VR Resources Reports Drilling Results at Silverback Copper-Gold Project in Northwest Ontario
VR Resources (VRRCF) has completed its first winter drill program at the Silverback copper-gold project in Northwestern Ontario, with six holes totaling 1,342 meters. The drilling program revealed shear-zone hosted quartz veins containing pyrite, chalcopyrite, and anomalous gold in four of six holes.
Key findings include anomalous gold up to 160 ppb in all zones of intense shearing, with mineralization discovered in Holes 5-6 (aligned with high-grade surface showing in central CZ zone) and Holes 7-8 (near a 1980's OGS 6-channel EM anomaly). The results indicate an epizonal, intrusion-associated orogenic mineral system with gold correlating with elevated copper and silver geochemistry.
The drilling has expanded the mapped extent of the prospective greenstone belt by 2km north and identified new structural splays from the Quetico Fault System. The company plans to conduct detailed structural analysis and geochemical surveys to identify high-grade zones and define detailed targets.
VR Resources (VRRCF) ha completato il suo primo programma di perforazione invernale presso il progetto rame-oro Silverback nel Northwestern Ontario, con sei fori per un totale di 1.342 metri. Il programma di perforazione ha rivelato vene di quarzo ospitate in zone di taglio contenenti pirite, calcopirite e oro anomalo in quattro dei sei fori.
I risultati chiave includono oro anomalo fino a 160 ppb in tutte le zone di intensa fratturazione, con mineralizzazione scoperta nei Fori 5-6 (allineati con affioramenti di alta qualità nella zona CZ centrale) e nei Fori 7-8 (vicino a un'anomalia EM a 6 canali dell'OGS degli anni '80). I risultati indicano un sistema minerario orogenico associato a intrusioni epizonali con oro che si correla a un'elevata geochimica di rame e argento.
La perforazione ha ampliato l'estensione mappata della cintura di greenstone prospettica di 2 km a nord e ha identificato nuovi splay strutturali dal Sistema di Faglie Quetico. L'azienda prevede di condurre analisi strutturali dettagliate e sondaggi geochimici per identificare zone ad alta legge e definire obiettivi dettagliati.
VR Resources (VRRCF) ha completado su primer programa de perforación invernal en el proyecto de cobre-oro Silverback en el noroeste de Ontario, con seis pozos que totalizan 1,342 metros. El programa de perforación reveló vetas de cuarzo alojadas en zonas de cizallamiento que contienen pirita, calcopirita y oro anómalo en cuatro de los seis pozos.
Los hallazgos clave incluyen oro anómalo de hasta 160 ppb en todas las zonas de intensa cizalladura, con mineralización descubierta en los Pozos 5-6 (alineados con un afloramiento de alta ley en la zona central CZ) y en los Pozos 7-8 (cerca de una anomalía EM de 6 canales de OGS de los años 80). Los resultados indican un sistema mineral orogénico asociado a intrusiones epizonales con oro que se correlaciona con una gequímica elevada de cobre y plata.
La perforación ha ampliado la extensión mapeada del cinturón de greenstone prospectivo en 2 km al norte e identificado nuevos splay estructurales del Sistema de Fallas Quetico. La empresa planea realizar un análisis estructural detallado y encuestas geoquímicas para identificar zonas de alta ley y definir objetivos detallados.
VR 리소스(VRRCF)가 북서 온타리오의 실버백 구리-금 프로젝트에서 첫 겨울 시추 프로그램을 완료했습니다. 총 1,342미터에 걸쳐 6개의 구멍이 뚫렸습니다. 시추 프로그램은 6개 구멍 중 4개에서 피라이트, 칼코파라이트 및 이상 금을 포함한 전단대에 위치한 석영맥을 드러냈습니다.
주요 발견 사항에는 강한 전단이 있는 모든 구역에서 최대 160ppb의 이상 금이 포함되어 있으며, 5-6번 구멍에서 광물화가 발견되었습니다(중앙 CZ 구역의 고품질 표면 노출과 정렬됨) 및 7-8번 구멍(1980년대 OGS 6채널 EM 이상 근처). 결과는 침입과 관련된 오로겐 시스템의 에피존성으로, 금이 높은 구리 및 은 지화학과 상관관계를 나타냅니다.
