Amarc Resources (TSXV: AHR; OTCQB: AXREF) reported results from its comprehensive, late 2024 exploration program at its 500 km 2 IKE copper-gold district, located in southern British Columbia. The program focused on the higher-grade copper-gold mineralization discovered by historical operators within the Greater Empress Area which is a sizable subarea within the overall IKE district.
Significant assays from nine core holes drilled in 2024 at the Empress deposit include: 181 metres at 0.46% copper equivalent1 (0.31 g/t gold, 0.29% copper and 0.8 g/t silver) from 30 metres and 60 metres at 0.90% copper equivalent (0.60 g/t gold, 0.56% copper and 1.3 g/t silver) from 123 metres. Also, 68 metres at 0.56% copper equivalent (30 g/t gold, 0.38% copper and 1.0 g/t silver) from 123 metres incl. 29 metres at 0.73% copper equivalent (0.46 g/t gold, 0.47% copper and 1.3 g/t silver).
The style and form of mineralization at Empress is unique within the western Cordillera with the initial technical data suggesting the centre of the mineralized gold-copper system has not yet been defined. Greater Empress is located 6 km north of the company’s substantial IKE porphyry copper-molybdenum-silver (Cu-Mo-Ag) discovery. The 2024 program successfully confirmed high potential for the expansion of mineralization found historically at Empress and the discovery of additional higher-grade intrusion-related replacement and porphyry copper±gold±molydenum±silver deposits. Management considers the IKE District to be one of the prolifically mineralized belts in BC.
Dr. Diane Nicolson, Amarc president and CEO, stated: “At IKE, Amarc’s team is in the privileged position of focusing our exploration towards multiple, open-ended historical deposits and targets with elevated copper and gold grades, in addition to multiple porphyry copper±gold±molydenum±silver and epithermal gold-silver deposit targets within the Greater Empress Area and across the IKE district,”
She added: “The hallmark of these mineral systems is their abundance as well as the size and strength of their alteration and metal signatures, which collectively have the potential to establish the IKE district as a premier mineral district. The 2024 program marked Amarc’s successful initial testing of the higher-grade Empress copper-gold potential along a 15 km+ highly prospective corridor within the IKE district. Amarc is currently integrating this new data with extensive previous airborne, and ground survey and drill information to plan further drilling programs to efficiently advance the Greater Empress Area and the overall IKE district.”
Although the grades and extents of the mineralization encountered so far indicate high potential at Greater Empress, the understanding of controls on the mineralization is advancing, and has confirmed the area remains substantially underexplored.
Amarc’s exploration program focused on the Empress deposit and Empress East deposit target within the Greater Empress Area at which historical drilling had encountered higher grade copper-gold mineralization.
Amarc drilled nine holes in the Greater Empress Area to confirm the strength, continuity and form of the historically identified well copper-gold mineralized intersections at the Empress deposit and Empress East deposit target. Six of the eight drill holes collared at the Empress deposit intercepted significant copper-gold mineralized zones. A single drill hole collared at Empress East also intercepted significant copper-gold mineralization.
More information is posted on www.AmarcResources.com.
