Search Minerals Inc. has announced that the DEEP FOX Phase 4 drill program’s intended 14,000 m of drilling has now been completed. Search Mineral’s second resource, DEEP FOX, is situated in SE Labrador, Canada’s Port Hope Simpson-St. Lewis Critical Rare Earth Elements (CREE) District.
Deep Fox - 2022 Drilling Activities. Image Credit: Search Minerals Inc.
A total of 76 drill holes totaling 14,013 m were part of the drill program, of which 63 were used for further resource definition and exploration and 13 for the geotechnical and hydrogeological program. In the coming weeks, Search Mineral’s geology team will log and sample every hole, sending each sample for analysis.
Deep Fox Drill Program
Drilling began on June 3rd, 2022, and ended on October 27th, 2022.
- Resource Delineation and Exploration:
- 63 holes totaling 10,651 m of orientated core were drilled
- Every core will have its lithological, structural, and geotechnical data recorded
- All mineralized intervals and a few non-mineralized intervals are being sampled for analysis and having their magnetic susceptibility, and specific gravity checked
- Numerous holes were drilled outside the current mine pit design’s boundaries, mainly to the east
- Mineralization was visible in each drill hole
- Geotechnical Program:
- 13 holes totaling 3,362 m of orientated core were drilled
- 11 out of the 13 holes in total intersected mineralization, and their findings will be included in a new resource estimate for 2023
- Optical borehole imaging (3), Acoustic borehole imaging (3), and Packer testing (6) were all done in selected holes, along with the installation of vibrating wire (3)
- Every core has undergone geotechnical logging
- Similar to the exploration program mentioned above, mineralized intervals in this core have been lithologically documented and sampled for assay
- Selected samples have been gathered and delivered to a geotechnical laboratory for additional geotechnical testing
- Next Steps of the Exploration Program:
- By the middle of 2023, it is projected that all assay results and data interpretation will be finished, allowing for the start of the updated resource estimation
- Search Minerals will continue the channel sampling programs at DEEP FOX and FOX MEADOW
We have observed mineralization in all delineation and exploration drill holes and await assay results to determine the grades. Infill drilling has decreased the spacings between drill holes in the proposed open pit to improve our confidence in grades and tonnages for an upcoming 2023 mineral resource estimate. Based on visual results from this new drill data we expect the open pit to be larger and the resource to potentially increase in size.
Dr Randy Miller, Vice-President, Exploration and Qualified Person, Search Minerals Inc.
Greg Andrews, President/CEO, stated, “We continue with our “Sprint to Production”, and this drill program should enable Search to provide an updated mineral resource estimate in 2023. Search Minerals is well positioned to build a secure, sustainable rare earth supply chain in Newfoundland and Labrador to supply Canada and our trading partners. Our goal is to be in production by the year 2026.”
The DEEP FOX DEPOSIT is located about 12 km east of the FOXTROT DEPOSIT and 2 km northeast of St. Lewis, Labrador.