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The Vancouver-based minnow said this week it was in the process of completing drill permit notification for Silver Cloud in Elko County, to be submitted to the Bureau of Land Management Elko District Office "shortly after" its data review was completed.
"BRC is using the Hollister Mine and Midas Mines geologic models, correlating them to Silver Cloud, to generate drill targets," the company said.
"BRC plans to commence it drilling program during the summer of 2018 pending drill permit notification approval."
Veteran geologist Schifrin said previous drilling by Teck Resources and Placer Dome had produced "high-grade intercepts at Silver Cloud … [that] are very encouraging for continued positive results at this project".
Silver Cloud, like the nearby Midas and Hollister deposits on the Carlin Trend now owned by Hecla Mining Company, is described as a low-sulphidation epithermal gold-silver banded vein deposit. Silver Cloud is said to have extensive surface mercury-bearing silica sinters, and has had historic mercury mining, but the area has not been extensively or systematically drill tested, according to Blackrock Gold.
Teck's 10-hole drilling program between 1999 and 2001 had one hole return 1.5m grading 145 grams per tonne and another 22.8m of 5.67gpt "in proximity to the historic Silver Cloud mine area". Placer Dome subsequently hit 12m of 5.53gpt gold in the Northwest Canyon area, about 2km west of the Silver Cloud mine, in a limited program.
"The hot spring sinters at Silver Cloud are massive and extensive and very similar in characteristics to the Hollister Mine right next door," he said.
The data review and 3D modelling of historic drill data would help in the location of drill targets.
Silver Cloud is 8km west of Hollister, which has about 280,000oz of current resources and is expected to produce 30,000-35,000oz of gold in 2018. Midas, 20km to the north, has a measured and indicated resource of 1.11 million tonnes grading 12.9g/t gold (419,000oz) and inferred 0.67Mt of 10.4g/t gold (203,000oz). New owner Hecla Mining Company is forecasting annual production of 45,000-50,000oz.
