Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2024) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a British Columbia copper-gold explorer, announces Expert Geophysics Ltd. ("Expert") has commenced an airborne MobileMT™ survey at its 100% owned Trident and Pinnacle copper-gold projects in the South Hogem Copper-Gold Belt.
Highlights
MagnetoTelluric (MT) survey method capable of detecting basement electromagnetic (EM) conductors and anomalous resistivity zones which are indicative of potential copper-gold porphyry systems.
Planned surveying totals 164 line-kilometres to provide coverage of primary target area (historical assays at Trident which include DDH-1971-13: 70.07m @ 0.69% Cu, DDH 2007-2: 100.00m @ 0.59% Cu and 0.18 g/t Au including 2.00m @ 2.73% Cu and 0.36 g/t Au).
The MT survey will also cover an additional target located on PEMC's 100% owned Pinnacle Property situated directly west and adjacent to the Trident. Utilization of this modern geophysical dataset will facilitate the identification and prioritization of target areas for drilling currently anticipated during the Summer/Fall 2024 exploration season.
Brad Peters, President, CEO & Director, commented: "We are excited to begin the survey and are looking forward to being able to see to depths of over one kilometre beneath the surface at our 100% owned Trident and Pinnacle projects, west of Centerra Gold's operating Mount Milligan copper-gold mine. The objective is to identify potential "plumbing systems" because if you are looking for large copper deposits you need a large plumbing system to deliver the necessary fluids and metals. Our goal is simple, discover the next gold-enriched copper porphyry deposit within this district. Once results are received and analyzed for this MT survey, we currently anticipate drilling these targets during the Summer/Fall 2024 field season. Trident for the very first time is 100% owned by a public company with an updated porphyry geological model established by our skilled technical team."
Planned Survey
The purpose of the survey is to identify conductivity/resistivity anomalies that may represent conduits for hydrothermal fluids critical in the formation of porphyry copper-gold deposits. These conduits have the potential to represent critical plumbing systems responsible for the formation of copper porphyry deposits. The gathering of both resistivity and conductivity imaging of the surface to a depth of 1 km through deploying an airborne MobileMT (Mobile MagnetoTellurics) system will provide key information pertaining to source fluid conduits and structures. This important step will provide valuable insights and aid to further both known and unknown exploration targets destined for follow up diamond drilling programs.
In addition, complimentary VLF (Very Low Frequency) data will be collected and interpreted to provide valuable near surface EM (Electromagnetic) information. The survey design plan is to conduct approximately 164 line-km's using a 200 m line spacing grid.
The survey will be performed with an Astar 350 B2 helicopter provided by Heli Source Ltd. Expert Geophysics Ltd. ("EGL") will provide all necessary instrumentation for installation on the helicopter, as well as base stations and field workstations (data processing system) to be used for quality control and processing management during the collection of the airborne data in the field.
The final data processing, colour imaging and mapping will be performed at EGL's offices in Toronto, Canada. The final results and resulting products are expected to be available to the PEMC exploration team over the coming weeks following completion of the survey.
About Mobile MagnetoTelluric Surveys
The latest development in the airborne MobileMT system, provides a depth of investigation from the near-surface to over 1 km and detects resistivity variations across a wide range, encompassing conductive targets and structures as well as highly resistive ones.
Porphyry and epithermal mineralization systems develop in conditions of active subduction and they are characterized by a wide variety of structural, lithological, and alteration patterns, which, at least partially, can be depicted in geoelectrical images.
The following two examples demonstrate the effectiveness of resistivity mapping and sounding using the MobileMT system. Both examples from MobileMT surveys are presented over areas with known porphyry and epithermal mineralization systems and mineralization-controlling structures. The recovered resistivity-depth images are compared with actual geology or conceptual geological models of the mineralization systems, which illustrate the system's capabilities in imaging the mineralization systems and their diverse geometries and wide resistivity range.