시추는 2km 북쪽으로 탐사 가능한 그린스톤 벨트의 매핑된 범위를 확장하고 Quetico 단층 시스템에서 새로운 구조적 스플레이를 식별했습니다. 회사는 고급 지역을 식별하고 세부 목표를 정의하기 위해 상세한 구조 분석 및 지구 화학 조사를 수행할 계획입니다.
VR Resources (VRRCF) a complété son premier programme de forage hivernal au projet cuivré-or Silverback dans le Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario, avec six trous totalisant 1 342 mètres. Le programme de forage a révélé des veines de quartz hébergées dans des zones de cisaillement contenant de la pyrite, de la chalcopyrite et de l'or anormal dans quatre des six trous.
Les résultats clés incluent de l'or anormal allant jusqu'à 160 ppb dans toutes les zones de cisaillement intense, avec une minéralisation découverte dans les Trous 5-6 (alignés avec une exposition de haute qualité dans la zone centrale CZ) et les Trous 7-8 (près d'une anomalie EM à 6 canaux des années 80 de l'OGS). Les résultats indiquent un système minéral orogénique associé à des intrusions épizonales avec de l'or corrélant avec une géochimie élevée en cuivre et en argent.
Le forage a élargi l'étendue cartographiée de la ceinture de greenstone prospective de 2 km vers le nord et a identifié de nouveaux éclats structurels du Système de Faille Quetico. L'entreprise prévoit de réaliser des analyses structurelles détaillées et des enquêtes géochimiques pour identifier des zones de haute teneur et définir des cibles détaillées.
VR Resources (VRRCF) hat sein erstes Winterbohrprogramm im Silberrücken Kupfer-Gold-Projekt im Nordwesten Ontarios abgeschlossen, mit sechs Löchern, die insgesamt 1.342 Meter umfassen. Das Bohrprogramm hat Quarzadern in Scherzone entdeckt, die Pyrit, Chalkopyrit und anomales Gold in vier der sechs Löcher enthalten.
Wichtige Ergebnisse umfassen anomales Gold von bis zu 160 ppb in allen Zonen intensiven Scherens, wobei Mineralisierungen in den Löchern 5-6 (ausgerichtet auf eine hochgradige Oberflächenanzeige in der zentralen CZ-Zone) und Löchern 7-8 (nahe einer EM-Anomalie mit 6 Kanälen aus den 1980er Jahren) entdeckt wurden. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf ein epizonal, intrusionsassoziiertes orogenes Mineralsystem hin, bei dem Gold mit erhöhter Kupfer- und Silbergeochemie korreliert.
Das Bohren hat die kartierte Ausdehnung des potenziellen Greenstone-Gürtels um 2 km nach Norden erweitert und neue strukturelle Splays aus dem Quetico-Verwerfungsystem identifiziert. Das Unternehmen plant, detaillierte strukturelle Analysen und geochemische Untersuchungen durchzuführen, um hochgradige Zonen zu identifizieren und detaillierte Ziele zu definieren.
- Discovery of new mineralization with gold up to 160 ppb in all shear zones
- Expansion of prospective greenstone belt by 2km north
- Confirmation of extensive mineral system across 3km structural corridor
- Multiple untested targets remaining for future exploration
- Early-stage results with relatively low gold values (160 ppb)
- Two of six drill holes did not intersect significant mineralization
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VR Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: VRR, FSE: 5VR; OTCBB: VRRCF), the "Company", or “VR”, is pleased to report results from its first winter drill program at the Silverback copper-gold project in Northwestern Ontario.
- Shear-zone hosted quartz veins with pyrite, chalcopyrite and anomalous gold intersected in four of six holes.
- The Cu-Au geochemical signature is consistent with an epizonal, intrusion-associated orogenic mineral system.
