NORDEN CROWN COMPLETES SUMMER DRILLING EXPLORATION PROGRAM AT THE BURFJORD COPPER-GOLD PROJECT, NORWAY
VANCOUVER, B.C, Sept. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Norden Crown Metals Corp. ("Norden Crown" or the "Company") (TSXV: NOCR) (OTC: NOCRF) (Frankfurt: 03E) is pleased to announce completion of a 3,499.40 m metre diamond drilling program at its 100% owned Burfjord Copper Project ("Burfjord" or the "Project") in partnership with Boliden Mineral AB ("Boliden) in northern Norway. The primary objective of the drill program was to evaluate the copper-gold grade and continuity of newly established targets within areas of extensive historical mining and trenching.
Norden Crown intersected previously untested IOCG style copper mineralization, which subsequently became the focus of the drilling program. Norden Crown is excited to share the assay results in the coming months.
Norden Crown simultaneously completed a 6,800 - sample soil survey, a 3-week geological and structural mapping campaign and borehole electromagnetic geophysical surveys during the exploration program.
Previous drilling by Norden Crown (see News Release dated March 20, 2019) at Burfjord returned compelling results including an intercept of 32 metres averaging 0.56% copper and 0.26 g/t gold (including 3.46 metres of 4.31% copper and 2.22 g/t gold) below a cluster of historical mine workings at the Gamlegruva target area1,2. Previous drilling confirmed presence of high grade carbonate-jasper-magnetite-chalcopyrite-bornite veins cutting through pervasively magnetite-albite altered gabbro with broad mineralized zones within carbonate-magnetite-chalcopyrite stockworks and breccias enveloping these high-grade veins, under the historical workings. Historical drilling on the Project (Cedarsgruven) was reported to have returned 7.0 metres averaging 3.6% copper3.
Patricio Varas, Chairman and CEO of Norden Crown stated, "The joint Norden-Boliden exploration team has made significant advancements at Burfjord this summer. The approach was to carry out an integrated exploration program employing an excellent team to carry out diamond drilling, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and borehole geophysics to build a full, multi-disciplined, picture of the prospectivity around so many of the copper and gold bearing workings. The programs were optimized using a dynamic exploration workflow with follow-up and new target drill testing resulting from new insights around the multiple targets during this program. We await with excitement to receive the analysis from a number of core samples that will surely confirm highly indicative copper results, particularly in the Gamlegruva prospect area where typical IOCG mineralization was confirmed. Plans are already being formulated to carry out a follow-up drill program in the winter and we look forward to using the new data and knowledge gained from the various surveys to confirm and test mineralization of economic importance."
Norden Crown completed 3,499.40 metres of diamond drilling in 18 drill holes designed to test a combination of geological, geochemical, and geophysical targets identified from 2020 and 2021 field programs (Figure 1). Drilling commenced on July 4th and finished on September 4th, 2022. All exploration staff and contractors have now demobilized from site and a small road remediation operation is underway.
Most of the drilling this year has focused on the Eastern Limb of the Burfjord anticline (Gamlegruva and A-Gruva target areas) which constitutes a ~5-kilometre-long trend of discontinuously outcropping copper occurrences and historical mine adits that contain copper sulphide mineralization (chalcopyrite and bornite) associated with magnetite-hematite-jasper-bornite-chalcopyrite veins and carbonate-magnetite-chalcopyrite vein stockworks and breccias, hosted in sodic and potassic altered pillow basalts and gabbros (Figure 1).
Holes at Gamlegruva tested a gabbro unit associated with a magnetic feature (Figure 2) and surface copper bearing vein stockworks. Hole BUR-22-012 intersected several significant magnetite-jasper-hematite-bornite-carbonate-chalcopyrite veins and adjacent zones of carbonate-magnetite-hematite-quartz-chalcopyrite vein stockwork and breccias.
Follow up drill holes (BUR-22-013 and BUR-22-017) were completed to test the down dip and along strike (northward step outs up to 130 metres) continuity of mineralization intersected in BUR-22-12. These drillholes confirmed the continuity of significant IOGC style copper mineralization within a pervasively magnetite-albite altered gabbro unit.
The magnetic feature associated with newly intersected IOCG mineralization extends southward and continues under the Caledonian nappe complex and northwards along the host gabbro unit (Figures 1 and 2). Additional drilling is required to test this target at depth.
The first batch of samples from the program is currently being assayed with results expected in the coming weeks. The final batch of samples is now at the assay laboratory and Norden Crown looks forward to sharing the results of this drill program in the coming months. Planning is already underway to continue building on the newly discovered copper mineralization at Gamlegruva.
A total of 3 weeks of geological mapping has been completed at Burfjord in 2022. Mapping focused on tracing the surface expression of the copper mineralized vein trend intersected in BUR-22-012 and follow up drillholes (Figure 1).
Several discontinuously outcropping magnetite-hematite-jasper-chalcopyrite-bornite and carbonate-magnetite-chalcopyrite-quartz veins (up to 1.5m wide) with halos of ankerite-jasper-magnetite-chalcopyrite stockwork were identified along a trend which
extends the zone along strike for at least 450 meters north of the newly identified mineralized trend at Gamlegruva. This significantly increases Norden's confidence in the target which will be a focus for drilling in Q1 2023.
Furthermore, mapping across the eastern limb has been completed with the aim of collecting structural data on copper-bearing veins. The information compiled from the geological and structural mapping program is being fed into the GIS database in order to improve the current geological modelling and technical understanding of the target areas and will aid with the planning of exploration programs and drilling envisioned for the 2023 winter.