Poplar Cu-Mo porphyry Deposit (BC, Canada)
Figure 1 - Example of calc-alkaline porphyry deposit from British Columbia characterized by elevated conductivity flanked by elevated resistivity. (Mineral Deposit Research Unit, UBC, 2023)
Figure 2 - Example of porphyry-epithermal environment with Jaisan & Ungurli Deposits Kazakhstan characterized by elevated resistivity flanked by elevated conductivity. (Mineral Deposit Research Unit, UBC, 2023)
The Trident property is an exploration stage property hosting an alkalic porphyry copper-gold-silver prospect with district-scale potential that is accessible by vehicle. The property is located approximately 50 km to the southeast of NorthWest Copper Corp.'s Kwanika Deposit and 50 km to the northwest of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Mine. The property covers 6,618 hectares endowed with well-established logging roads providing important efficient access for exploration programs.
Copper mineralization on the property was first discovered in 1969, while exploration crews were following up on anomalous stream sediment samples. The following year, Falconbridge optioned the property and over the next two years completed IP and magnetic surveys, geological mapping, soil sampling and diamond drilling. This work led to the discovery of the A Zone.
Additional exploration programs were completed by Kookaburra Gold Corp. from 1988 through 1991, Solomon Resources Ltd., from 2006 through 2008. In 2013, PEMC optioned the property and in 2014, in turn, PEMC optioned the property to Oz Minerals which completed that same year an IP survey and completed a two drillhole, diamond drill program at Trident.
In 2022, Pacific Empire acquired a 100% interest in the property in exchange for granting the vendors a 2% net smelter return royalty ("NSR"). One-half (1%) of the 2% NSR may be purchased for $500,000 by Pacific Empire.
Prior to 2014, known mineralization on the property was believed to be associated with fracture and/or shear zones structures striking 120 degrees and dipping 75 degrees towards the northeast. A review of historical drill core by the Pacific Empire exploration team has led to a much different interpretation with respect to the nature of known mineralization on the property. The most important observation was the determination of the presence of hornblende-feldspar monzonite porphyry intrusions detected within drill core obtained from the A Zone. These types of porphyry intrusions are typically characterized by sheeted quartz sulphide veins and disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite residing immediately adjacent to and within the porphyry dikes. Other observations include; The highest grades noted in historical drilling can be seen to be directly associated with intervals where such porphyry intrusions occur.
Figure 3 - Regional Land Position and Significant Companies
"Between our 100% owned Trident and Pinnacle projects runs the Klawli river. The gold flakes and nuggets in the vial displayed on the map were collected from that location on the Klawli river. It is this and other geochemical evidence gathered by the PEMC exploration team which leads us to postulate the potential for a gold-enriched copper system nearby on either Trident, Pinnacle, or possibly both projects. To date, visible gold has been observed in outcrop at Trident, placer gold discovered in the nearby Klawli river gravels, and as well gold detected in drill core from Pinnacle. All three of these known occurrences of gold and their respective locations suggests there may be a shallow buried, large scale, gold-enriched, copper porphyry deposit within our district scale land package," commented Brad Peters, President, CEO and Director of Pacific Empire.
Table 1 - Highlights from Historical Drilling at Trident
The Pinnacle project is located 60 km to the west of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine and 30 km to the southeast of NorthWest Copper's Kwanika Copper-Gold Deposit in a proven copper-gold porphyry district. Access to the Pinnacle is by road including a new and expanding network of logging roads and trails throughout the main target areas. This improved access is a major development and is anticipated to contribute to cost effective drill support and bedrock exposure.
"Over the past 2 years significant logging operations have developed an extensive road network that now covers the entirety of the southern half of the property providing new outcrop exposure and efficient access. The 2023 forest fires dramatically affected the property resulting in significantly improved access to the property," commented Brad Peters, President, CEO and Director of Pacific Empire.
Qualified Person
Kristian Whitehead, P.Geo., serves as a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein.
About Pacific Empire
Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district scale land position in north-central British Columbia totaling 22,541 hectares.
British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market.
Neither the 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.
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve 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. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.