Six holes were completed for a total of 1,342 meters. The drilling tested IP chargeability and DIGHEM conductivity anomalies along inferred structures, and associated with the large mafic-ultramafic body that spans the project area (Figure 1). The Central Zone DCIP anomaly and the six-channel EM anomaly at North Arm located 1,400 metres to the northeast were the focus of this first drill program.
Key Results and Geological Observations
- There is anomalous gold up to 160 ppb in all zones of intense shearing intersected in each drill hole.
- Gold is associated with disseminated sulfides (pyrite, chalcopyrite) within NE-trending shear zones characterized by strong chlorite, clay, and sericite hydrothermal alteration (Photo 1A).
- Quartz veins containing pyrite-chalcopyrite and anomalous gold (Photo 1B) were intersected in:
- Holes 5 and 6 – Mineralization is on trend with the high-grade surface showing in the central CZ zone.
- Holes 7 and 8 – Mineralization is near a 1980’s Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) 6-channel EM anomaly.
- Gold in veins and shear zones correlates with elevated copper and silver geochemistry, with a strong, epizonal, intrusion-related trace element signature of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), molybdenum’ (Mo) and tungsten (W).
Figure 1. Plan map of the recent 3D-array DCIP survey at Silverback, with locations for all drillholes completed to date, and occurrences of anomalous gold. The basemap shows a resistivity depth slice at -200m (purple: conductive, ice blue: resistive). Overlain are pink IP isoshells, and yellow outlines of DIGHEM conductors. Also shown are the magnetic outlines of the large, mafic-ultramafic dykes and intrusions with nickel mineralization which span the entire property.
From VR’s CEO Justin Daley: "These early-stage results are an important confirmation of the extent and style of mineralization at Silverback. The drill holes provide pierce points for new Cu-Au mineralization in an area of widespread glacial cover, and the geochemistry provides a clear epizonal, intrusion-related signature.
First and foremost, the mineral system associated with shear-zone structures is extensive, with anomalous gold observed across more than 3 kilometres along a newly recognized northeast-trending structural corridor at Silverback. The drilling has also expanded the mapped extent of the prospective greenstone belt another 2km north in this glacially covered area and identified new large-scale structural splays from the Quetico Fault System into the Marmion Terrane. This is a meaningful step forward in understanding the regional controls on mineralization in this underexplored part of the belt.
Secondly, the mineralization, alteration, and lithologies observed in all drillholes, together with As-Sb-Bi trace element geochemistry, indicate an epizonal, intrusion-associated gold system with a strong deformation overprint. Intrusion-related vectors such as copper, silver, molybdenum and tungsten provide further confirmation that at Silverback we are in a hybrid, orogenic-intrusion mineral system, consistent with known productive gold belts elsewhere in Ontario.
The sheer number of targets emerging from this early-stage drilling is encouraging. We’ve only just started to test this new regional structural corridor at Silverback, and already the results point to a large-scale system with several untested targets remaining, including the heart of the six-channel EM anomaly at North Arm, and West Dyke located nearly 3 km to the southwest where gold in drill core is strongest. As we continue to work through the structural and geochemical data collected, we look forward to providing further updates as we prioritize targets and refine our exploration plans through the spring."
Geological Context and Structural Interpretation
The large IP chargeability anomalies at the Central Zone reflect widespread, disseminated pyrite and are interpreted as alteration halos surrounding the controlling structures at Silverback. These shear zones have acted as conduits for hydrothermal fluids, which have remobilized sulfur from the large mafic-ultramafic intrusion, and base and precious metals from the porphyritic intrusives observed across the project.
Regional mapping by the OGS indicates that tonalite of the Marmion batholith underlies the Silverback project area, however, lithologic units observed in this drilling shows that the Lac des Mille Lacs greenstone belt extends for at least another 2km north from the current contact at the south end of the property. This is significant because greenstone belts, with their higher iron content for precipitation of sulfide and susceptibility to ductile deformation, are typically better hosts for orogenic systems compared with the granitic rocks of the Marmion batholith.
