July 11, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSX.V: MMG; OTCQB: MMNGF) (“Metallic Minerals” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the start of the 2023 exploration and drill campaign at the La Plata copper-silver-gold-PGE project, located in southwest Colorado.
In May 2023, Newcrest Mining Limited completed a 9.5% strategic equity investment into Metallic Minerals with the goal of accelerating advancement of the La Plata porphyry project. This funding will support a two-phase drill campaign in 2023 that will build on the success from work in 2022. The initial phase is expected to consist of approximately 5,000 meters of diamond core drilling, primarily focused on resource expansion at the Allard porphyry deposit.
A top priority for the program will be to conduct step-out drilling from the major discovery in drill hole 22-04 which intersected 816 meters of 0.41% Cu Eq (0.30% Cu, 2.47 g/t Ag, 0.038 g/t Au, 0.055 g/t Pd and 0.093 g/t Pd) from surface and ended in 5.39% CuEq over 5.2 m (2.44% Cu, 18.7 g/t Ag, 5.0 g/t Au+PGE). Hole 22-04 did not reach target depth and ended in mineralization due to mechanical issues. Drilling in 2023 will test the lower limits of mineralization and some holes are scheduled for as deep as 1,200 meters.
Scott Petsel, Metallic Minerals’ President, stated, “We see a real opportunity for world class scale and grade at La Plata and have confidence in our ability to quickly grow the existing resources. Hole 22-04 was not only the widest and highest-grade drill hole ever drilled on the project, it was also one of the top holes drilled in the last several years at any copper project in North America. We also expect to be able to increase the overall grade of the resource moving forward as we include precious metals credits previously not accounted for. Our exploration work over the past two years has defined 16 additional untested porphyry targets across the greater property, which appear to have very similar characteristics to the Allard deposit and could result in additional new discoveries. The drill is currently mobilizing to site.”
The Allard deposit remains open to significant expansion within the resource area to the east, north and west and to depth, with the potential to add gold, platinum and palladium to the current copper and silver resource with the completion of additional exploration drilling. In addition, the larger porphyry system at the La Plata project, which covers an area of over 10 km2, remains underexplored with the potential for new discoveries of both additional copper porphyry centers, as well as high-grade epithermal silver and gold systems.
Yukon Mining Alliance 2023 Property Tours
Metallic Minerals will be participating in the Yukon Mining Alliance Property Tours and Investment Conference in Dawson City on July 19th. Select tour participants will visit Metallic’s Australia Creek alluvial gold royalty property in the Klondike Gold District, currently under lease to Parker Schnabel’s Little Flake Mining as seen on Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush television program. More information whereabout the YMA Property Tours and Conference can be found here. For more information about Metallic’s lease agreement with Little Flake Mining, click here.
About Metallic Minerals
Metallic Minerals Corp. is a leading exploration and development stage company focused on copper, silver, gold and other critical minerals in the La Plata mining district in Colorado, and silver and gold in the high-grade Keno Hill and Klondike districts of the Yukon. Our objective is to create shareholder value through a systematic, entrepreneurial approach to making exploration discoveries, growing resources, and advancing our projects toward development.
In 2023, the Company announced a 9.5% strategic investment by Newcrest Mining Limited for the continued advancement of the Company’s La Plata project in southwestern Colorado. The inaugural NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate, announced in 2022, identified a significant porphyry copper-silver resource containing 889 Mlbs copper and 15 Moz of silver and an updated estimate is currently being finalized. Notably, Colorado was recently ranked 5th globally for investment attractiveness and 2nd in the USA In the 2023 Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies.
In Canada’s Yukon Territory, Metallic Minerals has consolidated the second-largest land position in the historic high-grade Keno Hill silver district, directly adjacent to Hecla Mining’s operations, with more than 300 Moz of high-grade silver in past production and current M&I resources. Hecla Mining Company, the largest primary silver producer in the USA and third largest in the world, completed the acquisition of Alexco Resources and their Keno Hill operations in September 2022. Hecla is targeting to start production at the Keno Hill operations by Q3 2023. Metallic Minerals is anticipating the announcement of inaugural mineral resource estimate at Keno Silver in the second half of 2023.
The Company is also one of the largest holders of alluvial gold claims in the Yukon and is building a production royalty business by partnering with experienced mining operators, including Parker Schnabel of Little Flake Mining from the hit television show, Gold Rush, on the Discovery Channel.
All of the districts in which Metallic Minerals operates have seen significant mineral production and have existing infrastructure, including power and road access. Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success, as well as having large-scale development, permitting and project financing expertise. The Metallic Minerals team has been recognized for its environmental stewardship practices and is committed to responsible and sustainable resource development.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Website: www.mmgsilver.com Phone: 604-629-7800
Email: cackerman@mmgsilver.com Toll Free: 1-888-570-4420
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, statements about expected results of operations, royalties, cash flows, financial position and future dividends as well as financial position, prospects, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Metallic Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, unsuccessrul operations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration, development of mines and mining operations is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Metallic Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
