Discovery Potential Continues to Grow
The copper belt of the Storm Copper Project on Somerset Island in the Canadian province of Nunavut extends over a length of 110 kilometers. Given this size, it is logical that Aston Bay (TSX.V: BAY, FSE: 6AY, WKN: A2AUFP), together with partner American West Metals, continues to encounter new highly interesting copper targets during the exploration of the project. The latest discoveries are the Seabreeze and Hailstorm deposits.
The Storm project is thus growing through expansions of previously identified copper deposits at depth and along the edges. At the same time, the partners are also succeeding in identifying new deposits in previously unexplored parts of the project. These include the new Seabreeze target area.
It is located at the northwestern end of the 110-kilometer-long copper belt and covers an area of ten by two kilometers. A ground gravity survey conducted here has recognized many characteristics of a promising Allen Bay Formation. This repeats the stratigraphic host form with high copper, silver, and zinc grades known from the other Storm copper deposits at this location as well.
The Hailstorm deposit is also still largely unexplored. Its geological nature is also very similar to that of the near-surface and high-grade copper deposits Chinook, Thunder, Lightning Ridge, and Corona. During geological mapping, American West was able to take rock samples with copper grades of over 50%. This led to the discovery of a previously unknown copper anomaly measuring 250 by 250 meters.
Source: Aston Bay Holdings
Tornado and Tempest Confirmed as Compelling Drill Targets
The partners are also making good progress in expanding the already recognized deposits. At Tornado, the Moving Loop Electromagnetics (MLEM) survey has defined new conductors below the boundary of current drilling. The new site is located about five kilometers along strike from the known Storm deposits.
It was particularly pleasing that all reverse circulation drilling conducted this year was placed in favorable locations and intersected abnormally high copper, silver, and zinc values. The drilling has confirmed the mineralization model developed by American West and demonstrates that the Tornado deposit continues to be an extremely interesting drilling area.
At the Tempest prospect, approximately 40 kilometers south of the known copper deposits, abnormally high copper, zinc, and silver values have also been determined. Their stratigraphy corresponds to the style previously known from the Storm deposits. The target area is defined by a four-kilometer-long zone of gossans with a copper content of 38.2% and a zinc content of 30.8%. This zone appears so interesting that follow-up drilling is planned here in the future as well.
The Resource Update is Steadily Approaching
The many small but certainly important successes that American West and Aston Bay Holdings have achieved in the past in developing the Storm project are paving the way for the first major success: the eagerly anticipated resource update. It is currently being prepared along with various development studies and should be the highlight of the coming months.
It is intended to give shareholders and interested investors a more precise impression of the size of the project and the development potential available to both partners. Given the size of the Storm project, it is almost self-evident that further drilling to develop the project will follow and that the partners expect to be able to consistently expand the resource in the future.
Aston Bay Holdings and American West are therefore on a good path in developing the project, as the measurements and drilling carried out so far confirm the geological model and the current understanding of the ore body’s structure. This provides a good basis not only to soon present a resource update but also to gradually expand it afterwards.
