The first hole is underway and is collared to test the depth extension of the massive sulphide deposit located at surface and extending, continuously to 300 meters vertical.
Two (2) other holes are planned to verify the shallower copper mineralization intersected in the southwestern part of the deposit. The copper zone is open along strike and lies within the first 100 meters from surface. The targets consist of a combined airborne MEGATEM anomaly and a surface chargeability IP anomaly which have never been drilled.
"We are most excited to launch our own drilling program at the Murray Brook Deposit as it is the first drilling program conducted on this mining lease property since 2013" notes Marcel Robillard, President and CEO of Puma Exploration. The current drilling program begun, as planned, following the completion of phase I of the trenching operation completed on the Murray Brook East property.
Murray Brook East (4925)
The Murray Brook East property (4925) consists of 245 claims (5326 hectares) located between the Murray Brook Mining Lease (#255) and the Caribou Mining Lease (# 246). Its eastern boundary is located only four kilometers west of the producing Caribou Mine owned and operated by Trevali Mining Corp.
An extensive trenching program began on the Murray Brook East property at the beginning of June to verify the targets defined by Puma's geologists from the data collected by the previous operators which included geophysical surveys (HeliTEM, Magnetic, Gravity) and geochemical surveys (1,853 soil samples). A previous 10 short holes drilling program along the 7 km favorable was conducted in 1956.
Trenching (Phase I)
Puma has completed a trenching program (Phase I) at Murray Brook East property, which consisted of a total of 38 trenches on a 3.8 km length. Some 127 samples were collected and will be analyzed for metals and whole rock geochemistry. The main objective of this preliminary program was to delineate and describe the contact between felsic volcanic and the sediments similar to the favorable horizon hosting the Murray Brook Deposit before proceeding with a drilling program.
Disseminated sulphides to massive sulphide veins were observed over a large gravity anomaly located at the contact between the sediments and the felsic volcanic in the northern boundary of the property. Other mineralized rock was observed mostly around two other gravity anomalies. In many locations, the black shale (sediments) observed were faulted and/or folded locally. This observation is important for the next drilling campaign planned to start in October and these areas will be the first priority targets.
Murray Brook Deposit
The underground sulphide mineral resource estimate of the Murray Brook Deposit comprises measured and indicated mineral resources totalling 5.28 million tonnes averaging 5.24 per cent zinc, 1.80 per cent lead, 0.46 per cent copper, 68.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.65 g/t gold. It contains 610 million pounds of zinc, 209 million pounds of lead, 54 million pounds of copper, 11.7 million ounces of silver and 111,000 ounces of gold at a $85 per-tonne NSR (net-smelter-return) cut-off in the sulphide measured and indicated categories. On February 20th 2017, the NI 43-101 report was accepted and filed on SEDAR.
Puma is actually updating the PEA on the Murray Brook Deposit. Various economic and development scenarios is currently studied from a large open pit to a high grade zinc underground operation.
