Next hit: American West reports up to 13% copper from Storm project

Australian copper explorer American West Metals (WKN A3DE4Y / ASX AW1) is currently drilling 24 hours a day, seven days a week at its Storm project in the Canadian province of Nunavut in order to make the most of the summer in the far north. This seems to be working, as the company has not only already exceeded the originally planned 20,000 meters of drilling, but has once again proven up high copper grades at Storm!

As Managing Director Dave O’Neill’s company reports, further intersections with very high copper contents of up to 13% copper were drilled at the Cyclone deposit – both within the area of the already reported resource and outside it!

American West’s hole SR24-057 struck
– 1.5 meters of 13.5% copper and 23 g/t silver from 54.9 meters downhole as well as
– 3.1 meters with 2.0% Cu, 8.0 g/t Ag from 85.3 meters downhole and
– 1.5 meters at 1.8% Cu, 3.0g/t Ag from 109.7 meters downhole.

A further drill hole (SR24-035) yielded
– 3.1 meters with 3.9% Cu, 10.5g/t Ag from 57.9 meters downhole depth, including
– 1.5 meters with 5.9% Cu, 16.0g/t Ag from 57.9 meters downhole depth and
– 4.6 meters with 1.4% Cu, 5g/t Ag from 71.6 meters downhole depth, including
– 1.5 meters with 3.1% Cu, 11.0g/t Ag from 71.6m downhole depth

In addition, the drill hole SR24-031, located outside the existing resource, showed
– 27.4 meters at 1.1% Cu, 3.5g/t Ag from 96 meters downhole, of which
– 4.6 meters at 3.1% Cu, 7.7g/t Ag from 109.7 meters downhole.

Excellent lateral continuity

These results, according to American West, show the consistent copper grades and demonstrate the excellent lateral continuity of high-grade copper mineralization at the Cyclone deposit. In addition, thick intervals of contiguous copper mineralization with greater than 1% copper were discovered outside the area of the existing resource, further highlighting the potential to expand the resource to the north and southwest.

The company is continuing reverse circulation drilling at Cyclone, focusing on expanding the resource to the west, north and northeast. An updated resource estimate in line with the Australian JORC standard is to be delivered by the end of the year.

Current and existing drill hole locations, outlines of copper deposits, overlay of aerial photographs; source American West Metals

New discovery Squall

While American West is defining and expanding the Cylcone deposit, exploration drilling is also underway. Among other things, this is targeting a MLEM (Moving Loop Elector Magnetics) anomaly in the Southern Graben area. Although assay results are not yet available, the company reports strong, visible copper sulphides at the end of the hole. This represents a new discovery that American West has named Squall. This hole will now be extended to confirm the full extent of the mineralization.

Depth focused MLEM surveys are currently underway at the Tornado and Blizzard prospects, where two particularly prospective electromagnetic anomalies have already been identified in favourable stratigraphy that also coincide with copper outcrops. Past drilling at Storm has consistently demonstrated a strong correlation between EM targets and high-grade copper sulphides, making them particularly attractive targets that could potentially lead to the discovery of copper in entirely new and previously unexplored areas.

What happens next

The results presented today are by no means the last that American West will present in the coming weeks and months. Logical, considering that 128 reverse circulation and 14 diamond core drill holes have already been completed. The company expects further assay results to be released in the next two to four weeks.

At the same time, drilling is continuing in the Storm area, where the focus is on resource expansion and particularly promising geophysical targets. A further drill rig has now been moved to the Tornado and Blizzard prospect areas. Deep EM surveys are also being carried out there. In addition, American West is continuing to drill deep exploration targets in the Storm area where drill hole ST24-03 is already underway.

In addition to exploration activities, the company has completed environmental monitoring, archaeology and surveying activities for the 2024 program and plans to submit final reports in the coming months. Last but not least, detailed economic, engineering and mining studies are being conducted in relation to the potential development of a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) operation.