Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) has announced the commencement of its Phase 2B exploration program at the La Union Project in Sonora, Mexico, in partnership with joint venture operator Riverside Resources Inc. The program marks a strategic shift from diamond drilling to reverse circulation (RC) drilling, intended to improve penetration rates and reduce costs. The Phase 2B program will initially focus on two priority targets — Luis Hill and the Union Mine — both of which returned encouraging results in earlier phases. Investors in junior exploration stocks may be watching the RC drilling results closely given the project's shallow CRD zone depths.

Key Points

  • Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) is a Vancouver-based mineral exploration company with assets in British Columbia and Sonora, Mexico
  • Phase 2B RC drilling has commenced at the La Union Project, targeting the Luis Hill and Union Mine zones
  • Luis Hill hosts a chargeability anomaly extending over 1 km along strike; Union Mine chip-channel sampling previously returned 20.2 g/t Au and 226 g/t Ag over 30 metres
  • Investors may be watching for RC drill results at both targets, particularly given the company's noted CRD zone depths of 150 to 250 metres

RC Drilling Replaces Diamond Drilling to Improve Efficiency at La Union

Riverside Resources, as project operator, has completed road work and drill pad construction following the conclusion of the rainy season and has secured an RC drilling rig to replace the diamond core drilling used in prior phases. The company states that the absence of water in core holes completed to date suggests drill cutting recovery should not pose a problem at the depths planned for Phase 2B. According to the release, the switch to RC drilling is expected to advance more efficiently through the faulted ground encountered during earlier core drilling, potentially providing a more cost-effective pathway for larger future programs at La Union.

Luis Hill Anomaly to Be Tested With a Near-Vertical 350-Metre Drill Hole

The Luis Hill target hosts sediment-hosted gold mineralisation identified in the upper Clemente Formation during Phase 1 drilling. An Induced Polarization survey completed in Phase 2A delineated a chargeability anomaly extending over 1 km along strike that coincides with the Phase 1 discovery hole, which returned 0.3 g/t gold over 42 metres. Riverside's geology team has mapped stratigraphy and structure northward for over 2 km and identified cross-cutting feeder structures as additional targets. Phase 2B plans to test this geophysical anomaly with a near-vertical, 350-metre deep drill hole, as the zone remains open along strike and at depth.

Union Mine Step-Out Drilling Follows Promising Chip-Channel Sampling Results

At the Union Mine target, Phase 2A hole UND26-013 intersected the continuity of the historic Sproul manto mine, returning anomalous lead and zinc values indicating proximity to the replacement body. Rock chip-channel sampling along the Union Mine access wall graded 20.2 g/t Au and 226 g/t Ag over 30 metres. The structure is hosted in the Clemente Formation, a recognised carbonate replacement deposit host unit. Phase 2B drilling plans an 80-metre step-out along strike, supported by ground magnetic geophysics, to test structural continuity and assess potential for sediment-hosted gold in the reactive shales surrounding the host carbonate.

La Union Project Scale and Questcorp's Broader Portfolio

Questcorp holds an option to acquire a 100-per-cent interest in mineral claims totalling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation. The company also holds a 100-per-cent interest in the North Island Copper property on Vancouver Island, B.C., covering 1,168.09 hectares, also subject to a royalty obligation. The technical content of the Phase 2B announcement was reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a Director of Questcorp and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. The immediate share price impact was not clear from available public information.