale fault system extends beyond the property boundaries of Clean Air Metals Inc. both to the West and the East sides and onto the properties of Metallica Metals and will be the target of the company’s exploration efforts.
Historically, minimal exploration drilling work has been performed both along and to the north of the fault system inside the boundaries of the Sammy Ridgeline property.
Exploration Plans of Sammy Ridgeline Project
At present, Metallica Metals is assessing contractor quotes to complete an airborne electromagnetic survey across the whole property. This geophysical survey, which Metallica Metals has planned to introduce in the coming months, may define anomalies that can be subsequently tested with prospecting, trenching and ultimately diamond drilling.
Apart from defining electromagnetic anomalies, the geophysical survey will also offer Metallica Metals a comprehensive magnetic map which the company can use to conclude the property-wide structural analysis.