Blende Silver Corp. (TSX.V: BAG) (OTC: BAGGF) has announced the mobilization of field crews to its 100%-owned Blende Silver-Zinc-Lead Project in north-central Yukon, with the first drill holes expected to commence within approximately 10 days. This maiden drilling campaign will target priority 3D induced polarization (IP) chargeability anomalies identified in a recent survey, particularly in the Lower Central Zone and New Mountain Top areas, where the interpreted anomalies are several times larger in areal extent than the chargeability response over the defined West Zone mineralization that anchors the company’s existing mineral resource.
The Blende Project hosts an existing NI 43-101 mineral resource and is one of the larger known carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead occurrences in Western Canada. The upcoming drilling is designed to test whether mineralization extends beyond the currently defined zones, specifically evaluating the approximately 2 km corridor between the West Zone and East Zone deposits. The company’s drill contractor is mobilizing to site to complete equipment inventory and finalize site readiness ahead of drilling.
According to the company, the 3D IP survey identified a chargeability response coincident with low resistivity over the West Zone, which has been used as a calibration reference. The new targets, including the Lower Central Zone and New Mountain Top, show chargeability anomalies that extend to the edges of the surveyed grid, and the company has not surveyed beyond current coverage. The combination of high chargeability and low resistivity is the criterion used to rank these drill targets, as it may indicate sulphide mineralization.
Prior review of inversion data suggested that historical drilling in the Central Zone (13 holes) may have been positioned between two distinct chargeability anomalies rather than directly testing the strongest responses. The company’s interpretation is that these observations warrant drill testing for possible extensions of mineralization between the West Zone and the East Zone, testing continuity between the zones.
Andrew H. Rees, President and CEO, emphasized the significance: “Blende is not a greenfield story. We already hold one of the larger known carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead resources in Western Canada, and our objective now is to test whether that resource can be expanded.” He added that the 3D IP survey identified anomalies covering a larger area than the response over the West Zone, and this program puts a drill directly into those targets for the first time.
The drilling is part of a phased approach. Phase 1 begins this summer, with the company intending to complete as many holes as site and weather conditions allow before the field season concludes in mid-September 2026, anticipated to be one to two holes. Drilling is planned to resume and expand in spring and summer 2027 following the winter pause. During the winter break, the company plans to mobilize equipment over the seasonal winter road to establish camp infrastructure and an airstrip, positioning the project for an expanded exploration program.
The Blende Project, located approximately 63 km northeast of Keno Hill, Yukon, covers 5,345 hectares and is winter road accessible. Historical exploration defined the East and West Zones, which are approximately two kilometers apart. The property has undergone more than $9.2 million in past exploration, including 25,195 meters of drilling in 132 drill holes. The company notes that the project lies within the Keno Hill silver district, one of Canada’s highest-grade historic silver producing districts, but mineralization on other properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the project.
The 2021 mineral resource estimate, prepared at a 1.5% ZnEq cutoff, remains unchanged. The company cautions that metal prices have changed since the effective date of the estimate, and it has not been updated. The qualified person for the technical information is Dr. Sarah Palmer, P.Geo., an independent consultant.
