Torr Metals Vectors Km-Scale Porphyry Target within Expansive >30 km2 Pathfinder Footprint at the Dalvenie Zone
Vancouver, June 6, 2023 - Torr Metals Inc. ("Torr" or the "Company") (TSXV: TMET) is pleased to announce the multi-element analytical results and preliminary interpretations from 1,108 soil samples collected from the Dalvenie Zone during the 2022 field season (Figure 1). The Dalvenie Zone, part of the 689 km2 Latham Project, is road accessible from Highway 37 and is ~8 kilometres (km) south of the Company's Gnat Pass Copper-Gold porphyry deposit.
Soil samples from 2022 were designed to confirm historically reported grades, test for potential extensions to copper-gold mineralization, and establish a distribution pattern of pathfinder elements for vectoring a potential core porphyry exploration target. As a result of these efforts, Torr has successfully identified 3 new north-south trending copper (Cu) soil anomalies that have assayed >300 ppm across a 6.6 km-wide structural corridor encompassing the West, Central, and East Dalvenie Zones (Figure 1). Additionally, the 2022 soil sampling has defined a widespread >30 km2 footprint to strong pathfinder elements that have outlined a potential core zone to a high-level exposure of a porphyry system measuring ~1,900 metres (m) in strike-length and ~1,250 m in width within the Central Dalvenie Zone (Figure 2).
Malcolm Dorsey, President and CEO, commented, "From the start, our interpretation has been that the Dalvenie Zone has the potential to host a large-scale copper-gold mineralizing system genetically linked to a nearby or underlying porphyry. Our systematic approach from 2022 has now confirmed a geochemical fingerprint consistent with this interpretation, together with a significant expansion of targets far beyond the limits of the historical 2.1 km2 soil grid. With the combination of all of our coincident data including strong pathfinder elements, geophysical anomalies, high-grade copper-gold rock grab samples, and broad mapped alteration at-surface we are confident that we will be able to optimize drill targeting of the untested porphyry target and look forward to starting the next phase."
Highlights
- 2022 soil samples defined 3 new copper soil anomalies in the West and East Dalvenie Zones while also extending the strike-length of the Central Dalvenie Zone copper soil anomaly from 1,500 m to greater than 1,900 m (see news release from Aug. 31, 2022) (Figure 1).
- Newly defined copper soil anomalies in the West and East Dalvenie Zones measure 500 to 1,200 m in strike-length and are typically coincident with north-south trending shear structures that parallel those known to host high-grade copper and gold within the Central Dalvenie Zone.
- The existence of significant anomalous copper and arsenic soil anomalies to the west and east of the Central Dalvenie Zone indicates a much larger and fertile district-scale mineralizing system than previously recognized.
- Of the 1,108 soil samples collected 283 yielded >100 ppm Cu, 25 samples >300 ppm Cu, and 17 samples >500 ppm Cu.
- Coincident anomalous pathfinder elements occur within a >30 km2 geochemical footprint; elements include copper, molybdenum (Mo), lithium (Li), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), and selenium (Se) (See Figure 2).
- Surface mapping as well as vectoring of strong pathfinder elements indicates potential for a genetically-linked epithermal-porphyry system; with multiple linear north-south trending copper shear-vein structures bounding an interpreted core porphyry target within the Central Dalvenie Zone delineated by overlapping anomalous As-Mo-Cu-Se-Li geochemical signatures and IP (induced polarization) high chargeability and resistivity geophysical anomalies (Figures 1 and 2). Rock grab samples collected in 2022 from shear-hosted vein systems along the western margins of the vectored copper porphyry target have assayed up to 4.31% Cu, 14.15 g/t Au, and 63.1 g/t Ag as well as 2.85% Cu, 5.72 g/t Au, and 27.9 g/t Ag (see news release from Feb. 9, 2023).
Figure 1. Compilation of historical and 2022 copper soil samples in the West, Central, and East Dalvenie Zones with outlines of anomalous copper targets in blue overlying the 2022 IP chargeability survey.
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Figure 2. Footprints of anomalous geochemical pathfinder elements commonly associated with epithermal-porphyry systems.
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Geological Interpretation
The 2022 soil sampling results have significantly expanded the scale and continuity of the Dalvenie Zone mineralizing system, resulting in an improved definition of the exploration model as well as identification of the potential for a much larger copper-gold system than previously recognized; derived from newly defined kilometre-scale soil geochemistry, pathfinder element distribution, and widespread distribution of multiple north-south trending copper-gold shear-vein systems (Figures 1 and 2).
Within the Central Dalvenie Zone the newly defined copper porphyry target (Figures 1 and 2) corresponds to highly anomalous >500 ppm copper in soil that is also coincident with a highly prospective high chargeability and moderate to high resistivity anomaly (see news release from March 21, 2023). Coincident anomalous pathfinder elements include As-Mo-Se-Li in soil, which is interpreted as being within the upper levels of a potential porphyry system (Figure 3). This interpretation is also consistent with observed alteration and mineralization patterns in outcrop that are typical of porphyry-related systems (Figure 3); including locally advanced argillic alteration along the margins of extensive shear-hosted polymetallic veins with smears of specular hematite alteration along fracture planes as well as locally intense silicification and sericitization within broader zones of bleaching in the surrounding Stuhini Group host rock. Mineralization within the vein systems includes massive pyrite with blebs of arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite together with galena and sphalerite.
Within the West Dalvenie Zone west of the vectored porphyry target is a zone of phyllic alteration in outcrop together with a significant arsenic-antimony-selenium-tellerium soil anomaly coincident with a high chargeability anomaly. Phyllic alteration is typical of the periphery or lithocap portions that forms a proximal halo surrounding the core of a porphyry system and as such this zone is interpreted as potentially higher within the system than the Central Dalvenie Zone, based on the vertical distribution of elements (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Idealized cross section showing geochemical and alteration zonation in a porphyry-related system, with the interpreted exposure level of Dalvenie outlined. Figure and table after Halley et al., 2015.
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Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., a consultant to the Company who is a qualified person defined under National Instrument 43-101.
About Torr Metals
Torr Metals is a Vancouver based mineral exploration company focused on defining and developing the substantial exploration and resource potential of the ~689 km2 Latham Copper-Gold Project, located within the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia. Year-round access is provided by Highway 37 with the project being favourably located 16 km south of the regional airport in Dease Lake. For further details about the Latham Copper-Gold Project, please refer to the Company's website or current geological Technical Report (August 24, 2021) filed on November 25, 2021 under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Torr Metals Inc.
"Malcolm Dorsey"
Malcolm Dorsey
President, CEO and Director
For further information:
Malcolm Dorsey
Telephone: 236-982-4300
Email: malcolmd@torrmetals.com
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings, and the future plans or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
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