The presence of anomalous gold and sulfide-rich veins within these structural zones is consistent with a shear-zone-hosted epizonal intrusion-associated system fingerprinted by Mo and W. This setting reflects a near-surface orogenic gold system where mineralization has been focused along NE-trending structures and focused at fold-nose traps formed by deformation linked to the larger-scale east-west Quetico Fault to the south.
This structural environment is characteristic of Marmion and Quetico gold systems, where mineralization is found both within greenstone belt and granitic host rocks. In both cases, the use of trace element vectors in both core and till samples, as well as structural mapping will be utilized to successfully identify high-grade structural traps.
Next Steps
Detailed structural analysis – Structural measurements from drill core and outcrops will be integrated to identify potential high-grade zones associated with fold noses, flexures, and jogs along shear zones.
Geochemical surveys – Where suitable till is present, plans will be made for grid sampling across prospective structural zones to identify gold, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and tungsten anomalies in order to define detailed targets.
Photo 1. Drill core examples from Holes 7 and 8, showing two styles of mineralization with anomalous gold at the 6-channel EM anomaly from a 1980’s OGS survey that is coincident with a DIGHEM conductivity anomaly from VR’s 2023 survey. The upper photo shows widespread chlorite-sericite-carbonate alteration with finely disseminated sulfides and quartz-carbonate veining related to intense shearing in feldspar porphyry and mafic volcanic rocks of the Lac des Mille Lacs greenstone belt. The lower photo shows a pyrite-chalcopyrite quartz vein breccia with chlorite-sericite selvages.
Technical Information
Surface grab samples and drill core samples were submitted for geochemical analysis to the AGAT laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Drill core was logged, cut and sampled at the Holbik Exploration warehouse in Upsala, Ontario, with sample preparation completed by AGAT in Thunder Bay, alongside gold and PGE determination by atomic absorption assay. ICP-MS analyses for base metals, whole rock, and trace elements is performed at AGAT’s laboratory in Calgary, AB. Analytical results are subject to industry-standard and NI 43-101 compliant QAQC sample procedures, including the systematic insertion of sample duplicates, blanks and certified reference material (CRM) done both externally and internally at the laboratory by AGAT, as described by AGAT.
Technical information for this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101. The content of this news release has been reviewed on behalf of the Company by Justin Daley, MSc, PGeo, President & CEO at VR, and a non-independent Qualified Person who oversees and/or participates in all aspects of the Company’s mineral exploration projects.
About the Silverback Project
The project consists of 86 mineral claims in one contiguous block covering 4,760 hectares. The project is located on Federal Crown Land, with mineral rights administered by the Ontario Ministry of Mines. There is a
About VR Resources Ltd.
VR is an established junior exploration company based in Vancouver (TSX.V: VRR; Frankfurt: 5VR; OTCQB: VRRCF). VR evaluates, explores and advances opportunities in copper, gold and critical metals in Nevada, USA, and Ontario, Canada. VR applies modern exploration technologies, in-house experience, and expertise in greenfields exploration to large-footprint systems in underexplored areas/districts. The foundation of VR is the proven track record of its Board in early-stage exploration, discovery and M&A. The Company is financed for its mineral exploration and corporate obligations. VR owns its projects outright and evaluates new opportunities on an ongoing basis, whether by staking or acquisition.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
“Justin Daley”
Justin Daley, MSc, P.Geo
President & CEO
For general information please use the following:
| Website: | www.vrr.ca |
| Email: | info@vrr.ca |
| Phone: | 778-731-9292 |
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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 in this document include statements concerning VR’s expectations that it will complete a till sampling surveys or structural interpretaions, and all other statements that are not statements of historical fact.
Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with: general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company’s ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.
This news release may also contain statements and/or information with respect to mineral properties and/or deposits which are adjacent to and/or potentially similar to the Company’s mineral properties, but which the Company has no interest in nor rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on similar properties are not necessarily indicative of mineral deposits on the Company’s properties.
Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. All of the Company’s public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review them.
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FAQ
What are the key findings from VRRCF's Silverback drilling program?
How many drill holes did VRRCF complete at Silverback?
What type of mineralization was discovered in VRRCF's Silverback project?
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How much did VRRCF expand the mapped extent of the greenstone belt?
