Alaska Power Metals Company (AEMC) has unveiled thrilling findings from its 2024 inaugural exploration drilling program on the Canwell declare block which is part of the Nikolai Project in Alaska. The Canwell space hosts three key prospects—Emerick, Odie, and Higher Canwell—situated about 30 kilometers northeast of AEMC’s nickel-rich Eureka deposit.
AEMC’s Eureka Deposit: A Basis for Development
Exploring deeper, AEMC’s flagship Eureka deposit is a large polymetallic useful resource with over 3.9 billion kilos of nickel within the Indicated class and 4.2 billion kilos within the Inferred class. This layer additionally contains crucial supplies corresponding to cobalt, chromium, platinum, and palladium. It additionally holds copper, iron, and gold which positions AEMC as a big participant within the strategic metals sector.
The benefit doesn’t finish right here, having such a wealthy useful resource potential aligns with U.S. authorities priorities for securing home provides of strategic metals.
Nikolai Mission – Property Location Map
Breaking Floor at Canwell: Promising Outcomes for Nickel and Crucial Metals
In keeping with the corporate’s press release they used one floor diamond drill rig to drill three holes throughout the Emerick, Odie, and Higher Canwell prospects, masking a complete of 1,047.9 meters. Every gap focused geological, geophysical, and geochemical anomalies, offering invaluable information for understanding the area’s mineralized ultramafic programs.
Alaska Power Metals Chief Geologist Gabe Graf commented,
“After 20 years of limited exploration on the Canwell property, the information collected from these drill holes will aid our understanding of the mineralized ultramafic systems within the Wrangellia Terrane of interior Alaska. In fact, the blebby sulfides intersected at the Upper Canwell prospect is the first subsurface indication for higher-grade sulfides on the property. Furthermore, the potential for coarser-grained nickel sulfides and additional disseminated sulfide zones on the Nikolai Project is encouraging, and we are excited to continue advancing the geologic understanding of the property. We look forward to getting back into these areas in the next exploration season.”
Supply: AEMC
Key Findings from the Drill Websites
1. Emerick Prospect (CAN-24-001)
Drill gap CAN-24-001 began with 16 meters of overburden, adopted by serpentinized peridotite containing 0.2–0.5% sulfide minerals. The drilling reached a depth of 72.5 meters earlier than encountering difficult rock situations. These included intense fracturing, clay alteration, and serpentinization, which made sulfide estimation tough.
Non-mineralized mafic dikes have been additionally current throughout the peridotite. Drilling turned more durable attributable to poor rock high quality, and the outlet was deserted at 74.8 meters attributable to a big fault. Sadly, it didn’t attain the focused magnetic anomaly or the bottom of the ultramafic intrusion.
Somewhat than retrying, the group determined to postpone additional drilling on this goal till 2025. The important thing findings have been:
- 56.5 meters @ 0.40% nickel equal (NiEq) (0.26% Ni, 0.62% Cr, 7.00% Fe, 0.012% Co, 0.01% Cu, 0.019 ppm Pd, 0.032 ppm Pt & 0.007 ppm Au)
Supply: AEMC
2. Odie Prospect (CAN-24-002)
Drill gap CAN-24-002 began with 12.2 meters of overburden, adopted by serpentinized dunite containing 0.2–6.0% nickel sulfide and Ni-Fe alloy. This mineralized zone prolonged to a depth of 245.5 meters. Throughout the dunite, a number of non-mineralized gabbroic dikes have been discovered.
At 245.5 meters, the drill hit an unmineralized diorite intrusion, which continued all the way down to 527.0 meters. The focused DIGHEM magnetic anomaly is believed to mark the contact between the mineralized dunite and the diorite intrusion. This space additionally confirmed elevated pyrrhotite content material, providing invaluable clues for additional exploration. The group found:
- 193.6 meters @ 0.42% NiEq (0.26% Ni, 0.69% Cr, 8.58% Fe, 0.01% Cu, 0.014% Co, 0.035 ppm Pd, 0.041 ppm Pt and 0.007 ppm Au)
Supply: AEMC
3. Higher Canwell Prospect (CAN-24-003)
Drill gap CAN-24-003 started with 16.8 meters of overburden, adopted by serpentinized and faulted dunitic rocks. These rocks confirmed 0.5–5.0% nickel sulfide and Ni-Fe alloy mineralization. A number of cross-cutting gabbroic dikes with minimal sulfide mineralization have been additionally encountered.
Because of difficult terrain, the drill website was relocated north of the unique plan. This adjustment allowed the group to check a number of geophysical targets and resulted in drilling down the dip of the intrusion.
The focused DIGHEM magnetic anomaly confirmed larger sulfide content material and higher nickel grades, confirming its exploration potential. The important thing findings have been:
- 429.3 meters @ 0.39% NiEq (0.24% Ni, 0.64% Cr, 8.12% Fe, 0.01% Cu, 0.013% Co, 0.031 ppm Pd, 0.035 ppm Pt and 0.007 ppm Au), together with 1.4 meters @ 0.93 NiEq (0.65% Ni, 0.66% Cr, 8.90% Fe, 0.06% Cu, 0.021% Co, 0.275 ppm Pd, 0.246 ppm Pt and 0.012 ppm Au)
Supply: AEMC
Guaranteeing Excessive Requirements for Exploration
AEMC upholds stringent High quality Assurance – High quality Management for its Nikolai Mission to make sure the perfect practices for logging, sampling, and evaluation of samples.
As revealed by the corporate,
“For every 10 core samples, geochemical blanks, coarse reject or pulp duplicates, or Ni-Cu-PGE-Au certified reference material standards (CRMs) were inserted into the sample stream.”
Moreover, drill cores have been flown day by day to the McLaren River Lodge in Alaska, the place they have been meticulously logged, labeled, and lower. Half of every core was archived, whereas the opposite half was despatched to SGS Laboratories in Burnaby, B.C., for detailed evaluation utilizing superior geochemical strategies.
This means that the company integrates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ideas into its operations. On the similar time specializing in sustainable practices and carbon reduction. With places of work in Anchorage and Vancouver, AEMC goals to produce crucial supplies important for national security and clean energy.
What’s Subsequent for AEMC?
Considerably, the latest outcomes at Canwell strengthen the imaginative and prescient for district-wide exploration throughout the Nikolai Mission. By confirming nickel mineralization and figuring out promising areas for future drilling, AEMC has highlighted the potential for main discoveries in Alaska’s inside.
They plan to revisit the positioning within the 2025 season, focusing on expanded sulfide zones and higher-grade nickel deposits. Along with the Nikolai Mission, AEMC is advancing the Angliers-Belleterre Mission in Quebec, which holds potential for high-grade nickel-copper sulfides and white hydrogen.
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