Geophysical surveys were conducted between July 22nd and September 7th on boreholes drilled between 2018 and 2022. Fourteen (14) drillholes were surveyed with downhole electromagnetics, furthermore, fourteen (14) drillholes were also surveyed with an optical televiewer and petrophysical surveys were carried out on 15 drillholes.
Preliminary results from the borehole electromagnetics have identified two significant off-hole conductive features at the Gamlegruva target area. These results are being evaluated to place these features in a geological context based on previous mapping and drillhole data.
Optical televiewer data has been collected and processed and is currently being interpreted. These data will be used to establish the orientation of copper mineralized veins and to further constrain the 3-dimensional geometry of the target areas.
Petrophysical survey data is being processed which will be used to refine magnetic models at Burfjord to highlight regions of increased mineralized fluid flow.
A total of 6,800 soil samples were collected over the Burfjord licences this summer. Grids were planned with 20-meter sample spacing and line spacing of 100m between east-west lines.
An orientation soil survey consisting of 2,400 samples over an area of 5.1 sq-km was completed between July 1st and July 15th over the Kisgangen target area to test the suitability of the exploration method at Burfjord. Several anomalies were identified over known copper occurrences and the survey was consequently expanded between August 5th and August 15th over the northern licence area. An area of 9.5 sq-km was covered with the collection of an additional 4,400 samples, encompassing the Cedarsgruven and Magnusgruven target areas (see Figure 2), which have seen little to no modern exploration.
Samples are currently being analysed and preliminary results will be used to guide the planning of follow up drilling. Anomalies will be evaluated and ranked in advance of follow-up drill targeting at the various target zones including Cedarsgruven, where 2021 drilling returned 12 metres averaging 1.27% Cu in hole BUR-21-011 (see News Release dated April 11th, 2022). Magnusgruven has not yet been drill tested.
The Project, located in the Kåfjord Copper Belt near Alta, Norway, is highly prospective for Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) and Sediment Hosted Copper mineral deposits which contribute significantly to copper production globally.
Burfjord is comprised of six exploration licenses totalling 5,500 hectares. Within the license area, during the nineteenth century, copper mineralization was mined from over 30 historical mines and prospects developed along the flanks of a prominent 4 x 6-kilometre anticlinal fold consisting of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Many of the rocks in the anticline are intensely hydrothermally altered and contain sulphide mineralization.
The high-grade copper gold veins at Burfjord, that were historically mined at cut- off grades of 3-5% copper, are surrounded by envelopes of stockwork veins or disseminations of copper mineralization extending tens to hundreds of metres laterally into the host rocks. Norden Crown believes this mineralization has economic potential and represents an attractive bulk tonnage exploration drilling target. Copper bearing veins in the area are dominated by ferroan carbonate, sodium-rich minerals, and iron-oxide minerals (magnetite and hematite), but also contain the economically important minerals chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite in addition to cobalt-rich pyrite as generally coarse-grained (often 0.5 centimetre to multi-centimetre scale) disseminations in the veins.
Norden Crown entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") with Boliden in respect to Burfjord (see June 10, 2020 News Release). In order to earn its 51% interest in the Project, Boliden must fund 100% of the exploration programs by spending US$6 Million over the next four years. Work on the exploration programs is directed by a joint Norden Crown-Boliden Technical committee.
Norden Crown is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of Zinc, Copper, Silver, Gold, Cobalt and Nickel deposits in exceptional, historical mining project areas spanning Sweden and Norway. The Company aims to discover new economic mineral deposits in known mining districts that have seen little or no modern exploration. The Company is led by an experienced management team and technical team, with successful track records in mineral discovery, mining development and financing.
1. Intercept reported as seen in drill core. The true width is estimated at 85-100% of the reported interval. |
2. See Norden Crown's April 11, 2022, News Release for discussion of analytical methods, QA/QC and core handling protocols. |
3. Source: NGU Deposit Factsheet, Deposit Area 1943-010, 1997. Norden Crown's property reviews have confirmed the geologic occurrence of mineralization on the Project and considers the historic exploration data to be relevant as reported in public disclosures and government reports. |
Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to Burfjord contained in this news release. Mr. MacNeil is Vice President Exploration for Norden.
Patricio Varas, Chairman and CEO
Neither 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.
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward‐looking statements". Forward‐looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to future outlook and anticipated events, such as the successful completion of the exploration program (consisting of diamond drilling, mapping, prospecting, outcrop sampling, airborne magnetic and ground electromagnetic geophysical surveys) and Norden Crown's belief in the economic potential and attractiveness of Burfjord as a bulk tonnage target as discussed herein, the dates the various segments of the exploration program will commence, the duration of various segments of the exploration program, the anticipated timing of the results of the exploration programs described herein and the planned uses of the resulting data. Although Norden Crown believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the various contracted entities to complete their duties within the time expected by the Company; inclement weather conditions that may impede, delay or stop all or part of the exploration program; the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic or other pandemics or epidemics; mechanical breakdowns of equipment used in the exploration programs, changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the ability of Norden Crown to obtain the necessary consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and, if obtained, to obtain such consents in a timely fashion relative to Norden Crown plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of Norden Crown to drill test its projects and find mineral resources; if any mineral resources are discovered or acquired, the Company's ability to monetize any such mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of Norden Crown management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Norden Crown undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. |
SOURCE Norden Crown Metals Corp.
on Norden Crown, please visit the Company website at www.nordencrownmetals.com, or contact us at +1.604.922.8810 or [email protected].
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